The document summarizes community gardens in Austin, Texas. It describes how the City of Austin and Sustainable Food Center support over 50 community gardens across the city. Case studies highlight the Adelphi Acre, Cherry Creek, and North Austin community gardens, which overcame challenges to create thriving garden spaces that bring neighbors together and provide access to fresh, local produce. The document concludes by discussing the benefits of community gardens and potential land types where new gardens could be established.

1. What’s Growing in Austin:
Innovative Community Gardens
Meredith Gray
Conservation Program Coordinator
City of Austin Parks & Recreation Dept.
Sari Albornoz
Grow Local Program Director
Sustainable Food Center

2. • Created by Austin City Council in
2009 to have a single point of
contact and streamline the process
for creating community gardens on
City land
• Assist with land search, license
agreements, and permitting
Meredith Gray,
Conservation Program Coordinator
meredith.gray@austintexas.gov
512-974-9450
City of Austin
Sustainable Urban Agriculture &
Community Garden Program

3. Sustainable Food Center
Sustainable Food Center cultivates a healthy
community by strengthening the local food
system and improving access to nutritious,
affordable food.
● Grow Local
● Farm Direct
● The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre™
Sari Albornoz,
Grow Local Program Director
sari@sustainablefoodcenter.org
512-220-1087

4. Background & Context:
Community Gardens

5. •Sustainable agriculture techniques: developed and practiced by
indigenous communities
– Appropriate for regional ecosystems, climate
– Work with, not against, natural conditions
History: Sustainable Agriculture

6. •Landscape Gardens:
– African American slaves and gardens:
e.g., Garden at Monticello
•Freedom Gardens:
– Louisiana Underground
Railroad
• Agriculture-based freedom colonies
– www.facebook.
com/TheTexasFreedomColoniesProje
ct/
History: Community Agriculture for
Health & Self-Sufficiency
Randy Harris for The New York Times

7. • During WWI and WWII, the United States government asked its
citizens to plant gardens in order to support the war effort.
• In 1943, Americans planted over 20 million Victory Gardens
• The harvest accounted for nearly 1/3 of all the vegetables
consumed in the country that year (for comparison, 1% of the food
consumed in Austin is produced locally).
History: Organized Neighborhoods

8. What is a Community Garden?
A community garden is "any piece of land gardened by a group of
people" -American Community Gardening Association
South Austin Community Garden

9. Benefits of Community Gardens
● Re-engage people with their food
● Provide spaces for people to learn to grow
food, created BY the community,
enhancing community stewardship and
pride
● Provide access to affordable, fresh, local,
culturally appropriate, nutritious food
● Foster friendships and cooperation across
racial, socioeconomic, and age groups.
● Empower citizens to relate with local
governments
All this around food, food production, and health--common to all.

10. Community Gardens Today
Gardens are on City, County, State, church, school, and private land.

11. 54 Community Gardens in Austin

12. Case Studies: Community Garden
Success Stories

13. Adelphi Acre Community Garden
● City of Austin Public Works Dept. land
● Never used for intended purpose as turn lane: underutilized, but
required mowing
● Neighbors became inspired about potential to bring site to life as a
community space

14. Adelphi Acre CG: Challenges

15. Adelphi Acre CG: Success!
• Garden completed in 2015 with 80 plots
• Used Utility Coordination Committee to gain approval from 37 utility
companies
• Funded using Neighborhood Partnering Program Grant, strong
community partnerships, including with nearby nurseries,
landscapers, arborists.

16. Adelphi Acre CG: Success!

17. Cherry Creek Community Garden
• City of Austin partnered with FEMA to buy out 31 homes in 100-year
floodplain
• Houses were razed, ground was prepared
• Neighbors concerned about crime in newly vacant area, loss of
community inspired to create community garden

18. Cherry Creek CG: Challenges

19. Cherry Creek CG: Success!
● Community garden
established 2015
● 24 plots, fruit
orchard, and wildlife
trail

20. Cherry Creek CG: Success!
• Funded by Neighborhood Partnering Program
• Partnership between City of Austin Watershed, Public Works, and
Parks & Rec. Dept.
• Local chef Sonya Coté created community
table at garden, hosted dinner for neighbors

21. North Austin Community Garden
• On City of Austin Recreation Center/YMCA land
• Neighborhood includes high percentage of multifamily residences
with no yard space available for gardening

22. North Austin CG: Challenges
• Original garden site turned
out to be in floodplain; had
to relocate
• Unprecedented use of Art
in Public Places funding for
a community garden
project, caused confusion
with permitting (the garden
IS the art!)

23. North Austin CG: Success!
• Established 2014 with 48 plots
• Funded through Art in Public Places Grant
• Created by community members, artists (THOUGHTBARN),
partner agencies, and local businesses

24. North Austin CG: Success!
• Won SXSW Eco Award!
• Documentary, Garden, produced by Flow Nonfiction
• Unique partnership between City of Austin, YMCA, and neighbors

25. Festival Beach Community Garden &
Festival Beach Food Forest
● El Jardin Alegre lost its
land and needed new
site
● City of Austin Parks &
Recreation Dept. land
● Underutilized property
next to RBJ Residential
Tower (affordable
housing for seniors and
people with disabilities)
● Mowed at city’s expense

26. Festival Beach CG & Festival Beach
Food Forest: Challenges
● First community garden to be established on City parkland in
many years: lack of existing permitting protocol
● Need for start-up funding
● Dirty stormwater runoff from RBJ Towers parking lot caused
flooding and erosion
● Need for improved ADA accessibility, especially for RBJ Towers
residents

27. Festival Beach CG: Success!
● Funded by Austin Parks Foundation
● Partnership with HOPE Food Pantry at RBJ Residential Center
● Partnership with Multicultural Refugee Coalition

28. Festival Beach CG: Success!
● Improved ADA Accessibility
● Certified Wildlife Habitat
● Created bioswale and rain garden to manage and filter stormwater flows

29. Festival Beach Food Forest: Success!
● Food Forest built on success of Community Garden
● Permaculture design with 100 fruit and nut trees and
edible understories
● Educational signage and classes planned

30. Finding Urban Space for Gardens
Land type possibilities:
● Floodplain
● Utility/Right-of-Way
● Sloped land
● Remediated brownfield land
● Tech company campuses or
other office parks
● Multi-family properties, e.g.
apartments, affordable housing
complexes.

31. Thank You! Any Questions?
Meredith Gray
Conservation Program Coordinator
City of Austin Parks & Recreation Dept.
meredith.gray@austintexas.gov
Sari Albornoz
Grow Local Program Director
Sustainable Food Center
sari@sustainablefoodcenter.org
Photo Credits: Sustainable Food Center staff, City staff, Adelphi Acre Community Garden, Cherry Creek Community Garden