Food Justice NW Aurora Initiatives

Initiative → Increase Local Food Production

The Cultivate Aurora project is a collaborative initiative to support existing and new community gardens, support urban agriculture education, and to revitalize unused land to build a community greenhouse.

There are over 20 community gardens in Aurora, and through the Cultivate Aurora project, FJNWA works to increase the number, expand area, and improve infrastructure of growing spaces in NW Aurora. This includes the annual cycle of the Cultivate Aurora Community Garden Mini-grants program, which supports community gardens with $500 grants to help with infrastructure improvements, garden materials, and community-building activities. There was over $16,000 granted over the years of 2024 and 2025, supporting 12 gardens in 2024 and 20 in 2025.

Explore Explore our map of community gardens and join a plot near you!

There are currently no community greenhouses in northwest Aurora

Through the Cultivate Aurora project, FJNWA is working to build and sustain a community greenhouse and establish a hub for urban food production and education. With support from partners and residents, this greenhouse will provide affordable plant starts, community workshops, and job training opportunities year-round. This project aims to make growing food more accessible for residents and reduce reliance on external food systems.

Want to help bring these greenhouses to life?

The 2025 gardening workshop series supports northwest Aurora parents and residents in learning how to grow their own food at home and in community spaces.

Offered at Crawford and Montview Elementary, about 30 parents attend core classes in the spring on organic gardening, garden planning, and maintenance. Families receive seeds, grow kits, access to community gardens, and small funds to help with gardening materials and costs. In the summer and fall, families explore topics such as water conservation, composting, food preservation, and preparing beds for winter, all facilitated by local Aurora partners and farmers. This series was built by and for families through ongoing community listening, relationship-building, and co-planning.

Register for an upcoming workshop or training, or download flyers to view more information

Initiative → Improve Access to Nutritious Food Where People Live

In northwest Aurora where many grocery and food stores have closed in recent years, small food markets are in abundance along the Colfax Corridor.

Small food markets are not only family businesses, but also cultural and community gathering spaces. FJNWA works in partnership with small food markets and nonprofit organizations to improve access to culturally relevant fresh and staple foods in northwest Aurora.

    • support the financial viability and sustainability of small, immigrant- and BIPOC-owned food retailers;

    • improve the infrastructure of small, independently-owned food retailers so they can expand their offerings of fresh food;

    • strengthen connections between local food producers and community retailers; and

    • promote local residents' awareness and patronage of local food retailers.

    • Increasing the number of residents who purchase food from small, independent, and/or immigrant-/BIPOC-owned food retailers;

    • Reducing transportation barriers and time spent getting to a distant grocery store because people are purchasing food from the markets near where they live; and

    • Increasing sales and make sure that these important food markets continue to operate in our community.

    • We provide business coaching and connection to resources, including modest funding to make store improvements necessary to offer more fresh food, such as fruits and vegetables.

    • We connect small food markets to financial and business resources to lower their costs of operation and improve their business viability.

    • We help small food markets with signage, promotion, and storytelling to attract new customers in the neighborhood.

Are you a small market owner or want to recommend one?

Initiative → Building the Food Justice Movement in NW Aurora

From advocating for grocery access to protecting urban agriculture zoning, our work ensures that community voices guide decisions.

  • Hosting community conversations and trainings to build awareness and collective knowledge about critical current events and issues

  • Training and supporting community leaders in engaging in planning and policy processes at the local and state level through public comments, advocacy, and community organizing

  • Reading and participating in local and state-level campaigns for food system policy reform.

  • Listening deeply to the people of northwest Aurora about what matters most to them and how we should use our resources as an organization

FJNWA seeks to support community members, including residents, students, and business owners, in being leaders in the local food justice movement. This includes:

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