Community gardens can help address many of the issues surrounding food in urban settings:
Bonton Farms in South Dallas
- People living in areas with reduced access to fresh produce can supplement their grocery shopping by growing their own fruits and vegetables.
- Produce grown in these gardens and sold at local markets can create access to fresh foods in food deserts.
- Some gardens donate a portion of their goods to local food pantries and other organizations that fight food insecurity.
- Since the produce from community gardens is eaten or sold locally, it is less likely to spoil before it reaches its final destination.
- People who grow their own food are less likely to throw it out or leave it to rot simply because it is “ugly”.
- When fuel costs are high, the price of locally-grown food is not greatly impacted, since it doesn’t have far to go to reach the market.
- Community gardens are also insulated from diseases and parasites that can spread rapidly in large-scale farming, since there are usually a variety of foods being grown, and they are not in contact with hundreds or thousands of other plants. In fact, when larger farms suffer wide-spread crop loss, a community garden may be the only place you can find these foods.
Not only do local gardens promote a sustainable and resilient food system, but they reconnect us with the soil, which is known to have positive impacts on our mental health and well-being. Use the following resources to join a garden or start your own.
Some of our Dallas gardens
Promise of Peace “Imagine Garden” in Dallas
Deep Ellum Urban Gardens
Are you looking to join a community garden? Use the map below to discover some of the gardens in the Dallas area.
Please note that this map is not maintained by Green Dallas, and may not reflect the most up-to-date information.
Map of community gardens in the Dallas area
Click here to view in Google Maps with detailed information.
The American Community Gardening Association also keeps a list of community gardens.
