City Girl Farming (CGF) is reimagining what it means to eat and live well at a time when people are becoming more disconnected from the origins of their food. It operates as a hyper-local food enterprise that combines farming, culinary artistry, and food justice into a cohesive, grassroots-powered model. 

Based in Dubuque, Iowa, this woman-owned business sources from several nearby farms and grows its own produce on two plots: one in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, and another in Dubuque’s North End. Its unique farm-to-table pipeline enables it to harvest, produce, and cook meals on the same day. The result is freshness and food that’s vibrantly alive and deeply embedded in the community that consumes it.

Interestingly, CGF was born out of resistance. Concerned about the industrial food system’s effects on health, equity, and the environment, founder Justyna Miranda turned to farming to promote healing and create positive change. The business was created to reconnect people with their food physically, emotionally, and socially through transparency, intention, and care. 

Whether Polish cabbage rolls, a garden-bounty meatloaf, a Thai quinoa bowl, or a spring pea and leek soup, each meal is built around ingredients that are seasonal, thoughtfully sourced, and free of harmful additives. All offerings are available for pre-order, enabling precise production, near-zero food waste, and a healthier local food economy.

Photo Courtesy: City Girl Farming

Thai Quinoa Bowl with Sweet Chili Baked Chicken

If conventional meal services usually rely on bulk distributors and distant supply chains, CGF takes a different path. It’s committed to local sourcing, with a team that farms, harvests, preps, and cooks. Because they work so closely with producers, they understand the sweat equity and struggle that go into every bunch of beets and crates of carrots. By honoring that labor, CGF seeks to elevate both the quality of the food and the integrity of the system behind it.

Besides meals, CGF’s offerings include event catering for weddings and gatherings, custom grazing tables made with seasonal ingredients, and even interactive dinners with Justyna. Its Dinner & Wine Tasting events invite guests to explore flavor with intention, while its curated lunch boxes offer a fresh, nutritious alternative for meetings and picnics. 

CGF’s system values balance by knowing exactly what’s being prepared and when, CGF avoids the waste that burdens most food businesses. This model of food production and consumption has a tangible impact. It helps strengthen the local economy, supports family farms, and encourages sustainable agricultural practices. Moreover, it fosters a healthier community by making nutrient-dense, thoughtfully prepared meals more accessible.

Photo Courtesy: City Girl Farming

The City Girl Farming Farm Plot Sinsinawa Mound

CGF purchases ingredients weekly at one of Iowa’s largest farmers’ markets, which has become a touchpoint for locals to connect with growers and producers. And in a town like Dubuque, recently spotlighted in national media as a growing, thriving community, this kind of support is transformative. 

The next chapter of CGF’s story is already unfolding, even if the path is not without obstacles. The team is currently in the planning stages of opening a physical storefront, a European-style bodega designed to deepen their connection with the community. This future hub will serve as an extension of its current mission and offerings, while also showcasing local producers, hosting pop-ups, and extending the life cycle of unsold market produce. In practice, the storefront will allow CGF to reduce waste even further by transforming leftover fruits and vegetables into new meals.

In a marketplace saturated with meal kits, corporate prep services, and hollow wellness trends, City Girl Farming stands out because it’s doing something different. It isn’t just selling meals. It’s feeding a movement that encourages people to slow down, reconnect, and care about where their food comes from and who it supports. 

Miranda remarks, “At City Girl Farming, movement and meals go hand in hand: movement of hands in the soil, of ingredients through local supply chains, and of people coming together to share something real.”

Disclaimer: City Girl Farming (CGF) promotes local food sourcing, sustainability, and community engagement. The views and practices shared are based on the company’s mission and do not constitute medical, environmental, or financial advice.