About the 2020 Program:
The U.S. Botanic Garden partnered with the American Public Gardens Association (the Association) to offer immediate support to urban agriculture and other urban food-growing programs at public gardens affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020, the USBG and the Association established the Urban Agriculture Resilience Program to grow capacity, prevent shortfalls, and gather best practices from established programs across the U.S. public garden community. The partnership made awards to 28 public gardens across the United States to help sustain urban agriculture and community food growing during this challenging time.
With the assistance of these funds, participating gardens in 19 states and Washington, D.C., grew and distributed produce, especially to communities with food access challenges; maintained and expanded urban agriculture and other food growing education programs; and promoted wellness and nutrition by educating the public about growing and consuming fruits and vegetables. Beyond offering immediate support, the Urban Agriculture Resilience Program will provide insight into successful approaches and future opportunities for public gardens to improve food access and advance food and agriculture education in urban communities.
Gardens awarded funding include:
- Atlanta Botanical Garden, Georgia
- Brookgreen Gardens, South Carolina
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden, New York
- Cape Fear Botanical Garden, North Carolina
- Delaware Center for Horticulture, Delaware
- Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado
- Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Ohio
- Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Alabama
- Friends of the National Arboretum, Washington, D.C.
- Georgeson Botanical Garden, Alaska
- Grumblethorpe Historic House and Gardens, Pennsylvania
- Idaho Botanical Garden, Idaho
- Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, Tennessee
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, University of Michigan, Michigan
- Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Minnesota
- North Carolina Botanical Garden, North Carolina
- Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, North Carolina
- Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Pennsylvania
- Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pennsylvania
- Queens Botanical Garden, New York
- San Antonio Botanical Garden, Texas
- Santa Fe Botanical Garden, New Mexico
- State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Georgia
- The Gardens on Spring Creek, Colorado
- Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Massachusetts
- University of Maryland Community Learning Garden, Maryland
- University of Tennessee Gardens, Tennessee
- University of Washington Botanic Gardens, Washington
In addition, the U.S. Botanic Garden has expanded a previously existing collaboration with the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Windy City Harvest to support programming that will provide fresh produce and nutrition education to people with diet-related diseases who are also experiencing food insecurity.
Learn more at https://www.usbg.gov/urban-agriculture-programs-28-public-gardens-awarded-funds-use-during-covid-19