Find Your Nearest Neighborhood Garden
Community Gardens are part of the landscape of a city. They bring people together to learn about plants and food, they offer a safe space for beginner gardeners to learn and grow, and they provide a sense of friendship and teamwork for beautifying neighborhoods.
Big or small, all community gardens celebrate people learning about how to cultivate plants for food or beauty. It’s truly an effort of the people, rallying together to share supplies and time in order to keep the garden thriving.
Some Community Gardens are registered non-profits, some are simply a group of neighbors who have a plot to plant. There are gardens in Omaha that host events, offer plant sales, and hold workshops and seminars. These gardens are free to visit and are always looking for volunteers and people to help.
Here are some of the Community Gardens in Omaha that you can get involved with:
City Sprouts
According to their website, City Sprouts “Works with Omaha-area residents, volunteers, and interns to grow vegetables, flowers, and herbs using environmentally responsible and sustainable gardening techniques in our community gardens and urban farm. They develop and conduct educational programs that teach all age groups from toddlers to adults how to garden, cook, preserve, and more.They work with the community to build local food systems, improve community health, empower neighborhoods, and strengthen economic viability and sustainability. They provide a comfortable setting where people of diverse ages and backgrounds can learn and grow together.”
The Big Garden
Founded in 2005, The Big Garden “is a network of 200+ community gardens in metro-Omaha and rural and semi-rural communities in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas.The Big Garden is unique nationally both in terms of the large number of sites, and its partnerships with neighborhood-based congregations, schools, and non-profits. All Big Garden sites are located on land owned by community agencies; partnering with sites to assist with initial start-up costs, ongoing program support, garden and nutrition classes for children, and brokering collaborative relationships in the community.”
Benson Community Garden
Located on the corner of 60th and Lafayette, this 36-plot garden in the heart of Benson offers neighbors to join together in a common effort. Their mission statement is “to strengthen our community by providing an urban agricultural space where individuals and families can come together to grow farm-fresh foods, share tools and resources, and learn about gardening and nutrition.”
Gifford Park Community Garden
At 3416 Cass Street, neighbors saw a need and built a garden on an empty lot in 2001. Since then, it has grown and flourished into a place where people gather, host markets, and learn about healthy living. One of the liveliest gardens around town, you’ll always find someone working, helping, or gardening at their plot. They offer children’s programs and live music. Even if you don’t live in Gifford Park, they have created a beautiful space for all Omahans to come and be in community.
Teaching people the skills to plant and grow their own food is so valuable. Doing it with a group of people who live nearby is even better. Spring and summer give us the opportunity to get out of the comfort of our homes and be involved with our thriving communities. We should all be looking for ways we can shape and improve the lives of our residents, and Community Gardens are a great place to start. It’s time to dig in!