Gardening with Nature's Crossroads

One of our biggest goals here at Nature’s Crossroads is encouraging people to garden, especially children.  We love seeing people grow food for themselves and for others in their community.  With that in mind, we created a garden sponsorship program where we donate seeds to charitable gardening projects like school gardens, community gardens, food pantry gardens – really, any garden that is helping build community and teach people how to feed themselves.  We’re especially excited about gardens that are committed to organic growing methods.

So far we have donated over $2,000 in seeds to more than 30 garden projects.  Most are based in the Midwest but simply by setting up a webpage we have connected with groups across the nation that are doing great gardening work.  We also sent seeds to farmers in Haiti as part of a project sponsored by the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture.  It’s a little sobering to realize that there are many places in the world where people are gardening or farming just to be able to feed their families.  Most of us are in the more luxurious position of gardening for fun or as a way to help out our budgets a little.

Whatever the reason you garden, we though you might be interested in hearing about some of the very cool garden projects happening around the Midwest (and beyond)!  They are presented in alphabetical order.

15000 Farmers (Louisville, KY)

Louisville is a hub of urban farming activity and 15,000 Farmers is a nonprofit that is working to create, empower, and inspire 15,000 new, organic, neighborhood backyard/front yard farmers in Louisville, KY to feed their families and themselves and to give away! Their plan is to use simple and easy instructions, checklists, materials and ongoing support to help citizens start Easy Farms in their yards, on decks or in community gardens.  They have already created a wonderful community of urban gardeners/farmers to support each other.  Visit them online at http://15thousandfarmers.com/.

Centro Hispano (Madison, WI)

Centro Hispano is a community center serving Latino youth in the Madison, Wisconsin area.  They provide a variety of programs and services for youth including a large garden where the youth raise food to distribute through the center’s food pantry.  It’s a great way for kids to get involved and help grow food for their community.  Visit the center online at http://micentro.org/.

City Sprouts (Cambridge, MA)

CitySprouts works with 12 schools in the Cambridge, Massachuttsetts area to help them create and use learning gardens as a direct extension of their classroom teaching.    In partnership with the Cambridge Public Schools (CPS), they have developed garden-based lessons with practical learning applications. These lessons are explicitly tied to the curriculum that Cambridge public school teachers are mandated to use.  CitySprouts also connects with students and their families through after school garden drop-in programs, school cafeteria tastings of fresh produce, and summer garden internships for older students.  Learn more at their website, http://www.citysprouts.org/.

Cob Connection (Chicago, IL)

Cob Connection is a non-profit group supporting urban youth with job training in natural building techniques (including cob) and urban agriculture.  They are turning vacant lots into thriving community farms and gardens while empowering local youth to grow food for the local food pantry. Since 2007, they have trained over 100 young adults and transformed over 17 vacant lots into food production sites.  Learn more at http://cobconnection.org

Community CROPS (Lincoln, Nebraska)

Community CROPS (Combining Resources, Opportunities, and People for Sustainability) helps people work together to grow healthy food and live sustainably.  Community  CROPS now has sixteen community garden sites, a training farm, a successful Community Supported Agriculture program, its own Community CROPS Farmers’ Market, and a regular stand at the Old Cheney Road Farmers’ Market.  They offer lots of support for local gardeners including workshops, multi-lingual gardening guides, and financial assistance for garden plots.  Read more at http://www.communitycrops.org/.

Community Heights (Indianapolis, IN)

The Community Heights Neighborhood Organization on the east side of Indianapolis sponsors a community garden located directly behind a local elementary school.  Part of the garden is divided into 48 plots that individuals can rent and the remainder is planted by the neighborhood association through the Plant a Row program (the produce is donated to local food banks). Last year, Community Heights grew over 375 pumpkins and were able to supply each student from IPS School #88 a pumpkin for Halloween.  To learn more, please visit http://www.community-heights.org/.

Don Moyers Boys/Girls Club (Champaign, IL)

A new garden is being installed on an empty lot in Champaign, Illinois just down the street from the Don Moyers Boys and Girls Club.  Youth from the JUMP program (Juvenile Upward Mobility Program)  and three other groups will plant the garden, harvest the produce, learn how to cook it and sell some of it at the Historic North First Street Farmer’s Market this summer.  They will be assisted by local master gardeners who will help develop educational programs, teach gardening, and teach the youth how to market and sell their harvest.  Read more about the First Street Prosperity Garden at the C-U Fit blog http://cufitfamilies.blogspot.com/.

