The Gila River Farms Fresh Produce Market will be located in a steel-framed booth at the Gila River Arts & Crafts Center

Gila River Farms, a Native American owned and operated farm on the Gila River Indian Community, has received funding from Western SARE to establish a fresh produce market on the reservation. Gila River Farms produces a variety of citrus fruits, watermelons, honey dew, cantaloupe, casabas, onion, olives, small grains, cotton, hay, and other vegetables. One of the main goals of the project is to promote healthy foods to the 18,000 people who are part of the Gila River Indian Community. According to Mary Thomas, Chairwoman of the Gila River Farms Board, a large number of the Pima Indian population have very serious medical problems, such as obesity, diabetes, kidney diseases, and high blood pressure. Project members hope that the market will make healthier foods more available in the community and increase profits for farmers.

The members of Gila River Farms plan to construct a large, steel-framed booth at the Gila River Arts & Crafts Center, which is a museum, gift shop, and restaurant located near the freeway. They will advertise the market through the local newspaper as well as with flyers, newsletters, posters, and signs distributed and displayed throughout the community.

Community involvement is vital to the success of the project. Besides selling their own produce, the members of the Gila River Farms will sell the produce of local farmers, gardeners, and schools with small garden plots at the market, allowing an additional source of income for these people. The Farm will also use the market as a distribution center for citrus and vegetables to regional government installations that operate under minority preference contracts. The success of the market will be measured by how much produce is bought and how much it is sold for.