Home Gardens

Home garden installation, seeds, plant starts, classes, mentors

Limited income households don’t always have the option to put fresh nutritious food on the table.  The Home Garden Program decreases chances of food insecurity by empowering low-income families to grow food for themselves, friends and neighbors in their own back yard. 

With the help of hundreds of volunteers, Growing Gardens installs raised garden beds in the yards of low-income households.  Gardeners in apartments or with limited space receive containers to grow food on patios and porches.  Each household is enrolled into a three year support program. Seeds, plants, compost bins, tools, soil amendments and education through experienced volunteer Mentors, educational newsletters & workshops in the Learn & Grow Program all assure the success of Home Gardeners.  
                                                                                                                                    

"This program has been such a blessing. We've wanted to grow food for years but didn't know how. Because of Growing Gardens we feel like we can actually do it.  This program isn't just giving me a fish but teaching me how to fish."                                  -Shannon, Home Gardener
 
In 2007 Growing Gardens:                                                                                  

• Enrolled 41new households.
• Continued support for 82 households in their 2^nd & 3^rd year of the program.
• Distributed over 2000 seed packets
  
• Distributed over 1300 plant starts at the annual Plant Distribution Day.
• Worked with 234 community volunteers who put in 1017 hours of service in the Home Garden Program.
• Built 36 composting systems for Home Gardeners.
• Piloted 2 "Neighborhood Networks" of Home Gardeners to provide a resource to increase peer support and mentorship amongst neighbors.
  
• Connected 35 Volunteer Mentors to beginning gardeners.

• 97% of Home Gardeners saved money on food as a result of their garden.
  
• 91% of Home Gardeners shared extra produce with someone outside of their household.
  
• 47% of Home Gardeners met new neighbors as a result of their garden.
  
• 71% of Home Gardeners increased their daily fruit & vegetable consumption as a result of their garden.
  
• 40% of Home Gardeners spent more time outdoors as a result of their garden.