Changing the Food System

Sweet Wheel Farms was founded in response to the food insecurity revealed by the 2018 debris flows that affected communities across Santa Barbara County. While Summerland was spared from direct flooding, the town was cut off from being able to travel both north and south, and all communications ceased for over 10 days. Because of the absence of a grocery store, after three days people began fighting over food at the local liquor store, highlighting how fragile our food system was.

What began as a small, leased growing site for the Summerland community turned into Sweet Wheel Farms, named after the Swedish wheelie five bicycle. The farm has since become a permanent community resource. Today, the land is owned by the Santa Barbara Agriculture and Farm Education Foundation, allowing Sweet Wheel Farms to grow with intention and stability. From this foundation, we are building infrastructure from the ground up to change food security, resilience, and community health by growing chemical-free foods.

Sweet Wheel Farms spans approximately seven acres of urban farmland in Summerland. The site is being developed to provide fresh, healthy food to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. The site is also beginning to be understood as a major fire break for the town of Summerland and has begun work to serve as an emergency community resource.

The nonprofit also offers the same high-quality produce to the wider community through a daily farmers market.

At the heart of our work is a simple belief: growing food locally uses fewer resources than shipping food across the country. By producing food where it is consumed, we reduce the need for long-distance transportation, refrigeration, excessive packaging, and fuel-intensive logistics. The result is fresher food, lower environmental impact, and a stronger, more resilient local food system.

We operate as a closed-loop farm, growing non-genetically modified, pesticide-free produce without preservatives and with careful attention to soil health, water use, and ecological balance. Our approach keeps resources circulating within Santa Barbara County and strengthens the connection between land, food, and community.

As we continue to build food and community health, Sweet Wheel Farms pledges to draw from innovative local, national, and global growing techniques to create a sustainable model for urban agriculture—one that prioritizes efficiency, and long-term care for both people and the environment.