Maya's Farm

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Phoenix (FUA)

Region

Northern America

Short description of the intervention

Maya’s Farm is a small, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) sustainable urban farm located in Phoenix, Arizona, where urban development has limited farmland availability. In 2020 alone, Phoenix lost nearly 200 acres of farmland to urban sprawl, putting farms like Maya’s at risk. The farm faced potential closure until the City of Phoenix intervened, providing funding through the Farm Preservation Program, which established the city's first urban agricultural conservation easement. Maya's Farm strives to inspire a local appreciation for sustainable food and to bring renewed value to local food systems.
The farm’s mission is to provide accessible, fresh, locally grown produce to the community while promoting awareness of healthy, sustainable food practices. Through its CSA program, members receive a weekly produce box and have opportunities to come together, honor food traditions, and share stories over locally harvested food. As a CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) certified organic farm, Maya’s Farm is committed to organic practices that exclude GMOs, nurture the soil, foster biodiversity, and innovate growing systems. These methods result in healthy soil and cleaner air, contribute to carbon sequestration, and support critical wildlife habitats.
To broaden educational outreach, Maya’s Farm offers several programs that promote sustainable food practices, including its CSA program, an edible classroom series, and a partnership with Arizona State University (ASU). Through this ASU partnership, students gain hands-on experience by participating in daily farm operations.
Building stronger community connections is another cornerstone of Maya's Farm’s work. The farm collaborates with local restaurants, farmers' markets, and community groups to expand its impact. Maya’s Farm, ASU, and Arizona Sustainability Alliance launched an agrivoltaics project with solar-shaded crops. (2, 9, 11, 13, 15)

Website of the intervention

http://mayasfarm.com/?page_id=126

Principal problems

Land use and Socio-economic change

Agriculture/ crop production

Rapid urbanization

Resource Scarcity and Competition

Food insecurity due to disruptions in food production and distribution

Implementation area characterization

Climate

Arid (Desert, Steppe)

Ecosystem

Deserts

Urban or built environment

Address

6650 S 32nd St
Phoenix , 85042
United States

Location

The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).

Area boundary (map-based)

NBS area image

Source of NBS area image

Source: https://ediblephoenix.ediblecommunities.com/food-thought/saving-maya-s-farm

Total area

32374.00m²

NBS area

32374.00m²

Area description

Periurban (both urban and rural environments are present)

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Vacant or abandoned land

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

2004

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

2006

End date of the intervention

ongoing

Present stage of the intervention

Ongoing

2. Objectives of the intervention

Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

To promote sustainable agriculture by practicing organic and sustainable farming methods, using natural fertilizers, and promoting biodiversity and soil health, while minimizing environmental impact and preserving natural resources.
To provide fresh, local produce by focusing on the production of high-quality, organic vegetables, herbs, flowers, and eggs for the community.
To support community well-being by offering fresh, nutritious food, thereby contributing to the health and well-being of the local population.
To foster environmental stewardship through practices that reduce reliance on pesticides, promote biodiversity and support financial sufficiency by selling the produce
To educate and empower the community by raising awareness about sustainable agriculture, healthy eating habits, and the importance of local food production.
To promote clean air and carbon sequestration (1-5, 7-9, 14-15)

Key Priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)

Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)

Social Justice and community

Sustainability challenge(s) addressed

Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)

Climate change mitigation

Environmental quality

Air quality improvement

Soil quality improvement

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Green space creation and/or management

Habitat and biodiversity restoration

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Improving physical health

Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)

Environmental education

Sense of community and community engagement

Economic development and employment (SDG 8)

Economic development: agriculture

Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)

Sustainable consumption

Sustainable production

Food scarcity / security

Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?

Improve agricultural practices (e.g. cover cropping, no-till farming, improved manure management) to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and increase carbon storage in soils.

Improve carbon sequestration through selection of more adaptable species

What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?

Species-focused

What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?

Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)

Public engagement

Implementation activities and NBS focus

Implementation activities

Phoenix faces a variety of problems such as food insecurity, urban expansion, community education around food practices, access to affordable, healthy food and sustainable agricultural practices (1-5).
To address these issues Maya's Farm has:
1. Employed organic and sustainable agricultural methods, such as: using natural fertilizers, to promote biodiversity and soil health (4, 9).
2. Operated as a CSA program (community supported agriculture), allowing individuals to subscribe to weekly deliveries of fresh produce. This helps ensure a stable market for the farm's products and provides access to local, organic food for the community (3, 15).
3. Offered educational programs such as internships and the Edible classroom series (2, 14).
4. Collaborated with local restaurants, farmers markets, and other businesses to distribute its produce and raise awareness about the farm's mission (5).
5. Secured a conservation easement on its land through the Farmland Preservation Program, ensuring its continued use for agricultural purposes and protecting it from development (8-10).
6. Partnered with the Arizona Sustainability Alliance on the agrivoltaics project (11).
7. Partnered with ASU and the Arizona Sustainability Alliance on multiple educational projects (11).

