Gary Heine is co-owner of Heine Brothers’ Coffee, a fair trade, organic coffee roastery with seven cafes in Louisville, KY. Four years ago, he cofounded Breaking New Grounds to create worm compost from the coffee grounds his company produces and other local food waste and use the proceeds from the sale of vermicompost to build an organic, urban farm in one of Louisville’s food deserts. From that experience, he realized the importance of making food growing personal to inspire and empower people to care about local food production. He is also co-founder of Louisville Sustainability Forum, the Sustainable Louisville Network and 15Thousand Farmers, two of which are rousing successes and one which didn’t work. Both experiences helped inform the creation (and success) of 15Thousand Farmers. Gary is a beginner in food growing and intimately understands the challenges of starting his first garden and the importance of community support in all areas.