About Us
Our Story
Origins
Neighborhood Farms USA was founded to address the urgent need for nutritional education and access to fresh food across American communities. Inspired by personal experiences with food related health challenges, Yaffa Popack began exploring how access to wholesome, nutrient-dense food could transform individual and community well-being.
Her early work focused on nutritional education, holistic health counseling, and empowering families to make informed food choices.
Evolution
Over time, it became clear that education alone was not enough. Access to healthy food requires infrastructure. It requires growers. It requires land, training, systems, and local leadership.
Today, Neighborhood Farms USA has evolved into a national initiative focused on cultivating a network of neighborhood-scale farms that:
- Produce nutrient-dense food locally
- Train the next generation of community farmers
- Demonstrate regenerative agricultural practices
- Partner with institutions, campuses and municipalities
- Serve as hubs for education, engagement and food access
- Bridge the gap between home gardeners and farmers
Through mini-farm installations, farmer training programs, storytelling platforms, and collaborative projects, NFUSA supports real-world models that rebuild local food systems from the ground up.
Our Mission
Our mission is to cultivate a national movement that connects people, policy, and place through the power of community-based farming. We celebrate and support the small farms that strengthen our food systems, enrich our soils, and unite our neighborhoods. By sharing stories, tools, and knowledge, we empower citizens, organizations, and leaders to take part in building a more just, regenerative, and resilient food future, one neighborhood at a time.
Meet the Leadership
YAFFA POPACK | Co-Founder
“Every child should have the opportunity to see — to know — what real food can do for them.”
Yaffa Popack is a graduate of Columbia University and Benjamin Cardozo Law School in New York, a community activist, and the co-founder with her husband Moshe in YMP Real Estate Management, LLC. She is also a mother who is passionate about education, good nutrition, and making healthy food accessible to everyone.
MOSHE POPACK | Co-Founder
“There is a growing need to build a national network of nutritional awareness through community engagement at the neighborhood level. That’s our goal with Neighborhood Farms USA.”
Moshe Popack is the co-founder and Chairman of YMP Real Estate Management LLC, a company that owns and manages multifamily apartment units, office space, and assisted living facilities. In 2021, Moshe was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to the board of directors of the Florida Development Finance Corporation. He also serves on the board of the Florida Assisted Living Association and as a member of the South Florida Business Journal Leadership Trust and the Young Presidents’ Organization. He actively promotes meaningful engagement on other issues such as mental health, education, and workforce housing.
THAIS THIESEN | Co-Director
Thais brings over 20 years of experience in regenerative agriculture, permaculture, and project management. She has designed, built and managed community-scale and educational farming projects that integrate food production, hands-on learning and ecological stewardship. Thais holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from Florida International University and specializes in developing practical, regenerative systems that reconnect people to food, land and community.
Roberto Grossman | Co-Director
Roberto brings deep, hands-on experience operating productive, small-scale regenerative farms. His background includes intensive market garden systems, crop planning and soil-first production models that maximize yield while restoring ecosystem health.
He also brings years of experience in social media and video content, helping translate on-the-ground farm work into clear, engaging storytelling. This blend of operations and media makes him uniquely equipped to document real outcomes, communicate practical lessons, and share NFUSA’s impact in a way that builds trust, grows community, and inspires others to replicate what works.
Our Founding Partners
Join Us
Are you passionate about strengthening local food systems and building healthier, more resilient communities? Join us in advancing neighborhood-scale regenerative farms across the country.
Join our newsletter to stay informed on our progress and explore the latest insights, research, and real-world models shaping small-scale regenerative farming across the country.
Support our Shared Harvest Program and help bring clean, nutrient-dense food to more families and communities.