Keene Community Garden Connections

Keene Community Garden Connections (CGC) serves to build our local capacity to grow food and address issues of food insecurity related to climate change, personal and communal health, and resiliency. With the help of a private donation of $25,000 from the Rashti Foundation, CGC will support the installation and cooperative maintenance of five raised garden beds in partnership with local service agencies, students and community members. These funds also support educational outreach to meet the specific gardening interests of community partners.

Beginning in spring 2011, two raised-bed gardens will be created at local agencies or other centrally located places and three additional sites will be built and planted in spring 2012. Furthermore, CGC plans to contribute to a longer-term (3 to 5 year) goal of establishing an interdisciplinary, cross-departmental research and education center to support faculty and student work related to agriculture, restoration, and sustainability. This center will serve community-identified priorities, particularly those of traditionally marginalized and underserved populations with less access to healthy food and healthy built and non-built environments.

Why Community Gardens?

Community gardens provide access to healthy landscapes, enhance our connections to outdoor environments, create strong social networks, increases self-sufficiency and local food security, and increases wellness. Gardening provides an affordable, nutritious food source and cuts across social, economic, and racial barriers to bring together people of all ages and backgrounds. Please view our Resources for more information on Community Gardens.