14 Jan 22nd-Jan 28th, 2026 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | “Being sex positive is something that we need just as much as we need food,” Helton says. “My goal is to help plants and people grow through sustainable stewardship, autonomy and resilience.” Putting all of those passions together, Helton began selling at farmers markets and Garden Hoes came to fruition. According to the website, “Garden Hoes is a femme- forward initiative shining light on all the great things women do in the realm of sustainable farm goods.” The farm is located on Helton’s property in the Garfield district, a historic neighbor- hood just south of Interstate 10 between Seventh and 16th streets. With two large raised plant beds, a duck and chicken coop, an aquaponics bed and a soon-to-be- completed greenhouse, the farm produces an impressive array of foodstuffs. Chickens and ducks roam freely in a fenced area and are fed well, thriving on a diet of scraps from the garden and kitchen. “They’re really healthy birds,” Helton says, recounting how many large egg farms were decimated by the bird flu not long ago. “It’s better to have small flocks and replicate small, little gardens.” The plants grown on her farm are treated with equal care, using organic and all- natural methods. The Garden Hoes farm is on track to become Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) by the end of this year. “Regenerative Organic insists on your partnership with the soil that you’re main- taining, that you are more of a steward of the parcel,” Helton explains. As opposed to organic gardening, which relies on use of salts or other natural pesticides, ROC gardens rely on naturally occurring bacteria, mushrooms and bugs to naturally maintain the health of the soil. Helton does not use any fertilizers or pesticides on her thriving farm of over 80 plants. “I’ve got worms in the soil and millions and millions of bacteria that are just natu- rally occurring because I don’t kill them,” Helton explains. “That’s what makes it regenerative, and it’s more than just organic.” More than an urban farm As the name suggests, Garden Hoes Local Farm Goods has bigger intentions than producing food in an intentional and collab- orative way. Helton, who is a Phoenix native and University of Arizona alum, has an educa- tional background in psychology and conflict resolution. After her studies, she moved to several cities, including Portland and Reykjavik, Iceland, starting gardens as she moved. However, feeling disillusioned by her work with people and the lack of growth they sometimes displayed, she decided to work with plants instead. Helton later worked on large-scale cannabis farms, an experience that was crucial to learning how to grow fruits and vegetables. At the same time, she saw firsthand that farming isn’t always sustainable, in more ways than one. “As I began working on farms, I found that it was male-dominated and extractive to the environment,” Helton explains, with a heavy reliance on chemical pesticides. During the same time, Roe V. Wade was being overturned and the Me Too movement had exposed a considerable amount of abuse against women. “I felt that a woman’s sex positive expres- sion was the antidote to a society closing doors that other matriarchs fought so hard to open,” Helton says. “I will not sit by while men deplete our rights and planet.” A Fresh Take Meet the local farmer revolutionizing food systems one tomato at a time. BY MELISSA PICKERING T he Downtown PHX Farmers Market has a new addition with a memorable name. Every Saturday, shoppers can now buy hyperlocal produce, eggs and other goods from Tabitha Helton’s urban farm, Garden Hoes Local Farm Goods. Helton began gardening at home about five years ago. With an abundance of eggs and produce, she began selling at First Fridays. Within a few years, what began as an incidental trade turned into a passion not just for gardening, but for promoting a robust food system built on small home gardens. The project also incorporates Helton’s advocacy for sex positivity, bodily autonomy and celebrating women in sustainable farming. Tabitha Helton runs an urban farm called Garden Hoes Local Farm Goods. (Melissa Pickering) ▼ Food & Drink >> p 17
