Moringa Co-op
07Sheet 07 · Roadmap

One acre first. Then a hundred.

Prove it small, prove it again bigger, then build the thing. Here’s the order of operations.

Moringa seedlings in nursery trays
Every orchard starts in a tray.Xedoo · CC BY-SA 4.0
  1. 01

    Fall / Winter 2026

    At Imperial Dam LTVA
    • Scout land between Imperial Dam and Yuma, on both sides of the river. Water first, then zoning, then price.
    • Call the Bard Water District and Yuma County Water Users’ Association about water rights on small parcels.
    • Call the BLM Yuma Field Office about R&PP eligibility for a community farm.
    • Visit the USDA Service Center in Yuma (FSA + NRCS): beginning-farmer loans, EQIP, REAP.
    • Talk to UA Cooperative Extension in Yuma about soil and local growing.
    • Order PKM-1 seed. Start a few trial seedlings at camp.
    • Hand out the brief. Build the list of interested people.
  2. 02

    Early 2027

    The first acre
    • Buy or lease the first acre with water.
    • Set up the trailer pad, solar, water tank and drip lines.
    • Start nursery seedlings in January–February.
    • Plant out in March–April.
    • Decide the legal structure: co-op, nonprofit, or both.
  3. 03

    Summer 2027

    First harvests
    • Shade cloth over young trees through the heat.
    • First leaf harvests from the leaf beds — as early as 2–3 months after planting.
    • Build drying racks (shaded screens with airflow, or a solar dehydrator) and set up a grinder.
  4. 04

    Fall 2027 →

    Pods, oil, first sales
    • First pods on the PKM-1 trees.
    • Buy a small screw oil press.
    • Start selling leaf powder to the winter visitor crowd, following cottage-food rules.
    • Set up waste-oil collection with a few Yuma restaurants; one-liter biodiesel test batches.
  5. 05

    2028

    Full production
    • Full production on the first acre.
    • Add bees, chickens or goats to use the extra trimmings.
    • Incorporate the co-op; apply for VAPG, REAP, EQIP and Rural Business Development grants.
    • Lease 5–20 irrigated acres to prove the model at scale.
  6. 06

    Beyond

    Toward 100 acres
    • Buy irrigated land with senior water rights, or partner with a tribe or land trust.
    • Build a shared processing barn: drying, grinding, pressing, packaging.
    • Year-round housing for the core crew; winter work seasons for the LTVA community.