Community Gardens in Helena, Montana

The Growing Community Project (GCP) works with stakeholders to build community gardens in order to increase food security in Helena, Montana, as well as to strengthen their neighborhoods. GCP aims to work with low-income populations, giving them gardening space and teaching them gardening skills so that they may take control of the quality of food they and their families consume. Currently, GCP manages five gardens and over 60 gardeners in Helena. Almost half of the gardeners stated in 2009 that their community garden plot allowed them to save $15.00/week on food. GCP is also committed to provide free gardening education, such as a Volunteer for Veggies program, where anyone can offer their time tending to community beds in exchange for produce. In 2009, the program donated 1,687 pounds of produce to the local food bank and logged over 90 hours of volunteer work.