GrowNYC Green Space

Founded in 1975, GrowNYC's Green Space program builds and supports community gardens and urban farms throughout the five boroughs. These spaces create opportunities for communities to grow food, care for the environment, and host events that bring neighbors together.

COMMUNITY GARDENS

GrowNYC has built more than 160 new gardens, including NYC Parks GreenThumb community gardens; gardens in public housing developments, churches, daycares, and senior centers; and our one acre urban farm on Governors Island - the GrowNYC Teaching Garden. We build about ten new community gardens a year and do renovation projects at an additional 25 spaces. The 160+ gardens that we've built total more than one million square feet of green space throughout New York City.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

We've built more than 100 rainwater harvesting systems, rain gardens, and bioswales at community gardens and schools, helping gardeners grow more food, conserve water, and reduce pollution in New York City's waterways. Annually, these green infrastructure systems help divert more than one million gallons of water from NYC's sewer system. We also design and run workshops for community gardeners, teachers, students, and members of the public.

TEACHING GARDEN ON GOVERNORS ISLAND

Our one-acre urban farm, the GrowNYC Teaching Garden, offers field trips to NYC schools and summer camps and opens its doors to the public on weekends. Each year we host more than 5,000 children and adults, giving them the opportunity to plant, water, harvest, and cook the garden's wide array of fruits and vegetables.

SCHOOL GARDENS

GrowNYC School Gardens is the citywide school gardens initiative for New York City and is a partnership of GrowNYC, NYC Parks GreenThumb, and the Department of Education’s Office of School Food. School Gardens provides ongoing resources, technical assistance, and training to support gardens in NYC schools. This includes mini-grants, trainings, plant give-a-ways, curriculum assistance, and more.

ANNUAL SPRING PLANT SALE

Since 1986, GrowNYC has hosted an annual Spring Plant Sale to provide community groups with perennial and annual plants, herbs, and vegetables from regional farmers at wholesale prices.

 

Every year, GrowNYC holds our Annual Spring Plant Sale in order to provide community groups with affordable perennial and annual flowering plants, herbs, ground covers, and vegetables grown by Greenmarket farmers and sold in wholesale quantities.