Community Gardens

In many community gardens, individuals, families or groups have exclusive use of a garden plot or plots for the growing season. In others, garden plots are shared.

Community garden ownership models are quite varied. Many are owned and managed by non-profit organizations. Others are co-ops, or operated by private businesses. Some are managed by city parks departments or other institutional bodies.

Community gardens provide many benefits, especially in urban areas. These include:

• Opportunity for apartment-dwellers and others without personal garden space to grow their own food
• Increased green space (with associated benefits for hydrology, microclimate, and biodiversity)
• Enhanced food security
• An arena for community-building and development of local self-reliance

Community gardens can help alleviate "food deserts" — areas where there is little availability of fresh, healthy food, especially in low-income, marginalized or under-served neighbourhoods.