Type of NBS project

Creation of new green areas

Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments)

Ecological restoration of ecosystems

Soil remediation and revegetation

Transformation of previously derelict areas

Transformation of vacant land into green spaces

Knowledge creation and awareness raising

Sustainable use of natural resources to improve livelihoods and food security (eg. community- based wildlife or forest management)

Educational and awareness raising programs

3. NBS domains, ES and scale

NBS domain and interventions

Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented

Community gardens and allotments

Allotments

Community gardens

Horticulture

Amenities offered by the NBS

Other

Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS

A weekly produce box with fruits and vegetables from the season (15).

Design elements for well-being

Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation)

Olfactory elements (e.g., floral scents, earthy smells)

Tactile elements (e.g., natural materials like wood or stone, exposure to sunlight)

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Provisioning services

Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)

Regulating services

Air quality regulation

Carbon storage/sequestration

Cultural services

Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)

Social and community interactions

Scale

Spatial scale

Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)

Beneficiaries

Demographics in implementation area

In Phoenix there are 43 food deserts which are more than 75% of the total number of food deserts in Maricopa County (19). On top of this, Phoenix has one of the largest urban heat island magnitudes in the world affecting community health (20). The area surrounding Maya's Farm is primarily urban agriculture plots with residential communities. The local food production community faces instability due to developers gobbling up land to build sprawling housing developments, strip malls and business parks, the loss of farmland is accelerating as the population is booming (9). The majority of the population is between the ages of 25-54 (18). 76 percent of the population fall within minority groups (18). 72 percent of households in the area are low-income family households (18).

Socio-economic profile of the area

Low-income

Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts

Yes

Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities

Low-income neighborhoods

Urban heat islands

Rural agricultural communities

Non-government actors

Citizens or community groups

Primary Beneficiaries

Citizens or community groups

Marginalized groups

Specify primary beneficiaries

-Citizens or community groups: "Each CSA member purchases a share in Maya’s Farm’s future harvests. As crops mature, you receive a weekly allotment of naturally grown produce. Changing growing conditions throughout the year determine which varieties will be in your share each week. Integrated cropping benefits the soil . . . and eating locally reduces high transportation and storage costs. Part of what the farmer saves goes back into quality production; the rest is passed on to you." (15)
-Marginalized groups: "Maya’s Farm is proud to be partnering with the Mollen Foundation to empowers children and families to garden and cook together. As part of the Edible classroom series, we are currently working with Garfield Elementary school and teaching edible classes to 6th graders.This project embodies our mission to shine light on sustainable farming and use food as a learning experience for children." (2)

Marginalized groups

Children, young people or youth groups

Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups

Educational programs such as the Edible classroom series.

Specify measures taken for vulnerable or marginalized communities

Collaboration with local community organizations or advocacy groups representing these communities

Other beneficiaries

Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators)

Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification)

Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress)

4. Governance and financing

Governance

Governance arrangements

Led by non-government actors

Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative

Maya's Farm was founded by local Phoenix residents Bridget Bellavigna and Maya Dailey. Supported through its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, the farm provides fresh, organic produce to the community.
The farm collaborates with Arizona State University (ASU) and the Arizona Sustainability Alliance on educational projects promoting sustainable agriculture. Through this ASU partnership, students gain hands-on experience by participating in daily farm operations.
The City of Phoenix supports the farm through its Farmland Preservation Program, which provided funding and placed the farm under conservation.
Additionally, Maya’s Farm partners with NGOs like the Arizona Sustainability Alliance and supplies produce to local Phoenix schools, contributing to community well-being and sustainable practices. The project collaborates with local restaurants, farmers markets, and other businesses to distribute its produce (1, 9, 11, 15)

Key actors - initiating organization

Citizens or community group

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

Local government/municipality

Public sector institution

Non-government organisation/civil society

Citizens or community group

Researchers/university

Stages of citizen and community engagement

Planning and design (e.g. site selection, identification of key priorities)

