The Fork Farms mission

Our History

Fork Farms started with the simple idea that growing your own food has the power to create positive change. During the summer of 2010, Fork Farms co-founder Alex Tyink volunteered at a rooftop garden in Brooklyn, New York growing food for a neighborhood pantry. At the end of the summer, Alex was given a bag of fresh food to take home as a token of appreciation for his service. He had never grown his own food before. And as simple as it sounds, that bag of fresh produce changed him forever.

The summer of 2010 ignited a chain of events that would lead to the cognizance of the power of growing fresh food and its ability to bring about happier, healthier people. Alex realized that involvement and engagement provides opportunity for connection. Connection leads to real, sustainable change. He wanted to create a way that breaks down barriers to fresh food and give everyone the power to grow their own food in a sustainable and transformative way.

The over decade-long journey has seen Fork Farms transform from an independent contractor, building rooftop gardens, a garage-based hydroponic prototype made out of wood, to four generations of Flex Farms, and partnerships with organizations across the globe. To date, Fork Farms has been involved in over 1,000 Flex Farm installations across the United States and globally.

Fork Farms Foundation

There is no excuse for children to go hungry in America. Yet it happens every day, in every community. Today, there are an estimated 17 million children struggling with hunger in America – 6 million more than before the pandemic. And 2.7 million more families are going hungry.

The Fork Farms Foundation is working to end hunger and promote awareness of solutions to help vulnerable populations address food insecurity by making fresh healthy food accessible. By investing in the Foundation, we can more broadly and intentionally convene strategic partners in the communities we serve to further this vision, together.