Improve Your Community One Plant at a Time

Day by day, seed by seed, you can positively impact the community that you know and love. All it takes is some basic gardening.

Benefits of a Community Garden

A community garden can be defined as a single piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people. Community gardens play an important role in revitalizing communities. They are beneficial for a variety of reasons, which include:

Health

• Access to healthy, local produce
• Improves mental health and promotes relaxation
  
• Increases physical activity, improving physical health
• Life-long impact on dietary behavior
• Increases consumption of fruits and vegetables
• Reduces risk of obesity and obesity-related disease
• Builds self-esteem
• Horticulture Therapy

Economic

• Increases rate of home ownership
• Increases property value
• Cheaper to maintain garden space in comparison to green space
• Decreases grocery expenses

Environment

• Vacant lots and unused space is developed for a positive purpose  
• Reduces soil erosion
• Reduces “heat island” effect in an urban environment
• Increases composting, reducing waste
• Restores oxygen into the air, reducing air pollution
• Filters rainwater, helping to keep lakes, rivers and groundwater clean
• Increases biodiversity of plants and animals
• Reduces fossil fuel use from food transport

Education

• Increases knowledge of food, nutrition, growing, harvesting and cooking
• Promotes responsibility and good work habits
• Hands-on learning experience that leads to better academic performance and social skills
• Provides a place to learn about various cultures through food
• Ability to gain useful skills in planning, food production and business

Social

• Creates a stronger sense of community and belonging
• Fun way to meet new people and build networks
• Increases pride in one’s community
• Natural community watch
• Helps to reduce crime

Food Production

• Improves food security 
• Donates to local food programs
• Provides people who do not have access to land of their own with the opportunity to produce their own food
• Reduces “food miles” that are required to transport nutritious food

All of these aspects of your community could improve by simply deciding to garden. This may be exactly what you need to revive and rejuvenate your community.

Green City Growers wants to help you and the members of your community thrive. Schedule a consultation with us to make a garden for your community a reality!