Dream of Wild Health (Hugo, MN)

Dream of Wild Health is a traditional garden project in the upper Midwest. Its mission is to become the seed saver of indigenous Native American plants in the region.  They grow out indigenous seeds—primarily corn, beans, and squash–that were donated by tribes from around the region, some of which are hundreds of years old. They also operate a market garden with a wide variety of vegetables that are sold at a farmers market in the Twin Cities at a location close to the Native community. Primarily, they work to recover indigenous cultural wisdom, and within that is an effort to save indigenous varieties of seeds and perennial plants, as there is a close connection between culture and agriculture.  Learn more about their work at http://www.petawakantipi.org/Dream%20of%20Wild%20Health.htm

Elkhart Local Food Alliance (Elkhart, IN)

The Elkhart Local Food Alliance is part of Elkhart County Works Together, an organization working to help the citizens of Elkhart County support each other to revitalize their community.  ELFA is focused on food security and is committed to creating educational programs and neighborhood gardening spaces which will strengthen the health, economy, environment and connections of our community.   At the root of their work is a commitment to partnering with existing organizations and neighbors who have experience in working with food systems and who carry a similar vision for strong, healthy neighborhoods.  They have helped coordinate the creation of several new community gardens while also encouraging gardening in backyards and frontyards.  You can read more at http://ecwt.org/programs/elfa/

Exodus House (Anderson, IN)

Exodus House is a not-for-profit halfway house opening in Anderson, IN.  Their commitment is to create a home where residents can come and find self-worth and the resources to live out the fullness of their worth.  The house seeks to create an environment of equality and mutual respect, thus encouraging individual as well as communal responsibility.  They are also working to make the house food sustainable with the addition of a garden and a few chickens.  Read more at their website: http://theexodushouse.com/

Feed the Fort (Fort Wayne, IN)

As the interest in locally produced food has grown, Fort Wayne has responded by creating several community gardens, including  large projects that seek to serve the needs of the growing population of resettled Burmese residents.  They have also partnered with the Community Harvest Food Bank to help community gardeners plant a little extra for their neighbors who might not be as fortunate.  There is an overview of the various gardens available here: http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/food-for-the-fort:-community-garden-project-continues-to-grow.html

Felege Hiywot Center (Indianapolis, IN)

The Felege Hiywot Center teaches urban youth to be good citizens by teaching them how to garden. The Center has maintained a large garden since 2007 and has run a summer gardening summer camp since 2008 to supplement its regular after school programming. This year the Center has expanded its garden and finished construction of a small community building. Through gardening, the kids learn an awareness of nature, a commitment to environmental preservation, an ability to make nutritious food choices, and the opportunity to be a helpful team player. They also enjoyed eating fresh fruits and vegetables, including crops indigenous to countries outside of North America. Learn more at their website: http://fhcenter.org/

Garden Angels (Fort Wayne, IN)

Master gardener Ephraim Smiley (known to many as the Jolly Green Giant) has been helping with community gardens for many years.  For the past few, he has concentrated on mobilizing his “garden angels,” 50 elementary school children from Maplewood School who manage one of the largest community gardens in the Midwest.  They use organic methods and get plenty of exercise managing a 2 acre plot utilizing intensive methods.  Over 75% of their crops are donated to senior citizens.  They have been supported by partnerships with Fort Wayne African-American Cancer Alliance and HealthVisions Fort Wayne, who are always looking for ways to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables.   To learn more, visit http://www.agreenerindiana.com/group/urbanfarminggardening.

Growing Hope (Ypsilanti, MI)

Growing Hope is a small non-profit dedicated to helping people improve their lives and communities through gardening and healthy food access.  They have helped with over 40 community and school gardens and have a variety of other outreach activities, including last year’s 4Square raised bed installations, where they provided 80 low- and no-income households each with three 16 square foot raised beds and all the soil, compost, and seedlings needed to fill them. For more information on their programs, please see our website at www.growinghope.net.

Harvest Hill Garden (Liberty, MO)

Harvest Hill is a one acre community garden located in Liberty, Missouri that started through a partnership between William Jewell College and local church members of Second Baptist. The purpose of Harvest Hill is to provide a place for Liberty community members to garden, seeking especially to help those who might not be able to have a garden on their own.  The opportunity to garden helps people stretch their food dollar and improve their nutritional intake. Community gardens also improve the overall quality of life in neighborhoods by encouraging self-sufficiency and a sense of community among participants.  For more information, visit http://harvesthill.ning.com/.

