Backyard Growers provides three community-based garden programs, each designed to create access to the space & resources to grow fresh food.

Community Garden Program

Grow your own food with us in 2025!

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Grow your own food with us in 2025! 〰️

Backyard Growers operates six community gardens, located throughout the City of Gloucester, MA.  Combined, the gardens total 93 individual garden beds and 207 program participants.


OUR PROGRAM MODEL

In each of our community gardens, the space is divided into individual raised bed gardens, designed and built to account for safe growing conditions in an urban setting. Each program participant is responsible for their own garden bed and the harvest from that bed belongs to them. Backyard Growers manages the overall site and provides soil, compost, seeds, seedlings and annual garden trainings. Program participants receive free and discounted options to attend Backyard Growers workshops and events throughout the year. We often partner with like-minded organizations to provide additional resources to participants when we can.

NEIGHBORHOOD GARDEN SITES

We operate gardens at four Gloucester Housing Authority neighborhoods and at Caleb Group’s Pond View Village. Garden plots at these sites are available to residents only. 

Our largest community garden is comprised of two sites at Burnham’s Field in downtown Gloucester.  Any Gloucester resident is eligible for a garden bed at Burnham’s Field. Priority is given to low to moderate income residents and those lacking access to outdoor space suitable for growing food.

Backyard Garden Program

Through our flagship garden program, Backyard Growers builds raised bed gardens for low to moderate income residents at their homes. Our goal is to increase access to outdoor gardening space and fresh produce. To date, Backyard Growers has built over 200 backyard gardens in Gloucester.

The Backyard Garden Program is ideal for individuals who would prefer to garden at home, and have outdoor space that can accommodate a 4 x8 ft raised garden bed.

Program participants receive a site visit to determine a suitable garden location at their home, a raised garden bed, vegetable seeds, seedlings, gardening workshops, and an optional garden mentor.

This program is available to low to moderate income residents. Backyard Growers works with those that are not income-eligible to select and order raised beds through our partners, Black Earth Compost.

GrowBag Garden Program

GrowBags are modular containers designed for growing food, ideal for gardeners with limited outdoor space or restrictions on how their space can be used if they do not own their home, mobility concerns, or those just wanting to start out small. Since launching the GrowBag Program in 2020, Backyard Growers has worked with over 200 GrowBag gardeners. 

GrowBag Garden Program participants receive a set of three GrowBags, organic potting soil, seeds, and selection of free seedlings at our Spring Seedling Sales. Participants also gain free access to Backyard Growers’ garden trainings and workshops, with ongoing support from our staff or a mentor.

This program is available to low-to-moderate income residents and those lacking access to outdoor space suitable for growing food.