Hey there, green thumbs and organic food lovers! We’ve got some exciting news to share from Nature’s Path Organic Foods, the champions of organic breakfast and snack foods in North America. They’ve just announced the 15 lucky winners of their 2023 Gardens for Good program. And guess what? We’ve got the scoop!
These 15 organic community gardens – 10 from the United States and 5 from Canada – are doing an amazing job making fresh, nutritious organic fruits and veggies available in their communities. Talk about local heroes! “Gardens for Good is our way of helping make organic food accessible to everyone,” says Jyoti Stephens, the VP of Mission and Strategy at Nature’s Path Organic Foods. “These gardens are not just growing food, they’re growing communities. They’re places where people can learn and grow together.”
Each of these 15 deserving gardens will receive a whopping $7,500 from Nature’s Path Organic Foods. That’s over $100,000 in total! The winners were chosen through a rigorous judging process, looking at public voting, the ability to establish and maintain a garden, the compelling nature of the garden’s story, and the demonstrated need within the community. These gardens represent a diverse range of projects and communities, all with the common goal of sustainable, community-centered organic growing.
Here are the 2023 US Gardens for Good grant recipients:
Ridgecrest Community Garden- Ridgecrest, California
Change Agents Community Garden- Bronx (NYC), New York
Elk Grove Community Garden and Learning Center- Elk Grove, California
NEXUS Community Garden and Urban Farm- Cincinnati, Ohio
Anthony’s Garden of SSJNN- Erie, Pennsylvania
Alton Park Community Urban Farm- Chattanooga, Tennessee
The Ecology Center and Market Garden- San Juan Capistrano, California
Tierra y Paz- Chicago, Illinois
Kelly Street Garden- Bronx (NYC), New York
The Village Tree- Wilmington, Delaware
And the 2023 Canadian Gardens for Good grant recipients are:
Growing Community Greenhouse and Garden- London, Ontario
Burnaby and Region Allotment and Garden Association- Burnaby, BC
Vancouver Urban Food Forest- Vancouver, British Columbia
Green Thumbs Up- Toronto, Ontario
McQuesten Urban Farm- Hamilton, ON
“Every year, we’re blown away by the dedication and passion of our applicants,” says Jyoti Stephens. “This year’s winners really show the transformative power of organic food and community. These 15 incredible gardens are cultivating resilience, sustainability, and community connection. So far, Nature’s Path Organic Foods has donated over $715,000, supporting 89 community gardens. And we’re committed to donating a total of $1 million through the Gardens for Good program by 2028.”
A big round of applause to this year’s winners! We can’t wait to share their stories and progress over the coming year.
