Athens Land Trust

Community Garden Network

In November 2010, Athens Land Trust received a 3-year, $287,690 grant from the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture to establish a network of community gardens in Athens, Georgia. The overarching goal of the Athens community garden initiative is to provide healthy, nutritious food for low-income families (including children, the elderly, and minority populations) by providing opportunities to grow their own food. (Read the complete press release.)

ALT was one of just 27 organizations throughout the country selected to receive a grant as part of NIFA’s Community Food Projects program, which funds projects that build community food systems and fight hunger and food insecurity.

ALT will work closely with a number of community partners, including the University of Georgia Horticulture Department; Athens-Clarke County Extension Office; Athens Community Council on Aging; Casa de Amistad; Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful; People of Hope Cooperative, Inc.; and PLACE (Promoting Local Agriculture and Cultural Experiences). With additional support from the Athens Area Community Foundation, ALT will take the lead in the creation of two major “hub” gardens, which will serve as demonstration and teaching sites, and will help interested community groups to establish multiple satellite gardens throughout the community.

What is a community garden?
Any piece of land gardened by a group of people. Gardeners might grow vegetables, fruit, flowers, or any combination of plants.

Why get involved with a community garden?
According to the American Community Gardening Association, community gardens provide many benefits to both participants and our community. Some of those benefits are:

Improves the quality of life for people in the garden
Provides a catalyst for neighborhood and community development
Stimulates social interaction
Encourages self-reliance
Beautifies neighborhoods
Produces nutritious food
Reduces family food budgets
Conserves resources
Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education
Reduces crime
Preserves greenspace
Creates income opportunities and economic development
Reduces city heat from streets and parking lots
Provides opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connections


Pinewoods Estates North Community Garden The Pinewoods Estates North Community Garden opened this summer with help from residents, volunteers, and UGA Professor David Berle’s horticulture students. The 60’ x 60’ garden is located directly across from the community’s ACC Library branch, which has its own edible garden. Children who participate in the after school program at the library have been especially active in the new garden. UGA students Augustina Hein, Katie Twomey, Katie Medina, and Lian Zen Li have been volunteering throughout the week, working with kids in the Library’s afterschool program to help maintain the garden. Pinewoods residents organized Latino Fest in October 2010, a celebration of Latino contributions to music, performance, and culinary arts in Athens. Latino Fest featured music and dance performances by Pinewoods residents, as well as delicious foods made with ingredients harvested from the community garden. Proceeds from the event will support the community garden. Flagpole Magazine recently covered the Pinewoods Community Garden. See Urban Growth: A Community Garden Takes Root in Athens.

Brooklyn Community Garden Over the past several years, ALT has assisted a group of residents and other non-profit organizations to build a community garden. The garden is located in the Brooklyn Neighborhood, which is within the greater Hancock Neighborhood. A Community Garden is a park-like area near in the neighborhood where several families can grow vegetables and flowers together on their own garden plots. Community Gardens beautify neighborhoods and bring neighbors closer together. They can help reduce crime and provide safe spaces for neighbors to come together. In 2006, the garden was moved across the street to its permanent home. Thanks to the generosity of the Athens Housing Authority, a lot was donated for the garden to have a permanent location. The residents of the neighborhood say that having the garden turned their neighborhood around. In a place were undesirable activities used to take place, now there are flowers and vegetables growing for everyone to enjoy!

Reverend Bascoe Jackson Community Garden at Hill Chapel Baptist Church

Hill Chapel Baptist Church is a predominately African-American church with a 100 year history in the West Hancock community. Pastor Michael Gerald met with ALT in the fall of 2010 with the idea to establish a community garden with an outdoor education and worship space. Church members attended the spring 2011 'Starting a Community Garden Workshop" series at ALT and began planning the garden. The garden was planted in April of 2011, and vegetables are grown communally and shared among the garden members, community members who receive weekly meals from the church, and neighbors.