How to join a Twin Cities community garden and save grocery money

Jeffrey Loesch always enjoyed eating fresh vegetables during the summertime, but his backyard wasn’t well suited to sustain a garden.

Finding a community garden just three blocks from his south Minneapolis home solved his problem.

The 78-year-old grew up on a farm and has gardened since he was a child, so being able to continue that despite his urban environment was a comfort. His Dowling Community Garden — started in 1943 and now spanning 190 plots with more than 250 gardeners — is so popular it once had a wait time of about six years. Now the board that runs the garden has changed how often it allows people to join the waitlist, but Loesch, who is the treasurer of the group, estimates someone who signs up this year still probably wouldn’t receive a plot until 2026.

“Our turnover rate has declined by half,” he said, adding the garden has about 15 plots that started this year. “We open it briefly once a year with the objective of managing it to make sure people aren’t waiting more than two seasons for a plot.”

That type of demand is common in many Minneapolis neighborhoods, according to city data.

“Our program started in 2019, and there has been a steady increase of applications each year for plots in the parks,” said Becca Gross, community garden program coordinator at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB). “Demand varies from park to park, with Loring [Park] being our most popular site. Most people who live around Loring don’t have a yard of their own, and there aren’t a lot of other options in that neighborhood.”

This year, the MPRB had 330 applications for 166 plots, and each community garden has a caretaker who helps gardeners with growing, occasionally placing compost on beds.

The city rents out 60 lots to groups as part of its Garden Lease Program, according to Grace Rude, public health specialist with the city. This year, 11 people requested new garden lots, prompting the city to add seven.

If you’re interested in joining a community garden, even if it means waiting a few years before planting your first seed, here’s advice on how to start the process.

Neighborhood organizations or nonprofits run most community gardens and take applications from nearby residents to join. They typically lease the land from the city, MPRB or school districts.

Rude said there are a few different reasons why so many people are interested in joining a community garden. But a main one is access to healthy, inexpensive food.

“Food costs have been rising,” Rude said. “And sometimes, it’s just more affordable to grow it yourself, especially if you want something that’s hard to find.”

There are 40 community gardens that are part of the lease program, some of which operate on two to three lots, Rude said. Organizations growing food to sell in grocery stores or farmers markets lease out another 11 gardens. Many are on vacant lots the city could not sell and would otherwise be an eyesore.

“People are also craving social connection,” Rude said. “It’s a place for respite and a great space for connecting with neighbors and the environment.”

Besides having a supportive community to garden around, another benefit of joining is being able to share tools and water barrels. Plus, Minneapolis offers low-cost compost at $11 per cubic yard, about 50% less than retail prices. Delivery is available for $120 per delivery, and gardens can also apply for no-cost compost, according to the city’s website.

There’s also a financial incentive to joining a community garden. Through the city, each community garden lot rents for $1 a year, and there’s a $50 administration fee for the first year, Rude said. Leases are $150 per year for garden organizations growing food for sale, plus the $50 administration fee.

At the parks, MPRB does not have any lot fees, according to Gross.

“Not charging for plots also helps people get into the garden without the added barrier of having to pay,” Gross said.

Community gardens run by neighborhood associations typically split annual costs, like liability insurance, among growers. At Dowling Community Garden, members pay $44, according to Loesch.

Gardeners save about $450 on produce grown themselves in a single growing season compared to purchasing the same amount at the grocery store, according to the University of Minnesota. Studies have also shown community gardens produce nearly 1.2 pounds of vegetables per square foot compared to the USDA’s estimate of an average of 0.6 pounds per square foot.

MPRB community gardens have raised beds for better access and ease of maintenance. All community gardens on parkland also have water access, Gross said. Plus, there’s an annual plant giveaway to help people procure free plants and seeds.

“One of the biggest benefits to having community gardens in the park system is land access,” Gross said. “Our mission is to preserve green space.”

It is key to pay attention to deadlines when joining a community garden.

With the growing season coming to a close in September, many groups start opening their applications for future gardens.

The Dowling Community Garden in the Longfellow neighborhood, which leases its land from Minneapolis Public Schools, will start accepting new applications in September, according to Loesch.

For a Minneapolis Park garden, people can apply from September to February at minneapolisparks.org/communitygardens. After the deadline, park staff review all applications for the plots and give priority to Minneapolis residents who don’t have access to land outside of parks and who plan on growing food, Gross said. Those interested in starting a new garden in a park should email communitygarden@minneapolisparks.org.

To start a community garden on a city lot, staff start taking applications in January, Rude said. For more information, go to the city’s website.