High School for Public Service (Brooklyn, New York)

The High School for Public Service and bk farmyards are embarking on an innovative new farming venture to turn the school’s 1 acre lawn into a thriving, productive and educational farm. The Farm will provide fresh affordable food for the community, while providing educational and employment opportunities for the students. The Farm will be integrated into the school curriculum,
serving as an outdoor classroom for hands-on learning. Student farmers will be hired during the summer to work on the farm, learning about sustainable agriculture and community leadership. Produce from the farm will be sold at a low cost to the school community through a Community Supported Agriculture program.  For more information, visit http://bkfarmyards.com/.

Hinkle Garton Farm (Bloomington, IN)

The Hinkle Garton Farmstead is a familiar landmark for many in Bloomington that reminds community members of when much more of the city was taken up by farmland.  The farmhouse, built in 1892, is on the historic register and many volunteers have been working to re-establish the grounds in their historic context.  There is also a large community garden in place growing vegetables for the local food bank.  To learn more, visit http://www.bloomingtonrestorations.org/hg_index.html.

Hoosier Hills Food Bank Garden (Bloomington, IN)

The HHFB Garden Program was born out of a continuing effort to increase the amount and nutritional quality of food provided to area food pantries and soup kitchens.  Growing its own allows the food bank to bring in varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables rarely donated. A Monroe county farm, Strangers Hill Organics, has donated to the food bank the long-term use of a half-acre of land along with tillage and access to water for irrigation. In 2009, the garden’s first year, over 211 volunteers planted, maintained, and harvested 5,600 pounds of organic vegetables!  The food bank also operates a gleaning program harvesting and collecting excess fruits and vegetables from farms throughout south-central Indiana.  For more information, visit http://www.hhfoodbank.org/glean.htm.

Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture (Kansas City, KS)

The Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture is a non-profit organization with the mission to promote the production and consumption of fresh, local produce by growing urban farmers who are an active part of healthy neighborhoods in greater   Kansas City.  They provide education and technical assistance to people interested in urban farming, promote research and policy development aimed at making urban farming an integral part of a lively and viable cityscape, and work with communities to embrace and support urban farms. The Center also operates the Kansas City Community Farm, a working organic vegetable farm that serves as a demonstration project for urban agriculture in Kansas City.  Read more at http://www.kccua.org/index.htm.

Little Flower Farms (Indianapolis, IN)

Little Flower Farms is a group of urban homesteaders forming a cooperative to grow and share as much produce as they can with each other and with local folks who typically can’t afford fresh, local veggies.  They have a blog at http://littleflowerfarms.blogspot.com/.

Louisville Grows (Louisville, KY)

Louisville Grows is a small non-profit working to promote sustainable living in their community.  One of their big focuses is urban agriculture and they are working on two model gardens: one at an elementary and one at the University of Louisville.  They see urban agriculture and education to be indivisible, so they have targeted institutions of learning as great places for demonstration gardens.  They also offer workshops on garden design, planting, harvesting, distribution, food policy and security, etc.  Learn more at http://www.louisvillegrows.org/.

Lutheran Social Services of New England (Worcester, MA)

Lutheran Social Services of New England (LSS) provides resettlement and job placement services to refugees while developing various programs which help them integrate their new communities. Over the past couple of years they have built an agricultural project aimed at equipping our refugee clients with the tools they need to become farmers in the United States. Many stem from
agricultural backgrounds but do not have the knowledge or resources needed to navigate the particularities of the farming industry in the United States.  The Lutheran Agricultural program offers refugees the opportunity to begin farming on small community garden plots in the city, transition to larger market garden plots and eventually access tracts of farm land. Last year some of their clients began successfully marketing their produce and have asked for more land to begin commercial ventures. In response to their
request the agency is leasing 4 acres of farmland nearby and will be extending the program even further in hopes of training up a new generation of farmers in Massachusetts.  Read more about LSS here: http://www.lssne.org/ (they are still developing a website about the farming program).

Maple City Market  and Boys and Girls Club of Goshen (Goshen, IN)

Maple City Market, a natural foods co-op, is sponsoring a gardening project this year at the local Boys and Girls Club. They will be teaching  kids of all ages from the club how to plant, tend, and harvest an organic garden. The produce will be sent home with the kids, of which most live nearby in the low-income neighborhood, and the extra food will be delivered to families in need from the community. Learn more about Maple City Market at http://www.maplecitymarket.com/.

My Place to Be (Newark, OH)

My Place to Be is a nonprofit organization that works with children on the Autism Spectrum by creating a safe place for children to express themselves and learn in a positive way.  All children are treated with dignity and respect and are allowed to learn self awareness through sensory integration, nature, music, and art. There are several gardens at the site including an herb garden, a vegetable garden, and a sunflower area.  They also help coordinate the Children’s Garden in their local community garden.  Learn more at http://www.myplace2b.org/.

