Spotlight on the American Community Gardening Association

Stronger Together

What is a community garden? It’s a garden created by, for, and with the community—sometimes neighborhood residents, sometimes community organization members. For city apartment dwellers, it’s a great opportunity to dig in the dirt and grow food smack in the middle of the urban jungle. But to the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA), it’s also a lot more.

ACGA’s mission is to “build community by increasing and enhancing community gardening and greening across the United States and Canada.” By providing resources for creating and expanding community gardening programs, as well as promoting community gardening through research, marketing, and education, ACGA aims to improve communities’ quality of life and overall health.

ACGA’s outreach includes Rebel Tomato, an online tool for planning community gardens—or, in its own words, “plotting our future one garden at a time.” With seeds of inspiration, practical advice, and a pitchfork-wielding mascot, Rebel Tomato gives gardening revolutionaries a jump-start to building their own community gardens.

Locate a community garden near you at CommunityGarden.org, visit Rebel Tomato, and read more about growing your own food at home.