Energy and Environment
Community Garden Resources
What is a community garden?
The American Community Garden Association defines a community garden as “any piece of land gardened by a group of people.” Gardens come in all shapes and sizes and take on many different organizational structures. They can be made of multiple plots or just one community plot. They can be used for growing food or flowers or both. Sometimes gardens are on private property, but are open to the community. Other times they are on city land or are connected to parks, schools, hospitals or churches.
This section is intended to provide resources for organizations and individuals in the city of Lowell interested in starting community gardens. We have attempted to collect information regarding organizational structure, city of Lowell regulations, costs, funding options and models of gardens in other cities and states. If you would like more information or are interested in talking with someone about starting a garden, please contact Lydia Sisson at lysisson@gmail.com.
City of Lowell
The city recognizes the important role that local food systems play in promoting the health and well-being of residents, and has developed a formal program for groups wishing to establish, manage, and maintain their own community gardens on city-owned property. We hope the newly established community gardening program will provide residents with a variety of environmental, educational, and social benefits.
For more information, please visit: www.lowellma.gov/communitygardens.
Resources
Community Gardening Toolkit - University of Missouri Extension
Starting a Community Garden - American Community Gardens Association
Funding
City of Lowell - Community Development Block Grant
City of Lowell - Lowell Neighborhood Innovation Grant Program
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Brownfields Assessment & Clean-up Grants & Getting Started Fact Sheet
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