PHOENIX — James and Jawn Golo are the husband-and-wife team behind Golo Family Farms, serving The Valley for more than 13 years.
"The Golo Family Farm is extremely important to the food system of the Valley,” says Tanya Chakravarty, the Executive Director for Downtown Phoenix Famers Market. “They came over and they're refugee farmers."
Chakravarty says, "He grows quite a bit of okra, he grows bitter melon, which is very hard to find here in the United States. He also grows many, many types of peppers and very hot peppers."
In early May, The Golos were leaving the Downtown Phoenix Farmers market, off 5th Street and McKinley.
"As they were driving westbound on Thomas, a car swerved over and clipped them on the front end of their van,” says Chakravarty. “Which caused them to go head into the big one of the big light poles there at Central and Thomas."
Members of the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market community say they feared it was a life-ending hit-and-run crash. But remarkably, "The paramedics pulled them out, said that they were very lucky to be alive rushed them to the hospital,” says Chakravarty.
Both James and Jawn were placed in intensive care and are recovering at home, with more surgeries scheduled.
The community is now rallying to help the Golo family get back on their feet, after they've helped so many.
"The Golos are notorious for if someone comes up and their card reader isn't working or someone doesn't have enough money, they will give them the produce and say, ‘Come back and see us next week,” says Chakravarty.
The van they use for work will also need to be replaced after the crash. Phoenix police are still investigating and say no arrests have been made.
If you feel called to support the Golo family, we’ve attached a link to their online fundraiser.
