About CARE_FTL
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
CARE_FTL is a community-rooted nonprofit building Food Equity Hubs—small, sustainable growing centers that bring hyperlocal produce, jobs, and opportunity directly to neighborhoods.
We empower families, youth, and local growers by using resource-efficient farming systems that use 95% less water, 90% less space, and grow clean, pesticide-free food year-round.
Our mission is simple:
Grow locally. Share fairly. Build resilience together.
CARE_FTL brings together educators, families, chefs, nonprofits, and local leaders to strengthen food security, spark workforce development in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), and create a self-sustaining ecosystem where food stays in the community that grows it.
Our Story
CARE_FTL began with a simple belief: every community deserves access to fresh food grown close to home.
Founded by Otto Hernandez, an operations and environmental compliance specialist with years of experience in agriculture and food systems, CARE_FTL grew out of a desire to build something different from large tech farms and conventional agriculture.
Instead of overproducing or exporting food away from communities, we grow with the community—not over it.
Starting with small aeroponic installations in local schools and churches, CARE_FTL quickly gained support from families, teachers, chefs, and local nonprofits. With each new project, the vision became clearer:
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Grow hyperlocal food
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Support local farmers and businesses
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Donate 15–20% of harvests to families in need
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Train youth and adults for the $104B CEA workforce of the future
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Build a food ecosystem that strengthens—not replaces—the community
Today, CARE_FTL is developing scalable Food Equity Hubs throughout Napa and beyond—each one designed to nourish, employ, and empower the neighborhood it serves.
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