Simond Menasche was born and raised in Venezuela. During that time he served as his Dad’s right hand, assisting in sustainable residential development. This involved water collection systems as well as food production mindfully integrated within the built environment. Through Simond’s childhood experience he recognized the abundance that comes from our resources which can be supported and shared through regenerative practices. At the age of 13 he was abruptly uprooted from the soils he grew up on due to the geopolitical stress in his home country. As he migrated to the United States, it became clear that people’s relationships with food were drastically different from his. He noticed the excess of packaged products and the shortage of fresh local food that was still alive. This exacerbated his craving for the nourishment he always had from food. In grappling with the reality of food insecurity in the United States at the same time as the rate of food waste, it became alarmingly clear that an illusion of choice was being manufactured; not real food. As he realized more about the myriad of systemic dilemmas inherently at odds with the missions they allegedly aim to carry out, he knew something had to change. Growing up implementing the alternatives to the current way we produce and access food, his experiences from his upbringing served as the ultimate roadmap to Grow On.

Grow On is an initiative founded and directed by Simond Menasche, with a simple mission - to produce more food where it is being consumed. Grow On merges traditional ecological knowledge with technological advances to regenerate systems severed by the current social condition, which circular economies can heal. One of Grow On’s mottos is, “one’s trash is another one’s treasure.” By acknowledging the value of waste products and redefining the concept of waste altogether, everything can serve as a resource. This paradigm shift depicts how abundant and sustainable life is, contrary to the scarcity mentality that we are subjected to from extractive practices. Due to this, Grow On specializes in soil remediation and soil building, because it is the first and most necessary part of creating new local mediums to grow on, and from there, entire food systems. We do this by diverting tons and tons of “waste” from different industries as well as people’s consumption practices to build up organic material and restore the healthy microbiology that makes growing food viable on previously degraded urbanized lands. Supporting this microbiology is essential, as they delicately weave the fabric we call life. Simond founded the project in 2015 revitalizing neglected properties that are now food forests for the community. The organization is passionate about food sovereignty, abundant access to resources, cultural heritage, education, and the strength that comes from healthy communities.