North Point Home School (Fishers, IN)

Northpoint Homeschool Classes is a home school coop for kindergarten through twelfth graders.  Two of the main organizers are working to turn their front yard into an edible estate and teaching garden. Their goal is to create community in their front yard, while educating themselves, their children, and their students.  They are also encouraging all their students and participating families to create gardens at home.  Learn more about their program at: http://www.northpointclasses.com/.

Small Ville Learning Farm (Detroit, MI)

Small Ville Learning Farm is a nonprofit group just getting started that is promoting sustainable agriculture in Detroit.  They are currently involved with two school gardens, two church gardens, two community gardens, two city farms and one Moorish Science Temple of America garden.  No website available yet.

SPROUTS (Bloomington, IN)

The SPROUTS (“Students Producing Organics Under the Sun”) Garden was officially founded on the Indiana University Campus in 2005.   Students and community members operate an organic garden at 8th and Fess with the following goals in mind: educating people about organic food production, promoting a more sustainable lifestyle to people, increasing the local food supply – thereby reducing Bloomington’s carbon footprint, and proactively and substantively addressing the correlation between income level and the availability of nutritious foods.  They also address these goals by hosting Garden Days throughout the week and during every growing season to enable people to learn about sustainable practices like composting, rainwater catchment, and social equity. In the process SPROUTS raises food for later distribution to local food relief agencies like Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard and the Community Kitchen and volunteers also take some home with them – reducing their dependence on retail shopping centers that acquire their produce from distant locales.  Visit the SPROUTS Facebook page for more information.

Sycamore Services and Hendricks County Master Gardeners (Danville, IN)

Sycamore Services, Inc. makes a difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities and others experiencing daily challenges by providing individualized training and services to increase independence and enhance their quality of life.  For the last two years they have partnered with the local Master Gardeners group on a project is titled “Growing Hope.”  This project created gardens at their Danville site, including raised beds that are accessible to physically disabled gardeners.  This year they will again plant the raised beds but will also add traditional vegetable gardening beds.  The plan is for these items to be taken to local Farmers’ Markets for sale so the clients will gain the whole experience – growing, harvesting, marketing, meeting customers, and handling money (which will be used for more seeds and plants for 2011).  Learn more about Sycamore Services at http://www.sycamoreservices.com/.

The Talking Farm (Evanston, IL)

The Talking Farm’s mission is to operate a sustainable urban agricultural enterprise that provides fresh and locally grown food, job training, and environmental education, and related research. They are helping create school gardens and community gardens while working toward their larger goal of a working farm of their own.  Read more at http://www.thetalkingfarm.org/.

Toledo GROWs (Toledo, OH)
Toledo GROWs is the community gardening outreach program of Toledo Botanical Garden. GROWs is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to the continued growth and success of community-based gardens in the city of Toledo and throughout NW Ohio.  They organize one of the largest seed swaps in the Midwest every year and also support the development of sustainable garden projects that serve people of diverse ages and abilities. In 2008, GROWs served over sixty five community gardens. Throughout the seasons, Toledo GROWs works with community garden organizers to ensure that they have everything necessary to create a vibrant community garden.  Learn more at http://www.toledogarden.org/content/toledogrows/.

Unity Gardens (South Bend, IN)

Unity Gardens of Michiana is working to build a community with an abundance of healthy, locally grown produce.  They help individuals and groups start gardens that emphasize bringing diverse groups of people together and sharing the harvest.  There are many models available including allotment gardens with plots allocated to individuals or families, cooperative gardens with collective growing and harvesting, feed-the-hungry gardens which focus on growing for food pantries, and open concept gardens that  are designed to operate in a free and open manner, allowing people to stop by to help plant, weed, water, and/or harvest as they want and as they need. Learn more at http://www.unitygardensinc.org/.

Victory Garden Initiative (Milwaukee, WI)

The Victory Garden Initiative promotes the use of  backyards (and front yards and rooftops and patios) for the production of food. The group is comprised of gardeners supporting other gardeners in their own paths towards a self-sufficient, sustainable, and healthy food supply. Through mentoring, modeling and outreach they aim to make Victory Gardening a way of life for everyone. In addition to promoting gardening at home, they have also helped create community gardens, including the Bay View Hide House Garden, as well as several school gardens.  Learn more at: http://thevictorygardeninitiative.com/.

Tags: community, free seeds, garden, sponsorship, youth