The City of Minneapolis invites community gardeners and market gardeners to apply through February 9 to lease vacant City-owned lots. Gardeners can check out a map of available parcels, a description of the application process and list of lease fees at minneapolismn.gov/gardenlease. Interested community or market gardeners can submit a garden request form online for each parcel they would like to request. About 40 parcels are currently available.
Raised beds available! New in 2018, the City is partnering with the Minnesota State Horticultural Society’s Garden in a Box program to offer a limited supply of vegetable garden kits, with priority given to gardens on lots requiring raised beds. A separate application will be required to participate. Support for the Garden in a Box opportunity is provided through the Minneapolis Health Department with funding from the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership of the Minnesota Department of Health.
The City of Minneapolis offers free and reduced price compost through an additional application, while supply lasts. The 2018 compost application will be open February 1-April 20 for spring compost deliveries.
Access to these lots will help improve food equity and access to healthy food, and grow the local food economy.
The Community Garden Program began in 2010 to help make Minneapolis more beautiful, provide healthy food and build community. About 60 City lots are already leased to community groups. The City of Minneapolis supports community gardens in its commitment to promoting access to good nutrition, improving the ecological footprint of the city, encouraging active and healthy living and providing spaces for human interaction, food production and beauty in our daily lives. Minneapolis already has about 300 community gardens throughout the city.
For info go to minneapolismn.gov/homegrown.