14 July 9th - July 15th, 2026 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | “They’re showing up every week, and it’s really fun to work with them. They love it, they can get their hands dirty. Sometimes I have to go clean up after them, but who cares,” Riding says. It’s clear the garden is treasured by others in the community. Riding describes how on occasion, he has left the lock open on the garden fence, and someone will come by and lock it after him. “Something about working with your hands, being in the sun, donating to people in need, everything about this place is so magical to me,” La says. A PARTNERSHIP FOR THE PIGS In late 2024, Riding was having lunch at Loving Hut in Glendale when he noticed videos playing in the dining area about Better Piggies, an organization that provides refuge to pigs and other farm animals that have been abandoned, surrendered or neglected. The footage piqued his interest, especially since he found himself buried in an excess of garden trimmings. “Ever since I started, it’s been driving me crazy because I’m throwing away as much greens as I am donating,” Riding explains. He wished he knew someone with a goat or a pig who could make use of the extra. Two weeks after speaking with La about the north Valley pig rescue, she came to Millennial Food Gardens for a tour and “completely fell in love at first sight,” she says. La has volunteered at Better Piggies for four years. She became the connection point. “I always bring our vegetable scraps from all three or four restaurants over there,” La says. “With Jed’s help, we’ve gone from 200 pounds of food per week for Better Piggies to now 1,100 to 1,200 pounds per week for the rescue.” The two have an efficient system in place for getting the greens to Better Piggies. On Thursdays, Riding harvests and packages the greens. La then picks them up and refrigerates them at Loving Hut, until the food is brought to Better Piggies the next day. “There’s 215 pigs and two cows,” La says as she pulls up a video of the donated greens being laid out on the ground via a tractor. Soon after, a crowd of pigs and a cow named Jerry rush over. “All the pigs are just super, super excited,” La says as they eagerly run to the pile of fresh greens and bruised produce and start chowing down. In addition to providing nourishment to hundreds of rescue animals, the impact of La and Ridings’ work is huge. Collectively, they help feed dozens of people in need each week, provide spaces that build a sense of community and advocate for envi- ronmental sustainability. Their partner- ship provides a sum greater than its parts. For the former educator, it’s more than Riding ever imagined for his retirement project. “Can you imagine turning a vacant lot into this?” Riding says. “I think the amount of food that we produce is mind-blowing, and it doesn’t take a lot to make this happen.” For La, combining the mission of her restaurant with her fondness of Millennial Food Gardens was the perfect fit. “We connect with people through eating food, and Jed connects with people through growing food. So it just makes sense for me to fall in love with this place.” MILLENNIAL GARDENS 2508 W. Vista Ave. Farm Fresh from p 13 Jed Riding’s retirement project has grown into more than he ever expected. (Geena Matsumoto) Excess greenery from Millennial Food Gardens helps feed rescued pigs. (Linh La)
