Urban agriculture executive, educator, and author growing food, community, and opportunity in Phoenix.
About
Nika Forte' is the Urban Farms Director at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, where she leads operations, programs, and partnerships across three urban farm sites in Metro Phoenix. Over ten years she has grown from AmeriCorps Public Ally to Director, building collaborations with universities, healthcare organizations, government agencies, and nonprofits; securing and managing grant-funded projects; and developing educational and wellness programs that connect people to food, land, and each other. She is a nationally engaged advocate for food sovereignty, land access, and sustainable agriculture, and shares that work through conferences, media features, documentaries, and public speaking. She is also a beekeeper, an educator, and the author of the EcoDiversity Tales children's book series.
Career
Ten years at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, from service year to executive leadership.
2022 to Present
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Phoenix, AZ
Directs operations, staffing, budgets, and infrastructure across three urban farm sites. Leads strategic partnerships with universities, healthcare organizations, and nonprofits; secures and manages grant-funded projects; and develops educational and wellness programs reaching the community across Metro Phoenix.
2018 to 2022
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Phoenix, AZ
Managed farm staff, interns, and volunteers across daily operations and programming. Directed budgets, taught urban farming workshops, and built the collaborations and soil that the farm program still grows on.
2016 to 2017
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Phoenix, AZ
Coordinated daily farm activities, seasonal planting schedules, and volunteer crews, and developed the agricultural education programs that became a career.
3
urban farm sites
10
years of leadership
100s
of volunteers led
Ventures
Beyond the farm, Nika builds ventures that carry the work into classrooms, communities, and bookshelves.
Mobile education that meets people where they are. ABMEC brings hands-on workshops in agriculture, beekeeping, and composting to schools and community organizations across the Valley.
Visit ABMEC
A beekeeping sisterhood. BaeHive trains and mentors women in apiculture, building confidence, community, and a new generation of beekeepers.
Visit BaeHiveA women empowerment community garden. In Central Phoenix, Heart & Soil uplifts women growers and entrepreneurs with grow spaces, workshops, and a vendor marketplace rooted in food sovereignty and cultural pride.
Visit Heart & SoilChildren’s books that plant seeds. Beginning with "Aminata: The African Queen Bee", the EcoDiversity Tales series celebrates African-American roots in beekeeping and agriculture, introducing young readers to the natural world through stories rich in heritage and representation.
Explore the BooksFounded and led by Nika, The Hive Collective connects people, programs, and partnerships around one community-centered mission.
Media & Publications
Cronkite News
A quarter-million-dollar grant funded irrigation, fruit trees, shade, and outdoor classrooms, expanding the Junior Master Gardener Program Nika founded and job skills training for volunteers rebuilding their lives.
Speaking & Advocacy
Nika speaks locally and internationally on the topics she lives daily: food sovereignty, land access, sustainable agriculture, beekeeping, and building community programs that last. She has represented her organization at the Anti-Hunger Conference for three consecutive years and has appeared in interviews, panels, and documentaries.
Contact
For speaking engagements, media inquiries, workshops and school programs, partnerships, or book questions, send a message using the form below.