On-the-ground implementation

Level of citizen and community engagement

High

Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives

Implementation of educational programs, workshops or trainings

Formation of community-led groups responsible for the the implementation, maintenace or monitoring of the project

Support of local entrepreneurs or small business development related to the project

Establishment of mentorship programs or partnerships with local institutions (e.g. schools, kinder gardens, hospitals, nursing homes)

Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders)

Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)

Crowd-sourcing/Crowd-funding/Participatory budget

Dissemination of information and education

Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

Co-management/Joint management

Uncommon actors ("Missing actors")

Public Services

Schools

Private Sector

Local businesses (e.g. stores, restaurants)

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Policy drivers

NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan

Yes

Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan

the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (17)

If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme/type of the plan

National Disaster Risk Reduction Plans

National Water Plan/Strategy

SDGs National Strategy

NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan

Yes

Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"

The 2025 Phoenix Food Action plan, the Phoenix Resilient Food System Initiative, and Phoenix Resilient Food System Program (17)

Relevant strategy or plan

City specific green space strategy or plan

Urban agriculture or food security plans, policies, guidelines

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Voluntary (spontaneous)

Enablers & Barriers

Type of enablers

Change agents (individual with major role influence on launching)

Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)

Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives.

The 2025 Phoenix Food Action plan, the Phoenix Resilient Food System Initiative, and Phoenix Resilient Food System Program (17)
The farm was founded by two local residents of Phoenix Bridget Bellavigna and Maya Dailey (1)

Governace and decison-making instruments

Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans)

Economic and fiscal instruments (e.g. subsidies or grants, charges or fees, payments for ecosystem services (PES))

Public - community agreement (e.g. citizen science programs; citizen assemblies)

Educational and knowledge sharing instruments (e.g. science/ living labs, awareness raising campaigns, specific educational programs, green hubs)

Arrangements for governance cooperation

Unknown

Barriers

-"That pressure on farmland makes it difficult for farmers to invest in infrastructure—Dailey’s farm has no electricity except for the small amount produced by generators—and all the rich organic soil that’s taken years to build can’t be moved if a farm must relocate." (11)
-"Like many small producers, Dailey is farming leased ground, and in a place like Maricopa County, where developers gobble up land to build sprawling housing developments, strip malls and business parks, the loss of farmland is accelerating as the population is booming." (11)

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Please specify total cost (EUR)

Unknown.

What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?

Unknown.

Source(s) of funding

Public local authority budget

Private funding by citizens

Type of fund(s) used

Earmarked public budget

Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Membership or entrance fees

Non-financial contribution

Yes

Who provided the non-financial contribution?

Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)

Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Type of non-financial contribution

Provision of land

Provision of labour

Co-finance for NBS

Yes

Co-governance arrangement

An NGO

Entrepreneurship opportunities

Yes

What entrepreneurship opportunities have arisen from the NBS project?

Sustainable agriculture or agroforestry businesses

What types of actors are leading the entrepreneurship activities linked to the NBS project?

Local community groups/ citizens

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

What types of support are provided to entrepreneurs engaged in NBS-related activities?

Access to markets or supply chains

Business models

Local stewardship model

Vacant space model

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)

Citizens / local communities

5. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Climate change

Enhanced carbon sequestration

Expected enhanced carbon sequestration

Energy efficiency improvements

Achieved energy efficiency improvements

Environmental quality

Improved air quality

Expected improved air quality

Improved soil quality

Expected improved soil quality

Green space and habitat

Increased green space area

Achieved increased green space area

Increase in protected green space areas

Achieved increase in protected green space areas

Description of environmental benefits

--Expected enhanced carbon sequestration/--Expected improved air quality/--Expected improved soil quality: "Maya’s Farm is in south Phoenix. Small but mighty, this picturesque 3.3-acre farm practices organic and sustainable production methods which result in healthy soil, and clean air, positively impacting carbon sequestration and climate change. "(7)
Energy efficiency improvements: "Agrivoltaics is the use of solar panels in agriculture. Agrivoltaics has been seen to solve both the problem of the lack of space for renewable energy and agriculture by combining them on the same plot of land, typically by installing panels either above or below crops." (11)
Increased green space area: " Dailey acquired the farm in 2006 and grew its space from one and one-quarter acres to the eight acres it measures today. " (11)
Increase in protected green space areas: "In 2022, Maya’s Farm became a conservation easement with the support of the City of Phoenix and the nonprofit Central Arizona Land Trust. A conservation easement is a piece of land set aside specifically for one purpose. This land’s purpose is to continue to provide Phoenix with space for sustainable agriculture." (11)

Environmental impact indicators

Green space area created (in ha)

3.23 (11)

Total area of protected or secured natural areas (in ha)

3.23 (11)

Economic impacts

Unknown

Description of economic benefits

Unknown.

