Enough for Here. Small Plot, Shared Table. No Barriers.

Humble Harvest Project is a small, collaborative food justice initiative rooted at Sunny Joy Farm and carried out through the Resilient Youth Internship Program, in partnership with the 1st Phoenix Community Center’s no-barrier, trauma-informed food pantry. Together, youth and community partners grow fresh food in a right-sized garden—eight modest beds cultivated with care, intention, and shared responsibility.

This work is guided by a simple principle: learning to grow enough—together. Rather than focusing on maximum yield, Humble Harvest centers food as a practice of care—for the land, for young people developing skills and confidence, and for neighbors accessing food without barriers. Justice for all, grown close to home. From a small plot to a shared table, the project plants justice and harvests enough for our local community in Phoenix, Oregon.

Growing Food, Growing People

At Sunny Joy Farm, food production is inseparable from youth care. Participants in the Resilient Youth Internship Program are involved in every stage of the garden, from planning and planting to harvesting and distribution. Youth gain practical gardening skills while practicing collaboration, responsibility, and trust—youth growing food for the common good.

Many of the young people involved are navigating stress, loss, or instability in their lives. The garden offers steady, meaningful work and the experience of contributing to something larger than themselves. Here, food is not just nourishment—it is a practice of justice, care, and shared meals.

A Community Partnership for Access

Food grown through the Humble Harvest Project is shared through the 1st Phoenix Community Center’s food pantry, a long-standing, volunteer-run community hub that offers food with dignity and without barriers. The pantry is open Saturday mornings from 8:00–12:00 at 121 W. 2nd Street, Phoenix, OR, providing canned, frozen, and fresh foods, along with essential hygiene items, to anyone in need—no identification, proof of income, or documentation required.

The pantry is known to serve as many as 17,800 people in a single year, and the need is expected to grow in the coming years as economic pressures continue to impact our region. This partnership allows youth to witness the full cycle of their work—from seed to soil to shared table—and to understand food as a connector between neighbors.

A Place for Community Volunteers

Humble Harvest Project also offers a welcoming entry point for adult volunteers to become involved at Sunny Joy Farm and support food access in our community. Volunteers enjoy the restorative benefits of the care farm—working with the land, contributing to a shared purpose, and participating in right-sized, meaningful work. While volunteers do not work directly with youth, approved mentors who support youth programming complete background checks and additional training to ensure a safe and supportive environment.

No barriers. Just food, grown together.

Rooted in Relationship

The Humble Harvest Project is also rooted in relationships. Sunny Joy Farm founder Sunny Lindley and 1st Phoenix Community Center leader Carolyna Marshall worked together during the recovery efforts following the 2020 Almeda Fire, as part of the Firebrand Resiliency Collective. Sunny served as a Zone Captain, consulting on trauma-informed company culture and helping shape onboarding and service delivery during a time of deep community upheaval. Carolyna and Sunny hit it off immediately—often meeting on street corners during long days of recovery work, singing social justice hymns together between tasks.

Today, those same songs are sung again—this time in the garden—preparing the ground for the good work they continue to do together. Food grown with care, shared without barriers. Justice in practice. Food for all.