Food Security - Aya Farms & RISE Come-Unity Garden

Growing Food. Growing Knowledge. Growing Community.

FOOD SECURITY

At Rising Sun Development Center (RSDC), food security is about more than addressing hunger. It is about building communities with the knowledge, resources, and opportunities to grow food, access healthy food, create economic opportunity, and become more resilient and self-sufficient.

RSDC advances this work through two complementary initiatives: Aya Farms and the R.I.S.E. Come-Unity Garden.

Aya Farms builds the local food economy. R.I.S.E. builds community food security.

Together, they connect food production, education, economic opportunity, and community service to create a stronger local food system.

AYA FARMS

Growing Food. Growing Growers. Growing the Food Economy.

Aya Farms is RSDC’s sustainable agriculture and food-economy initiative in South DeKalb.

Aya Farms uses agriculture as a pathway to food production, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and community wealth building. We demonstrate how sustainable growing practices can transform available land—even limited spaces—into productive assets that provide food and generate economic opportunity.

Our work focuses on:

• Sustainable and environmentally responsible food production

• Urban agriculture and hands-on grower education

• Agricultural entrepreneurship and workforce development

• Small-scale, income-producing agriculture

• Farmer collaboration and connections to markets

• Increasing local food production and distribution

Aya Farms incorporates practices such as crop rotation, composting, cover crops, natural pest management, raised-bed growing, water conservation, and efficient irrigation.

We also collaborate with farmers and agricultural organizations throughout Metro Atlanta to strengthen connections between growers, communities, markets, and consumers.

Our goal is not simply to grow more food. We are working to grow more growers, more opportunity, and a stronger local food economy.

R.I.S.E. COME-UNITY GARDEN

Growing Food. Sharing Knowledge. Cultivating Community.

Located in Atlanta’s historic Mechanicsville community, the R.I.S.E. Come-Unity Garden is RSDC’s community-based food security, education, and service initiative.

RSDC assumed stewardship of this longstanding community garden in 2026, building upon nearly two decades of stewardship by HABESHA and continuing its legacy as a place where agriculture and community come together.

R.I.S.E. serves as a community resource where residents, youth, elders, volunteers, and partner organizations can grow food, learn practical skills, serve the community, and build connections.

Our work includes:

• Growing and distributing fresh food to help address food insecurity

• Hands-on gardening, nutrition, and agricultural education

• Teaching families how to grow food at home and in limited spaces

• Youth and family engagement

• Accessible gardening opportunities for elders and people with disabilities

• Volunteer and community-service opportunities

• Environmental education and sustainable growing practices

• Community workshops, events, and partnerships

Our vision is to continue developing R.I.S.E. into a community food security and resilience hub—a welcoming space where people can access resources, learn, volunteer, gather, and participate directly in strengthening their community.

At R.I.S.E., we grow more than food. We cultivate knowledge, relationships, resilience, and community.

TWO INITIATIVES. ONE FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.

Food insecurity cannot be addressed through food distribution alone. Strong communities also need local growers, agricultural knowledge, economic opportunity, accessible growing spaces, and strong community partnerships.

AYA FARMS — Building the Food Economy
Food Production • Grower Development • Entrepreneurship • Workforce Development • Sustainable Agriculture • Economic Opportunity

R.I.S.E. — Building Community Food Security
Food Access • Education • Food Donations • Youth & Family Engagement • Volunteerism • Community Resilience

Together, Aya Farms and R.I.S.E. help RSDC move beyond addressing immediate food needs toward building community-based systems that produce food, knowledge, opportunity, and resilience.

Help Us Grow

Whether you donate, volunteer, partner, sponsor, or share your expertise, you can help us cultivate healthier, more resilient, and more food-secure communities.

Donate. Volunteer. Partner. Grow With Us.

Development is our harvest.

Help Us Grow a Healthier Community
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