Community Gardens Program History

Our Community Gardens Program has been around since 1980! Here are some of the highlights of its long history.

In a black-and-white photo, a boy stands beside a sign that reads "Mt. Auburn Food Park."

1980: Margie Raugh directs the first CGC-built community garden, the Over-The-Rhine People’s Garden.

1981: The Neighborhood Gardens Program is established at the Civic Garden Center. The Martin Luther King Garden and two other gardens are built.

1982: The Riddel-Yates Garden in Covington is established, as well as two more gardens.

One man dumps a wheelbarrow load while another, holding a pitchfork, looks on.

1983: The Center for Chemical Addiction Treatment (CCAT) Garden is built along with four others. Community Gardens Summer Tours begin.

Two people plant a raised garden bed in the OTR People's Garden.

1985: The Mt. Auburn Food Park and Marlowe House Garden open.

1986: The Madisonville Community Garden and Pendleton Children’s gardens are built, and the Spring Grove community garden is started.

1987: The Pleasant Street Garden is established.

1988: The Pleasant Street Garden receives the Best Conversion of Land Use Award from Kroger, and the Walnut Hills Community Garden is established.

1989: The Race Street Children’s Garden is established as a needed expansion of the Pleasant Street Garden.

1990: The Rothenberg Community Garden is established (later to become Permaganic’s Eco Garden).

1991: The Green St. Children’s Garden opens.

1995: The W. McMicken Community Garden opens.

A black-and-white photo shows people gathered in the West End community garden.

1996: The Patricia Jenkins Memorial Garden is established. The W. McMicken Garden wins second place in the Keep Cincinnati Clean and Beautiful contest.

1997: The Agnes Wagner McKie Community Garden opens. Neighborhood gardens receive recognition for programs for leadership in promoting cross-cultural understanding from The Colors of Cincinnati.

Smiling people sit in an abundant garden.

1998: Received the President’s Award by the Ohio Conference of Community Development, Beacon Glenn Community Garden established

1999: John J Gunther HUD Awards from Cincinnati Department of Neighborhood Services. The Race Street Children’s Garden receives the Seeds of Hope Award and is recognized as one of the top 26 children’s gardens in the country by Ertl Toys and John Deere Kids.

2000: The Seeds Garden is built (later to become the Julie Hanser Garden, then the Glean and Share Garden).

A group of people mills around an abundant garden.

2001: The Holloway Hope Garden is built, along with 11 other gardens.

2002-2010: 17 gardens built, including Albion, East End Veterans, NEXUS Garden, and Clifton.

2010-2015: The Madisonville Foraging Garden is established.

A black-and-white photo shows a group of people standing in an abundant urban garden.

2015: The Civic Garden Center Community Garden Network is formalized, with the goal of creating a “community of community gardens.”

2015-2019: Over 30 community gardens are built or join the CGC Community Garden network,

2017: Greg Potter, then the CGC’s Community Garden Coordinator, receives the Gardener Recognition Award from the Cincinnati Horticultural Society.

2020: The Anderson Urban Farm, Miami Woods CG, Hartwell United Methodist Church, and three more gardens are built and join the Network.

2021: 12 gardens are added, including six in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

Want to become a part of community garden history?

Find a garden near you and get involved!