In a city where growing food year-round can feel like a challenge reserved for experts, one urban garden is quietly rewriting the rules and making sure nothing goes to waste in the process. Millennial Food Gardens, a nonprofit urban farm in Phoenix, has partnered with Loving Hut and local animal rescue Better Piggies to expand its mission of giving back, transforming excess harvest into a steady food source for both people and animals in need.
Founded by lifelong gardener Jed Riding, Millennial Food Gardens began just 18 months ago on a once-empty three-quarter-acre plot at 2508 W. Vista Ave. in Phoenix. After removing more than 8,000 pounds of rock by hand, Riding built the garden from the ground up using the Mittleider gardening method, a system that combines controlled growing mediums and mineral nutrients to produce high yields even in desert conditions. The result is a highly productive garden capable of growing a wide range of vegetables year-round in Arizona’s extreme heat.
“What started as a simple idea has grown into something much bigger than I ever imagined,” says Jed Riding, founder of Millennial Food Gardens. “We’re not just growing food. We’re showing people what’s possible. Everything we produce goes back into the community, and now even what’s left over is helping feed animals that need it. That’s the kind of full-circle impact we’ve always hoped for.”
Since its founding in August 2024, the garden has donated 100% of its produce to local food banks, families, and community organizations, averaging about 200 pounds per week, an estimated 14,000 pounds of food to date. Through partnerships with Valley View Community Food Bank and Unlimited Potential, the garden plays a consistent role in addressing food insecurity across the Valley.
The newest extension of that impact began organically at Loving Hut Glendale, where Riding connected with owner Linh La after seeing her work supporting Better Piggies, a local animal rescue. That chance meeting sparked a new partnership: weekly donations of surplus vegetable trimmings, items not typically used for human consumption but well-suited to feed more than 200 rescued pigs.
“For me, this partnership is about recognizing that compassion doesn’t stop at the plate,” says Linh La, owner of multiple Loving Hut Vegan Cuisine locations in the Valley. “What Jed is doing is incredible. He’s feeding families, educating the community, and now helping care for rescued animals, too. It’s a reminder that, when people come together with intention, we can create systems that truly support everyone.”
Each week, Millennial Food Gardens provides eight to 12 boxes of fresh vegetable trimmings, roughly 150 to 200 pounds, to Better Piggies, ensuring that nothing harvested goes unused. The effort builds on the garden’s broader focus on sustainability, education, and community empowerment.
“People are always surprised by how much food it takes to care for over 200 pigs. Partnerships like this help us keep everyone fed while also reducing waste, which is a win for the animals, the community, and the environment,” explains Danielle Betterman, founder of Better Piggies Rescue.
Key highlights of Millennial Food Gardens include:
- Founder-led buildout: Created entirely by Jed Riding, who removed more than 8,000 pounds of rock to transform a vacant lot into a productive urban garden.
- Urban location: Operates on a three-quarter-acre plot in central Phoenix, demonstrating that high-yield food production is possible within city neighborhoods.
- Innovative growing method: Utilizes the Mittleider Method, combining sand, sawdust, and mineral nutrients to support efficient, soil-optional growing.
- Year-round production: Successfully grows a wide variety of vegetables throughout the year despite Arizona’s extreme desert climate.
- Clean growing practices: Maintains a pesticide-free approach focused on controlled inputs and plant health.
- Full donation model: Distributes 100% of harvested produce to food banks, nonprofits, and families in need.
- Consistent output: Produces an estimated 200 pounds of fresh food each week for community distribution.
- Educational access: Offers tours, volunteer opportunities, and hands-on instruction in sustainable desert gardening.
- Community integration: Serves as a neighborhood hub, hosting local groups and fostering community connection.
Beyond donations, the garden serves as a hands-on learning hub, offering tours, volunteer opportunities, and educational programs that teach residents how to grow their own food in desert conditions. The space has also become a gathering point for the surrounding neighborhood, supporting community meetings and outreach initiatives.
At its core, Millennial Food Gardens is about more than food. It is about possibility. The long-term vision is to replicate this model in communities across Arizona and beyond, creating a network of small-scale, high-impact urban gardens focused on access, education, and sustainability.
For more information, visit millennialfoodgardens.org, lovinghut.us or betterpiggiesrescue.org.
