Encourage More Community Gardens

Establish a system of community gardens throughout the neighborhood that provide social benefits and increase food access. These could be established on public or institutional land or in open spaces created by new development. Partner with community groups and non-profit to startup new community gardens.

Oakland is currently a food desert with limited opportunities for easy access to groceries, especially fresh produce.
Community gardens are an important way to both provide health food to residents but also to establish stronger community ties and foster relationships between neighbors.
There are already a number of community gardens established throughout Oakland but there needs to be increased visibility, expanded access, additional space dedicated to community gardens, and improved coordination between the different garden space.
Consider container and rooftop gardens, hydroponic/aquaponic systems, etc. as spaces for community gardens.
Work with University of Pittsburgh to relocate the Plant2Plate garden to providing garden plots where students can learn gardening techniques, build teamwork, spend time outdoors, and develop a sense of stewardship for the neighborhood.

Identify priority locations and piece of land that can be utilized to create a network of community gardens and set clear expectations for the community around permanent gardens vs temporary such as on future development sites.
Leverage existing program such as the CMU gardens, Pitt’s Plant to Plate and Carlow food Pantry, connect them and scale them up.
Develop tools and information centers for residents and community organizations that wish to start a community garden.
Establish point of contact or organization helping to manage each community garden to ensure that all gardens are continuing to be maintained and best serving the needs of Oakland residents
Ensure that all community gardens have the tools and supplies needed to be successful and sustainable.

When to start: 3-5 years

Duration: 1 year to establish, ongoing

Estimated costs: $ (out of $$$$)

Project lead(s): OPDC, Phipps, institutions

Project partner(s): Student governments, neighborhood associations, DPW

Potential funding source(s): Grow Pittsburgh, Allegheny Land Trust, grants

Examples, illustrations, data

Image of children planting garden at Phipps.

Example: Homegrown Program at Phipps

Homegrown is a Phipps program dedicated to increasing community access to fresh produce, promoting better food choices, and improving the overall health of families and children.

Since its inception in 2013, Homegrown has installed over 300 raised-bed vegetable gardens at households in underserved neighborhoods and provided mentorship and resources to hundreds of community members. The Homegrown program began in Homewood, and has since expanded to include Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington, Belmar and East Hills, with plans for continued expansion in the future.

Photo and text courtesy of Phipps Conservatory.

Image of students growing food at the University of Georgia.

Example: UGArden at the University of Georgia

The mission of UGArden is to build a community of students centered on a sustainable food system. The goals of UGArden are: (1) to teach students to grow food using organic practices through experiential learning; (2) to share healthy, sustainably grown food with members of the local community who are facing food insecurity; (3) to provide an opportunity for engagement, service and experimentation; and (4) to foster an entrepreneurial spirit.

Photo and text courtesy of the University of Georgia’s UGArden Program.

What we heard

Project goals and components

When, how long, how much, and whom

Examples, illustrations, data

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