The Community Gardens Program helps groups start new gardens and provides support for existing community gardens on city owned land. Nonprofit program partners also provide vital support through grants, volunteer coordination, and liability insurance.
Community gardens are long term stewardship projects where people come together to care for land. They include gardens with individual plots, food forests, community orchards, teaching gardens, and gardens that are communally tended.
The Community Gardens Program started in 2009 when the Austin City Council passed the Urban Farm Ordinance. The purpose is to establish a single point of contact and streamline the process for establishing community gardens on city land.
Community Garden Permits
City of Austin endorsed community gardens are places where volunteers grow food for themselves and their communities. The Community Garden Program Coordinator works with groups who want to start new gardens on city land and helps to connect existing gardens with resources like technical assistance, and gardening supplies. There are currently 29 community gardens on city land, including senior gardens, a food forest and teaching gardens.
Community Garden Permits are not required for gardens on private land. This includes land owned by a non-profit organization, faith-based organization, businesses, single family homes, and apartment buildings.
Community Garden Permit Guide
A map of the current community gardens is linked below.
Community Gardens Map
To join a community garden, reach out to the gardens directly. Contact information can be found on the Coalition of Austin Community Gardens website (see the link below).
Coalition of Austin Community Gardens
- Community Gardens
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Adelphi Acre Community Garden
Alamo Recreation Center Teaching Garden
Asian American Resource Center Intergenerational Garden
Blackshear Community Garden
Carver Museum Garden
Cherry Creek Community Garden
Clarksville Community Garden
Deep Eddy Community Garden
Dove Springs Community Garden at Consuelo Mendez Middle School
El Buen Samaritano Community Garden
ESB-MACC Community Healing Garden (at Mexican American Cultural Center)
Faith Church Community Garden
Festival Beach Community Garden
Gardens at Gus Garcia Recreation Center
Good Soil Community Garden
Heartwood Community Garden
Homewood Heights Community Garden
Huston-Tillotson University Green is the New Black Garden
Hyde Park Community Garden
Katie’s Krops Garden ATX
Kenny Dorham's Backyard Community Garden
Labyrinth Community Garden at St. Johns Episcopal Church
Lamplight Community Garden
Lanier High School Community Garden
Mary Lee Foundation Garden
Mueller Community Garden
Murchison Community Garden
New Day Community Garden
North Austin YMCA Community
North Oaks Community Garden
North Shoal Creek Community Garden
Patterson Park Community Garden
PEAS School and Community Farm at Cunningham Elementary
Rehoboth Baptists Church Garden
South Austin Community Garden
St. David’s Foundation Community Garden
Sunshine Community Garden
UT Austin Microfarm
Windsor Park Community Garden
5604 Manor Community Garden