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Our Story

Neighborhood Farms USA ® was formed to address the need for nutritional education across all walks of American life and to promote and facilitate access to fresh food, especially in low-income communities. The idea is the brainchild of Yaffa Popack, a South Florida entrepreneur who discovered that her health problems as a teenager were the result of the food choices she had available as a child.

As a young mother, she developed her awareness and strategies to care for her family’s health through good nutrition and to teach her children about the value of fresh, wholesome food, particularly fruits and vegetables. In 2002 she became a certified Holistic Health Counselor and since, counsels individuals and families on paths to optimal health.

Yaffa co-founded Neighborhood Farms USA ® with her husband Moshe with the vision to establish a national network that connects neighborhood gardens to shared resources: advice, planning, opportunities, and best practices, to educate children and young families about the relationship between nutrient-rich food and living healthier lives.

Mission & Vision

It is the mission of Neighborhood Farms USA™ to build a national network that promotes health, wellness, and nutritional education through the development of community gardens, healthy food programs, and shared best practices.  Neighborhood Farms USA ™ is a national 501(c)(3) organization which promote nutrition engagement for communities, 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 and partner 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 USATM.”

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.

MICHELLE CARD | Executive Director

“Every table should have accessible fresh nutritional food. At Neighborhood Farms USA®, we will turn this vision into reality one community at a time.”

Michelle Card is a South Florida native whose studies were obtained at the University of Miami in Coral Gables and at Lynn University in Boca Raton. Michelle joined the NFUSA team with a track record of two decades in cultivating and guiding national nonprofits. She is a mother and community activist whose passion is to support missions that empower youth and community.

EMILIANO CAMARGO | Master Gardener

“I am passionate about connecting people with the knowledge and the power that good nutrition provides. Neighborhood gardens are a fantastic way to develop both awareness and community health.”

Emiliano Camargo (AKA: Nourishing Papi) is a permaculture designer, educator, and holistic nutritionist. He believes that sustainability and health are two concepts that need to be deeply interconnected to improve our way of life. With a background in anthropology, environmental education, and holistic nutrition, he has the skills and knowledge to establish edible systems that consider the cultural and nutritional needs of each individual person, family, and community. Emiliano is the co-founder of Amerikua Permaculture and has had the opportunity to work with pioneering projects such as the Education Fund’s Plant a 1000 Gardens Collaborative Nutritional Initiative as well as Inhabit Earth. Currently, he is a lead designer at Amerikua.

Neighborhood Farms USA ® is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes the benefits of establishing and maintaining community gardens that provide access to fresh, nutrient-rich produce and educates through practical community-building programs, newsletters, and on-line workshops.

Neighborhood Farms USA, Inc.

4500 North State Road 7, Suite 100

Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33319

[email protected]