Our story since 2012.

It started with one neighborhood, one garden and one belief: everyone deserves fresh food and a say in their own community. Fourteen gardens later, that belief still drives everything we do.

Harbor's first community garden

What we stand for

  • Community-led

    The people closest to the need lead the work. Residents set priorities and run the gardens.

  • Food justice

    Fresh, healthy food is a right. We remove cost and stigma from getting good food.

  • Equity always

    We invest first in the neighborhoods that historic disinvestment left behind.

Leadership

  • Sasha Chen

    Sasha Chen

    Executive Director & Founder

    Planted Harbor's first garden in 2012 and has led its growth to 14 neighborhoods.

  • Marcus Williams

    Marcus Williams

    Programs Director

    Runs the gardens, food hubs and youth apprenticeship program day to day.

  • Dr. Aisha Patel

    Dr. Aisha Patel

    Research & Impact

    Measures what works so every dollar and every hour goes where it matters most.

From one garden to fourteen

  1. The first garden

    Sasha and a handful of neighbors turned a vacant lot on Maple Street into a shared garden.

  2. Youth program begins

    We started paying teens to grow and sell food — our first apprenticeship cohort.

  3. Food hubs open

    Community kitchens and distribution hubs brought fresh food to families year-round.

  4. Ten gardens & a kitchen

    A community kitchen opened; we served 500+ families weekly through the pandemic.

  5. Fourteen and growing

    14 gardens, 45 apprentices, 890 families served, expanding food security across the city.

Join us.

Whether you donate, volunteer, or advocate for food justice, you're part of Harbor's mission to build food security and community power.