By “local” we mean all of Indiana, as well as parts of the surrounding states of Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, and Illinois. By “organic” we do not necessarily mean “certified” organic; what we do mean is that we are looking to partner with growers who don’t use GMO seeds, who don’t use synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers, who do not irradiate their produce, and who do employ sustainable “earth friendly” growing methods.

It is our desire to support as many Black Independent Growers as possible, in addition to small local organic growers generally. It is very important to us to establish mutually beneficial farmer- to-farmer relationships, so that the entire local food system can be strengthened to expand and thrive. To this end, the Elephant Gardens have received a grant to secure both a refrigerated truck and a smaller local delivery truck which will enable us to purchase, procure, and deliver locally and organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables from your farm or farm organization. Our intention is to make wholesale purchases of specific produce items that the Elephant Gardens either does not grow at all, or does not grow enough of to service the local demand.

The B.I.G. F.O.O.D. Project
(overview, which includes the MOU for Partner Farmers

So what is the B.I.G. F.O.O.D. Project?

B.I.G. represents Black Independent Growers.

F.O.O.D. represents Farmers Organized to Optimize Distribution.

This project has been initiated by an Indianapolis-based, family-owned and operated, urban farm known as The Elephant Gardens LLC. It was founded by the mother-daughter team of Vivian Muhammad and Joyce Randolph and is located in an area known as the Northeast Corridor (NEC), in one of Indianapolis’ designated “food deserts”.

The goal of this project is to establish and/or strengthen a farmer-to-farmer-to-consumer distribution network, so that the residents of the city of Indianapolis -specifically in the NEC - will gain access to a wider variety of locally and organically grown fruits, vegetables, and other farm products (such as eggs, honey and flowers). By buying produce wholesale directly from local growers, we will increase support of the local growers, rural and urban, thus strengthening the overall local food system.

By “local” we mean all of Indiana, as well as parts of the surrounding states of Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, and Illinois. By “organic” we do not necessarily mean “certified” organic; what we do mean is that we are looking to partner with growers who don’t use GMO seeds, who don’t use synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers, who do not irradiate their produce, and who do employ sustainable “earth friendly” growing methods.

It is our desire to support as many Black Independent Growers as possible, in addition to small local organic growers generally. It is very important to us to establish mutually beneficial farmer- to-farmer relationships, so that the entire local food system can be strengthened to expand and thrive. To this end, the Elephant Gardens have received a grant to secure both a refrigerated truck and a smaller local delivery truck which will enable us to purchase, procure, and deliver locally and organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables from your farm or farm organization. Our intention is to make wholesale purchases of specific produce items that the Elephant Gardens either does not grow at all, or does not grow enough of to service the local demand.

Below you will find a list of the fruits, vegetables and other farm products that we would like to purchase wholesale. Where you see an “S” signifies supplemental -meaning that the Elephant Gardens grows these vegetables but would like to buy more to supplement our inventory.