Neighborhood Gardens
Civic Garden Center’s Neighborhood Gardens Program
Dipka, Ernestine, Dorothy Jr, Dorothy, & Peter
Over The Rhine Peoples Garden
Our award-winning Neighborhood Gardens Program is one of the Civic Garden Center's longest-standing community outreach efforts. Starting with the historic Over-the-Rhine People’s Garden in 1980, the program was formally established in 1981, to assist community groups primarily in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods in converting blighted vacant lots into productive community food gardens, urban agriculture projects, an urban orchard program, and beautification sites. These thriving green places create a nurturing refuge, often in places where there are no other parks or green space available and include eight youth garden programs including the ECO Youth Market Garden. The community gardens and urban agriculture projects bring people together to grow healthy food and rebuild the bonds of community. The Neighborhood Gardens Program also provides groups with technical assistance, leadership training, horticulture education and start-up materials to help them successfully organize, plan, build and sustain their gardens. During the our last growing season
- over 40 community food gardens, urban agriculture projects and beautification sites
- over 650 gardeners participated
- over 14,000 pounds of food grown
- over 1,500 pounds of food donated to food pantries, seniors citizens and families
- over 7,000 hours of volunteer support
- outreach to over 2000 community residents