Community gardens often go unseen, but can have powerful impacts on the communities they serve. Here, we will take a look at four of the community gardens cultivating change and fostering community in Macon-Bibb.
1. Garden at Centenary Community Ministries
The community garden at Centenary Church holds 20 plots’ worth of raised beds, with half being communally tended and shared, and the other half being rented out privately at $15 per season. Another partner of the UGA Extensions Office, the garden at Centenary aims to be an avenue for supplementation of healthy, fresh food for those living in what their mission statement calls “inner-city food deserts.” Centenary Church also operates a communal fridge for those struggling with food insecurity, as well as a food pantry. The garden, and church, are located at 1290 College Street, just across from Mercer’s main campus and Tatnall Square Park, and you can learn more about them at their website.
2. The Gardens at Brookdale
What started as a warming center for unhoused people to take shelter from the elements blossomed into a resource for everyone in the neighborhood. Located at 3600 Brookdale Avenue, the Gardens at Brookdale is now a sprawling urban garden with nearly 50 raised beds. In its first year of operations, the garden, which partners with volunteers and experts at the UGA extension office and Master Gardeners of Central Georgia was able to generate just over two tons of fresh produce . A large portion of the fruits, veggies, and legumes go towards feeding unhoused clients at the Brookdale Resource center, reducing the cost of meals between June and September 2023 by an estimated $10,000. Preparations for next summer’s work are already underway, and you can sign up to volunteer, or learn more about the Gardens at Brookdale here.
3. Grow Macon, Inc.
Founded by Charmiska Myers, the nonprofit initiative Grow Macon opened its own community garden in East Macon, located at 1108 Eastview Ave, in April of 2023. Grow Macon aims to utilize the community garden, and the sense of community it fosters, to reduce crime in the area, end food insecurity, and educate a new generation of farmers and gardeners, as outlined in their goals and mission statement. They regularly host community cleanups, block parties, and “garden days” for the neighborhood, which you can learn more about on their social media. https://www.instagram.com/Growmaconnpo/
4. Felton Homes Community Garden
A project started by Restored Ancestral Roots and its founder, Rodney Mason, the community garden at Felton Homes, a Macon Housing Authority project located at 150 Sessions Drive, aims to bring traditional African beans, rice, and vegetables to the menu here in Macon, as well as build a culture of horticulture in housing projects around the city. A recipient of the Mrs. Meyers Lots of Compassion grant of $20,000, Restored Ancestral Roots has introduced the Macon-Bibb community to nearly-forgotten grains such as the Trinidad Hill Rice, as well as many veggies not often seen in the deep south. The organization has also been a part of local food events, such as a Jubilee described as “Central Georgia’s annual food literacy event” held earlier in August of this year.