Social and cultural impact indicators

Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha)

3.23 (11)

Number of environmental education programs, workshops, outreach activities (eg. in schools, community centers, public spaces)

4 (2, 12, 14)

Number of species of locally produced food harvested (in urban gardens, community orchards, or agroforestry plots)

39 (3)

Area allocated for sustainable food production (ha)

3.23 (11)

Evidence for use of assessment

Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Name of any specific impact assessment tools

Unknown.

Use of GIS in mapping impacts

No evidence in public records

Cost-benefit analysis

Unknown

Transparency

Unknown

Justice

Community satisfaction

Positive: The majority of feedback and reports indicate high levels of satisfaction and appreciation for the NBS project within the community.

Description of locals satisfaction with the project

-"Fantastic! We loved to go to the farm and see the chickens. It is a great experience for the kids - they can see where the food they are eating is grown. The kids love to cook! They have discovered foods that we as parents may not have bought for them. They love radishes and healthier foods! We appreciate being able to invest in organic food. It is easy and affordable. - Christopher H." (1)
-"It's Fun! We Eat Healthy, We know where is comes from, We know it's Fresh! It's a great learning experience of the grandkids. - Teresa B." (1)
-"My favorite thing is to eat things I wouldn't normally eat. I love swapping recipes and being part of a community! - Barbara H." (1)

Trade-offs & Negative impacts

Unknown

Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement

Unknown

High-quality & Transformative NBS

Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community)

Yes

Goal setting and impacts delivery

Yes, from the planning phase the project aimed to address issues in these three key priority areas and it also delivered benefits across these three areas.

Reaching original project goals

Most of the project goals were achieved

Please specify the achievements of the project goals

Climate action and biodiversity:
--Expected enhanced carbon sequestration/--Expected improved air quality/--Expected improved soil quality: "Maya’s Farm is in south Phoenix. Small but mighty, this picturesque 3.3-acre farm practices organic and sustainable production methods which result in healthy soil, and clean air, positively impacting carbon sequestration and climate change. "(7)
Energy efficiency improvements: "Agrivoltaics is the use of solar panels in agriculture. Agrivoltaics has been seen to solve both the problem of the lack of space for renewable energy and agriculture by combining them on the same plot of land, typically by installing panels either above or below crops." (11)
Increased green space area: " Dailey acquired the farm in 2006 and grew its space from one and one-quarter acres to the eight acres it measures today. " (11)
Increase in protected green space areas: "In 2022, Maya’s Farm became a conservation easement with the support of the City of Phoenix and the nonprofit Central Arizona Land Trust. A conservation easement is a piece of land set aside specifically for one purpose. This land’s purpose is to continue to provide Phoenix with space for sustainable agriculture." (11)
Social justice and community:
1. Increased access to healthy/affordable food: "At Maya’s Farm we believe that fresh and locally grown produce should be accessible for all. We are a small sustainable operation which produces high-quality specialty vegetables, herbs, flowers, and eggs for local markets, restaurants, schools, and a CSA program." (5)
2. Increased sustainability of agriculture practices: "Maya’s Farm CCOF Certification demonstrates our continued and strong commitment to clean and safe growing practices." (4)
3. Improved physical health: "A CSA is a commitment to a healthy lifestyle for yourself, your community and the land around you." (15)
4. Increased appreciation for natural spaces: "Joining a CSA in your area is one of the best ways that you can help small farms grow and support nutrient-rich, fresh food security for the future of your area." (15)
5. Increased support for education and scientific research: "Our long standing relationship with ASU has blossomed into a close partnership with the schools of Sustainability and Humanities allowing students to take part in the daily activities of the farm and work on sustainable food practices for the future." (2)
6. Increased knowledge of locals about local nature: "Our mission is not only to bring quality food to your table, we strive to teach people in general and children in particular about better food practices. We partner with a network of schools, universities and organizations to raise awareness on healthy and sustainable practices." (2)

Long-term perspective

Yes

Cost-effective solutions

Yes

Equitable impacts

A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project

Transformative capacity

Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them)

Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution)

Magnitude of change

Transformative: (deep) by focusing on and substantially changing structures, including institutional ones (norms and rules).

Application of lessons learned