Heal The Earth

Know Your Food. Know Your Farmer.

Our Mission

We support farmers, empower communities, and break the cycle of poverty by enabling people of all backgrounds to succeed on their terms.

At Heal The Earth, we are working to change the food system so it works for everyone, this is what we're doing about it:

Support local farmers

We're dedicated to supporting local farmers through direct partnerships and sustainable initiatives.

Address food insecurity

We're tackling food insecurity head-on by fostering a local, sustainable food system that ensures access to nutritious, locally grown produce for all members of our community.

Empower low-income entrepreneurs

Our commitment goes beyond today; our Food Hub and Value Added Processing Facility create income opportunities and build generational wealth for our community.

Real Change Starts with Farmers & Food Makers


We offer support in the following areas:

Bridging the Gap Between Farmers and the Food Insecure

Problem

Our food system has been broken for a long time. The 2020 Covid pandemic simply made it visible. A highly centralized, industrial supply chain left farmers, food makers, and communities exposed when disruptions hit. Farms struggled to survive, shelves went empty, and food insecurity rose. Without real structural change, these pressures continue to push small producers out and deepen inequality across the food system.


Lasting change begins at the source. Farmers and food makers need direct access to local markets like grocery stores, schools, and institutions so food can move through shorter, more resilient supply chains. They need the ability to grow, process, and sell their products close to home. This means investing in regional food hubs and on site value added processing so local producers can stay viable and communities can stay connected to the food they depend on.


Solution

We focus on building those pathways. By shortening the distance between farms and customers, supporting sustainable farming practices, and helping establish on site processing and food hubs, we work to strengthen the systems that make local food possible. It is a way of rebuilding food infrastructure from the ground up, starting where it has always mattered most: the farms.


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Where Food Makers Become Business Owners

Problem

In the United States, wealth and opportunity are not evenly distributed. White households hold nearly 87 percent of the nation’s total wealth, while Black and Latino households together hold less than 6 percent. This gap shows up most clearly in who gets to build something of their own. For people in under-resourced communities, starting a business often means facing barriers to capital, legal support, and market access that make entrepreneurship feel out of reach, even when the ideas and talent are there.


Solution

Food is one of the most powerful places to change this. At the Escondido AgX Innovation Hub, our goal is for people to come to us with an idea rooted in their culture, their skills, and their community. We will help them turn that idea into a real business by supporting recipe development, legal setup, branding, production and market access. Instead of forcing entrepreneurs to navigate these systems alone, we provide an ecosystem designed to help them launch, grow and scale food based businesses in places that have historically been excluded from that opportunity.


When independent food makers succeed, the impact goes far beyond one business. Local processing reduces the environmental costs of long distance industrial food production. Communities gain access to more diverse, culturally rooted foods. And most importantly, families gain the chance to build stability, ownership and long term wealth. By helping people build businesses where they live, we help keep value, resilience and economic power in the community.


Source: Federal Reserve, Wealth Inequality and the Racial Wealth Gap (2021)


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Bridging the Gap Between Food Access and Social Justice

Problem

Food insecurity remains a pervasive and persistent issue across the United States, affecting millions of individuals and families. The consequences of this reality — undernourishment, poor health, and instability — impact society as a whole. But the fight against food insecurity is far from hopeless. 


With robust and sustained commitments from our Heal the Earth community, we can strategically navigate the challenging path from food scarcity to abundance. Building resilient, equitable, and sustainable food systems is no small feat, but it is a necessary one if we want to ensure the health and well-being of our communities. 


Solution

At the heart of this effort is the recognition that food insecurity is not simply a matter of inadequate food production, but is also tied to larger, systemic issues like poverty, inequality, and lack of opportunity. That's why we plan to open affordable groceraunt and food store locations —among other initiatives — to bring food security back to people who need it most.

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Nurturing Resilient Communities and Sustainable Nutrition

Beyond the flavors of the meals we savor, lie the unwavering efforts of farmers. These individuals are more than just cultivators; they are custodians of the land and essential contributors to our well-being. In the face of unpredictable challenges, they work tirelessly to provide secure, nourishing sustenance, forming the bedrock of the food system.


Farmers play an undeniable role in the health of our communities. Their sustainable practices protect natural resources, promote biodiversity, and ensure a greener future. Despite this, many farmers struggle with financial hardships, underscoring the need for support and recognition.


Heal the Earth acknowledges the irreplaceable significance of farmers, and we seek to empower these guardians of sustenance. By advocating for better, we aspire to reinforce the backbone of our food system. Our shared journey from farm to table relies on these stewards, and together, we can fortify a resilient and nourishing food landscape.

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Bridging the Gap Between Food Access and Social Justice

When we think about food, we often imagine the comfort of delicious meals and the joy of socializing with friends and family. But what happens when access to food is not a given? 


For millions of Americans and Southern Californians, food insecurity is an all-too-real issue. Economic inequality, particularly in relation to the US food system, presents a complex problem that affects individuals, families, and communities at every level. The systemic barriers that exist in accessing healthy, affordable food are reinforced by a range of factors, including policies and entrenched societal norms. 


At the crux of this issue are farmers, who are often underpaid and overlooked, while urban communities with limited resources struggle to access nutrient-rich food. Health the Earth aims to bridge the gap between farmers, food makers, and food-insecure communities by bringing a greater level of economic equality to our region. 

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Navigating the Path From Scarcity to Abundance

Food insecurity remains a pervasive and persistent issue across the United States, affecting millions of individuals and families. The consequences of this reality — undernourishment, poor health, and instability — impact society as a whole. But the fight against food insecurity is far from hopeless. 


With robust and sustained commitments from our Heal the Earth community, we can strategically navigate the challenging path from food scarcity to abundance. Building resilient, equitable, and sustainable food systems is no small feat, but it is a necessary one if we want to ensure the health and well-being of our communities. 


At the heart of this effort is the recognition that food insecurity is not simply a matter of inadequate food production, but is also tied to larger, systemic issues like poverty, inequality, and lack of opportunity. That's why we plan to open affordable groceraunt and food store locations —among other initiatives — to bring food security back to people who need it most.

Learn More

Help strengthen local communities and expand economic opportunities for those who support our local food system.

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How we help

Farmers
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Why we care about

Food Insecurity
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How you can

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Who We Are

Heal The Earth is a 501(c)3 nonprofit social enterprise in partnership with a for-profit organic farm, Wild Acres.


"The truth is that the food system as we know it is broken. That was made so clear by the pandemic.  It's largely run by multinational corporations whose only motive is profit - not the health of consumers and not the vibrancy or stability of our local economy. It's extractive, pulling wealth out of our communities. Heal The Earth, along with our partners, are striving to fix our local food system so that it works for all of us."   


-Chuck Samuelson, Founder & CEO

Who We Are