A Stockton-based microgreens operation that sells at the San Rafael Summer Market is up for a regional climate award for the second consecutive year.
Vraj Patel and Nirali Maru, co-founders of Leafy Veda, are among seven nominees for the Agricultural Institute of Marin's 2026 Climate Action Champion Award, the nonprofit announced Thursday, Sept. 10. The winner will be named at AIM's annual Gather for the Planet fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 10.
It's their second straight nomination.
Leafy Veda grows microgreens and edible flowers using vertical farming methods with what the founders describe as zero pesticides and zero chemicals. Patel, an IT professional whose family has farmed for six generations, and Maru, an occupational therapist and autism specialist, launched the operation to combine their backgrounds in technology, healthcare and agriculture.
The pair were also nominated for the 2025 award. That year's prize went to the 11 small-scale family farms supplying Straus Family Creamery.
AIM, the San Rafael-based nonprofit that runs the Summer Market where Leafy Veda sells, also selected the operation for its Market Access Fund 2026 cohort earlier this year. According to AIM, the grant will help Leafy Veda invest in eco-conscious packaging, stronger production practices and small-scale automation for its urban farming setup.
The Climate Action Champion Award recognizes producers or artisans demonstrating climate action across nine categories, including climate-friendly farming, renewable energy, food-waste reduction and sustainable packaging.
Six other nominees round out the 2026 field. Rodriguez Farms of Watsonville, a 120-acre certified organic operation, sells at the Thursday and Sunday Marin farmers markets. Brooke Hazen of Gold Ridge Organic Farms in Sebastopol is a vendor at the Thursday Marin market.
John Wick of Nicasio Native Grass Ranch co-founded the Marin Carbon Project and the Carbon Cycle Institute. He manages a 540-acre coastal prairie ranch in Nicasio. The remaining nominees are Le Mil's Coffee of Berkeley, Megan Bre Camp of Summer Solace Tallow in Oakland and The Local Butcher Shop in Berkeley.
AIM's 2025 Gather for the Planet raised a record $363,000 to support local farmers and expand food access. The 2026 event is Oct. 10; venue and ticket details had not been posted as of Friday, Sept. 11.
