2025 Impact Report: Focus, Flexibility & Food Justice in Motion

Published by Growing Augusta: Arts, Agriculture, & Agency

Date: October 31 2025

🎯 A Year Rooted in Strategy and Intention

This year, we didn’t try to do everything - we focused on what mattered most. We prioritized partnerships, product development, and policy momentum that supported our mission without draining our energy.

From smart pivots in programming to historic advocacy wins, 2025 was a season of quiet resilience and slow, steady growth.

“The beauty of 2025 is that we gave ourselves permission to evolve. We listened to the land, our bodies, our neighbors - and made intentional shifts that honored all three.”

— Karen Gordon, Director

🚚 The Power of the Pivot: From Mobile Market to Kitchen Access

Rather than stretch ourselves thin, we paused the STOP Mobile Farmers Market this season and instead joined The Stop Food Truck at Augusta Locally Grown’s Veggie Park Market - using their on-site kitchen as a base of operations.

Why it worked:

  • We gained access to a commercial kitchen for compliant product crafting

  • Maintained community presence without overextending

  • Allowed our Director to recover strength after a major health journey

  • Doubled down on value-added goods like:

    • Honey Harvest Crunch granola

    • Infused honeys

    • Herbal salt blends

This pivot wasn’t a compromise - it was a strategic alignment.

🛍️ Small-Batch Goods, Big Vision

With the kitchen access and new cottage law rules in place, our farm-to-shelf workflow got sharper. We refined our top product SKUs, introduced better packaging, and are now positioned to scale at the pace of quality, not pressure.

📦 What’s on the shelf:

  • Granola

  • Herbal-infused honeys

  • Seed bomb kits & garden goods

🎯 What’s next:

  • Finalize wholesale partner for granola

  • Launch a holiday pop-up farm store experience

🏛️ Milestones in Advocacy: A City That Now Celebrates Its Growers

2025 was the year Augusta officially recognized Agriculture Month, thanks to the collective push of community members and partners who believe food access is a right - not a privilege.

🌱 We also launched the Adderson Legacy Award, honoring the enduring impact of Black farm families across the region.

These recognitions aren’t just symbolic. They’re foundational to the long-term cultural and policy shift we are cultivating.

🌿 A Living Classroom in the Making: Edible Landscaping in South Augusta

This year, we secured a demo plot for edible landscaping - a huge win for both urban design and food access.

📍 Located in South Augusta, this space will:

  • Demonstrate regenerative landscaping techniques

  • Support pollinators and native food species

  • Serve as a training site for students, neighborhoods, and city leaders

📐 Current status: Layout and long-term strategy in development

🌻 Future vision: A flagship project for climate-smart urban land use

🎓 Youth, Education & Digital Tools

We continued our support of Cross Creek High School’s CTAE program, helping embed agriculture into real-world student experiences.

🧪 Projects this year included:

  • Chick hatching unit

  • Garden-based SAE projects

  • Career pathway awareness materials

🧰 Our evergreen tools also got a refresh:

  • From EBT to Agripreneur mini-course

  • Garden journals & activity sheets

  • Volunteer onboarding toolkit

📤 Note: Full rollout still pending. Promotion + automation to come in Q4.

🛟 Hail Marys & Final Pushes for Year-End

Not everything made it across the finish line - but we’re close:

  • 🏪 Farm Store: Needs visibility boost and re-frame for 2026. Considering holiday pop-up format.

  • 🛒 Granola Buyers: Still seeking one anchor wholesale account.

  • 🏛️ Food Policy Council: Champions are aligned, but framework still needs formal adoption.

  • 📢 Digital Product Rollout: Toolkits are ready - marketing plan must launch before end of Q4.

✨ What We’re Taking Into 2026

2025 taught us to pace ourselves, trust our instincts, and use what we already have. Heading into next year, we’ll keep planting seeds - of policy, creativity, collaboration, and food.

We’re especially excited to:

  • Grow the edible landscaping initiative

  • Host more experiences with Cultivate & Connect

  • Expand product availability and education offerings

  • And finally… tell these stories better, more often

🙏 Thank You

To our growers, artists, educators, neighbors, funders, and friends: thank you for showing up - for us, and for each other. You’ve made every pivot possible. Let’s keep growing forward.

Want to collaborate, volunteer, or support?

📧 Email us: KGordon@growingaugusta.org

📲 Follow us on IG/Facebook: @growingaugusta

💡 Learn more: growingaugusta.co

K Gordon