Community gardening is a radical act– with both positive social AND dietary benefits! Some of the benefits include increased social capital, neighborhood participation, community sharing and increased fruit and vegetable intake, improved food quality, increased food security, and increased access to produce (Burt et al, 2020).
When you participate in your local garden, not only are you building community, you are also producing organic, fresh with sovereignty.
Food sovereignty insists food is sacred and NOT just a commodity, works with nature, values food providers, and both localizes the food system and its control.
GrowNYC is a super cool organization with over 600 community gardens, "including GreenThumb community gardens; gardens in public housing developments, daycares, and senior centers; and [their] urban farm on Governors Island. [They] build about 10 new gardens a year and do renovation projects at an additional 25."
Locations:
- Bronx
- Brooklyn
- Queens
Make SURE to check out their Special Events Calendar because they always have something awesome going on!
Here is the link to a MAP all GrowNYC gardens in the city, so you can find the ones that are nearest you!
GreenThumb is a program of NYC Parks AND the nations largest urban gardening program! It "provides programming and material support to over 550 community gardens in New York City. Workshops, which are the access point for supplies, are held every month of the year, covering gardening basics to more advanced farming and community organizing topics."
Find a garden using their map and list. Or, learn about joining a garden and click here for more info!
You can also use the OASIS (Open Accessible Space Information System) MAP to find community gardens and way more (open space, green spaces, sports courts, food co-ops, farmers markets, libraries, see tree cover, public access points on the waterfront, hazardous waste remediation sites, etc) near you!
OASIS also has a mega-list of all the community garden organizations in the city that you NEED to check out! So many of the gardens on this list that I did not feature specifically here are worth the time to look into!
Green Guerillas is another organization worth a shout out– check out their awesome programs here (including their youth empowerment pipeline, gardening supplies distribution, vertical gardening projects, and more! Apply to volunteer here!
Here is their list of even more related community garden resource.
The New York Restoration Project is another gardening organization with lots of events at their 52 privately owned community gardens/parks! You can also join a garden here.
You should also check out Harlem Grown– "an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire youth to lead healthy and ambitious lives through mentorship and hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition. Founded in 2011, [they] operate local urban farms, increase access to and knowledge of healthy food for Harlem residents, and provide garden-based development programs to Harlem youth."
Check out their youth programs, volunteer, and events!
Interested in advocating for out community gardens? The New York City. Community Garden Coalition was founded in 1996, with the mission "to promote the preservation, creation, and empowerment of community gardens through education, advocacy, and grassroots organizing." Membership cost is on a sliding scale, beginning with just $1.
Individual Community Garden Websites (via OASIS)
6/15 Green - www.615green.org
6BC Botanical Garden - 6bc.org
6th and B Garden - www.6bgarden.org
Bissel Gardens - www.bisselgardens.org
Brooklyn Bear’s Gardens - brooklynbears.wordpress.com
Clinton Community Garden - www.clintoncommunitygarden.org
Creative Little Garden - www.creativelittlegarden.org
The Floyd Bennett Garden Association - www.fbga.net
Garden of Union - www.thegardenofunion.com
Greene Acres Community Garden - greeneacres.interactivist.net
Hattie Carthan Community Garden - www.hattiecarthangarden.com
Hollenback - hollenback.pbworks.com/w/page/18771296/FrontPage
JFK High School - www.thomania.org/enchantedgarden
LaGuardia Corner Gardens - www.laguardiacornergardens.org/LaGuardia_Corner_Gardens/Welcome.html
Liz Christy Garden - www.lizchristygarden.org
M’Finda Kalunga Community Garden - www.mkgarden.org
Prospect Heights Community Farm - www.phcfarm.com/welcome
Red Hook Community Farm - www.added-value.org/the-farms
Red Shed Community Garden - www.redshedgarden.com
R.I.N.G. Garden - www.geo.hunter.cuny.edu/~mclarke/RING.htm
West Side Community Garden - www.westsidecommunitygarden.org
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