Wasatch Community Gardens and SLC Public Lands: Making the most of urban green space through community gardening
Every year Wasatch Community Gardens (WCG) and Salt Lake City Public Lands team up with the common goals of improving access to healthy, organic produce for all Salt Lake City residents and preserving the urban green spaces to do so.
To achieve these goals, WCG would create its Community Garden Program, providing care for the land, educational resources, support for independent garden projects, seeds/seedlings, and open-source garden development materials. Meanwhile, Salt Lake City Public Lands would provide and prepare the land, maintain trees for optimal sun in garden plots, and maintain additional infrastructure to keep everything running smoothly. Together, the City and WCG supply necessary irrigation for community gardeners.
Throughout this partnership, the number of community gardens has increased to 19. Through various City and County partnerships, including eight community gardens managed through Salt Lake City’s Green City Growers program, these gardens thrive in our urban spaces. The newest garden, currently under construction at the Rose Park Neighborhood Center, was made possible through a partnership with the Good Samaritan Foundation and Salt Lake City. This garden will provide new growing space for the Center and surrounding communities, where many residents come from immigrant and refugee backgrounds.
THE STATS ON WCG’S ORGANIC PRODUCE
In 2023, the garden spaces occupying just 4.5 acres of land produced fresh, organic produce for 640 individuals and households. Of those, 44% qualified as low- to moderate-income, per federal standards. This included 55 gardeners of refugee background who participated in a partnership with the International Rescue Committee’s New Roots Program. Overall, community gardeners grew an estimated 37,000 plants and produced ~80,000 pounds (40 tons) of organic produce, with an estimated retail value of more than $200,000.
Learn about the community gardens
- 4th East Community Garden, 555 S 400 E
- 9-Line Community Garden, 725 West 900 South
- Creekside Community Garden, Scott Avenue Park, 840 E Scott Ave (3475 S)
- Fairpark Community Garden, 1037 W 300 N
- Fitts Park Community Garden, 400 East Front Avenue (~3065 South)
- Garden of Wheadon Community Garden, 13800 S 310 E, Draper
- Gateway Community Garden, 46 N 500 W
- Grateful Tomato Garden, 800 S 600 E
- Harmony Park Community Garden, 3690 S West Temple
- Harrison Community Garden, 1350 S 700 E
- Historic Sandy Community Garden, 500 E Locust St (8880 S), Sandy
- Liberty Wells Community Garden, 1700 S 700 E
- Magna Community Garden, Copper Park, 2600 S 8900 W, Magna
- Popperton Plots Community Garden, 1400 E Popperton Parkway
- Richmond Park Community Garden, 444 E 600 S
- Rose Park Community Garden, 871 N Cornell St (1525 W)
- Rose Park Neighborhood Center Community Garden, 754 North 800 West
- Sugar House Park Community Garden, 1330 2100 S
- Vegetable Mining Operation Community Garden, Hillsdale Park, 3200 S 3200 W, West Valley City
These spaces and partnerships improve lives by preserving productive green space, strengthening community bonds, promoting healthier living, and providing access to fresh, nutritious produce for Salt Lake County residents. Learn more about the community gardens below and get involved by visiting Wasatch Community Garden’s website.
