Food Oasis Project

The mission of the Food Oasis Project is to transform Des Moines' food deserts into food oases by cultivating resilient communities that grow and share their own food in a sustainable way.

How can we do this? We plan to use a variety of spaces such as vacant lots, city parks, and homeowners’ yards to build community gardens, urban farms, food forests, and edible landscaping - and all of the produce will stay right in these communities.

Why should we do this? Because 45,000 people in Des Moines live in a food desert, which means many of these people have a difficult time acquiring fresh, healthy food. We want to change that so that everyone in Des Moines, regardless of socioeconomic status, has the option to eat fresh, healthy food. Our mission is to help neighborhoods in Des Moines' food deserts grow and distribute their own food.