Community Gardens

Established in 2006, the Americana Community Garden is a space dedicated to the physical, mental, and emotional nourishment of our low-income, immigrant, and refugee neighbors. Americana’s community garden includes 12 plots where individuals and families are able to grow food for themselves and the community. Participants in the garden program learn new gardening techniques, share knowledge with one another, and build community.

The Americana Children’s Garden neighbors the original community garden on Americana’s campus. It is an integral part of the Youth Program and gives youth participants the opportunity to connect with nature and get their hands in the dirt while learning to grow and enjoy healthy food. Featuring 12 raised beds, a strawberry patch, a grape vine, berry bushes, fruit trees, no-mow pollinator areas, and an outdoor classroom, the Children’s Garden offers a dynamic setting for fun environmental and nutrition activities. Produce from Americana’s Children’s Garden is enjoyed by youth participants during program or sent home with them to supplement their families’ nutrition and food security. All extra produce is donated to local community ministries and food justice organizations. Each growing season, the Children’s Garden produces and distributes between 200 and 300 pounds of food.

Consisting of 133 plots tended by at least 100 separate families, the Peaceful Eden community garden feeds at least 500 families by way of grassroots sharing networks. Peaceful Eden was established in 2016 on 3 acres of land directly adjacent to Americana’s soccer field which is owned by St. John Vianney Catholic Church. Peaceful Eden is collectively led and managed by volunteer garden leaders. Americana partners with Common Earth Gardens to support this garden and its leaders.