Neighborhood garden grows into a network of opportunity for local farmers

Neighborhood garden grows into a network of opportunity for local farmers

In Waterloo, Iowa, DaQuan Campbell's urban farm is part of the neighborhood. Residents stop to ask what's growing, and local farmers gain new ways to reach customers through We Arose, the business he founded to connect food, growers and community.

"That's one of the things I value most about urban farming," said Campbell. "The farm gets to be part of the community rather than something happening on the outskirts of town."

Campbell did not expect farming to become his future. His great-great-grandparents owned a farm in the South, and later generations carried that connection to Iowa. He remembers tending his family's garden, eating food he had watched grow and sharing harvests with neighbors. "There was pride in being able to grow something yourself, but part of it was also sharing what you had," said Campbell.

Years later, he studied business and worked with the University of Northern Iowa's Local Food Program, which showed him how agriculture could balance purpose and profit.

"I began to see agriculture not only as something that had been part of my family's history, but as something I could build a future around," he said.

Campbell started We Arose in 2019 as a small neighborhood garden. For two years, the team gave away its harvest while asking residents which crops mattered most and what prices could keep fresh food accessible while supporting a viable business. In 2021, We Arose moved into commercial production through farmers markets, home deliveries and a community-supported agriculture program, or CSA, which provides subscribers with regular selections of seasonal produce.

As We Arose grew, so did the challenge of helping more growers reach customers. Through a three-year PepsiCo-supported grant, Practical Farmers of Iowa has helped We Arose expand its farmers market and CSA work while connecting more growers to shared sales and distribution.

The name We Arose captures that community focus. "The 'We' is intentional," said Campbell. "To me, farming and local food have always been about community. I wanted the name to make clear that this work was never just about one person." The "Arose" evokes a rose growing through concrete - a symbol of moving forward despite historical barriers to land ownership and unequal access to land, capital and information. "The name acknowledges the challenges that have shaped our history, but it isn't defined by those challenges," said Campbell. "It's about community and creating a path forward."

Today, We Arose grows food and aggregates products from other small and emerging farmers, helping them reach customers through shared sales and distribution. Its CSA has grown from 15 subscribers to about 37, with a goal of 100. The local farmers market Campbell has managed since 2018 has expanded from 15 vendors to more than 40 and draws up to 1,200 customers a week during peak season.

Those numbers tell only part of the story. Farmers markets have become community destinations, while volunteer sessions and monthly bike rides - including an annual farm crawl - bring people through the neighborhoods We Arose serves. Campbell also hears from residents who recognize culturally familiar crops. "It's special hearing that a vegetable reminds someone of home, their Southern roots, or something their parents or grandparents used to grow and eat," said Campbell.

For PepsiCo, whose food begins on farms, that growth reflects what the company hopes to support, which is local farmers, strong markets and the communities they serve.

"Strong food systems start with strong farming communities, and with the people who know those communities best. Organizations like We Arose understand what local farmers need and help them reach new customers and markets," said Jonathan George, director of social impact, North America, PepsiCo. "By working alongside partners like Practical Farmers of Iowa to support locally led solutions, we're helping build food systems that are more resilient for farming communities and the families they feed."

For growers, the support has included seed grants, tools, supplies and specialized equipment such as walk-in coolers and wildlife exclusion fencing. Practical Farmers of Iowa has also provided workshops on food safety, funding applications and crop planning, including language-supported training for Congolese growers who contribute to We Arose's collaborative CSA.

What matters most to me is creating an opportunity for a farmer, connecting a family with locally grown food, or building something that adds value to the community I call home.

Behind the scenes, the Practical Farmers of Iowa partnership helped We Arose make targeted upgrades that keep an expanding farm operation moving. Improvements include a propagation greenhouse, a farm truck and bookkeeping support that introduced clearer accounts, a key performance indicator dashboard and stronger monthly financial processes.

"We Arose already had the foundations of a transformative organization. They are rooted in their community, with a humble and dedicated leader who was poised to grow as a professional while feeding his community," said Natasha Hegmann, specialty crops business manager at Practical Farmers of Iowa. "Over the last three years we've worked more closely with DaQuan, providing financial and technical support for critical infrastructure like water access on urban plots and new production space, but also to support the development of the organization."

For Campbell, success is measured not only in sales or subscriber totals, but in the relationships built around food. "What matters most to me is creating an opportunity for a farmer, connecting a family with locally grown food, or building something that adds value to the community I call home," said Campbell.

As We Arose grows, that idea remains at the center: One farm can grow more than produce - it can help a wider local food economy take root.

Media resources

• Media Contacts
• Media Library