PRESS
TigerMountain Foundation Media Info
TigerMountain Foundation welcomes press inquiries, partnership conversations, and media requests. Our team is available for interviews, site visits, and comments on topics related to urban agriculture, food insecurity, workforce development, and community revitalization in the Phoenix metro area.
About TigerMountain Foundation
Founded in 2007 by Darren Chapman, TigerMountain Foundation is a Phoenix-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and Arizona Qualified Charity that focuses on urban agriculture, workforce development, and skills education. TMF transforms vacant lots and business campuses into productive community spaces while equipping participants with the life skills, nutrition education, and workforce education to build sustainable futures.
TMF operates on the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) model — a proven framework that builds on the existing strengths within a community rather than importing solutions from outside it. We offer a hand up, not a handout, to help individuals and communities thrive.
Our Work
TMF currently operates three community garden sites in low-income and food desert neighborhoods. Participants grow fruits and vegetables for markets and donations. All revenue is reinvested directly into TMF’s initiatives. Regular Saturday sessions integrate experiential learning, small-scale farming, and the arts. The sessions make the gardens a hub for community life and learning, not just food production.
Workforce Development
TigerMountain participants complete a Personal Strategy Roadmap to identify needs and enhance goal setting. Our hands-on education in the gardens helps participants develop professional habits and practical skills that translate directly into living-wage jobs and careers.
Agri-landscaping Services
TigerMountain’s edible landscaping crew provides services to homeowners and organizations across the Phoenix metro, including property cleanups, landscape design and installation, irrigation system work, monthly maintenance, and agri-landscaping. Every dollar earned flows back into community initiatives, so that our landscaping operation serves as both a workforce development pipeline and a funding engine.
Reentry & Justice Partnership
TigerMountain partners with segments of the judicial system to support formerly incarcerated citizens in rebuilding their lives. Many of TigerMountain’s senior leadership and staff members, are either formerly incarcerated or justice impacted individuals living the very communities they serve. 85% of the re-entry population at TigerMountain does not recidivate, making our organization an effective reintegration pipeline in the Phoenix area.
Impact
- More than 550,000 people impacted over the years
- Approximately 50,000 volunteers engaged
- Fruits and vegetables provided for more than 300,000 meals
- More than 57,000 pounds of fresh produce for markets
- 85% non-recidivism rate among justice-involved participants
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