The Just Grow Community Food Project is a pioneering collaboration led by Just Food and Native Lands Restoration Collaborative. Together, we are transforming the Just Food campus into a living, learning, and healing landscape that redefines how communities engage with food, culture, and health. This innovative project combines an edible native landscape with a medicinal native plant garden, creating one of the first integrated installations of its kind at a food bank in the United States. Rooted in traditional ecological knowledge and community-based education, Just Grow seeks to empower families—especially children—with access to healthy, culturally meaningful foods and plant-based wellness practices. What We’re Growing — and Why It Matters Edible Native Landscape In collaboration with Native Lands Restoration Collaborative, we’re cultivating a vibrant garden of native fruits, nuts, and greens, including serviceberries, pawpaws, wild plums, hazelnuts, and more—foods traditionally used by Indigenous communities. This space serves as: A free, year-round food resource supporting children's nutrition An outdoor classroom for hands-on learning about growing, harvesting, and healthy eating A cultural bridge, honoring Indigenous foodways and fostering respect for local biodiversity A model for sustainability, using low-water, low-maintenance native species that support pollinators and ecosystems Medicinal Native Plant Garden The project also includes a dedicated plot for native medicinal plants—species long used for their healing properties. These plants will: Support education around holistic health and wellness Connect visitors with Indigenous healing traditions Provide another layer of engagement and cultural learning for youth and community members A Model for Change Just Grow is more than a garden—it’s a replicable model for how food banks and community organizations can blend nutrition access, cultural education, and ecological stewardship. It is: The first edible native landscape at a U.S. food bank A hub for intergenerational learning A bold step toward food sovereignty and community healing Our Vision Through this living landscape, we are growing more than food—we are growing knowledge, pride, resilience, and connection. The Just Grow Community Food Project is a commitment to nourishing bodies and spirits while building a healthier, more equitable future rooted in cultural respect and sustainability.