A collaborative nonprofit working to reduce barriers to gardening as a way to fight food insecurity, improve mental and physical health outcomes, and minimize the burden of increasing food prices. By providing people with the tools, resources, and support to grow their own food we empower individuals to take ownership over what they grow and eat.
Collectively, our Grow Your Groceries (GYG) Grow Kit and Home Garden programs serve thousands of individuals each year, offering more than just access to fresh produce. Since 2020, we have distributed over 20,000 grow kits in partnership with 200 sites and installed 175 home gardens. A participatory evaluation emphasized how gardening increased community, family involvement, and personal growth for our program participants. Additionally, results supported an overall positive impact: 90% of participants reported increased knowledge of how to grow food, 95% reported increased confidence in their ability to grow food, 100% stated they were highly likely to continue growing food in the future, 100% reported greater confidence in preparing fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs, 94% found it easier to access healthy food after participating, and 88% reported spending less money on food as a result of growing their own produce.
We hope to expand our reach and innovation of the organization to ensure barriers are reduced for anyone interested in gardening and the positive effect it has on health.