As we approach the close of our 39th year at DUG, a sense of calm and purpose has settled over our work.
We’ve fully embraced our operating mantra: systems, settle, sustain. Rather than expanding outward, we’ve chosen to go deeper—strengthening our sites, solidifying partnerships, and maximizing the impact of what we’ve already built.
A Few Highlights from the Year:
- In the field, we created a Food Forest in collaboration with the Globeville-Elyria-Swansea Coalition and installed a new garden in front of Whole Foods Union Station. These spaces serve vastly different communities with distinct needs, ranging across food security, community connection, and climate resilience. DUG gardens belong everywhere.
- The Therapeutic Garden Initiative (TGI) launched with four impactful pilot gardens. This initiative underscores a truth we all recognize: the connection to nature grounds us, no matter our abilities, education, or experience.
- Our Food Forestry Training Program certified 10 new Tree Keepers, tapping into local knowledge and significantly expanding our educational reach. While the demand for new DUG sites may outpace us, we are committed to meeting the ever-growing need for knowledge.
- We distributed hundreds of thousands of free seed packets across the city—many of them selected specifically to meet the cultural needs of our diverse gardening community. These seeds grew into over 100,000 pounds of fresh, healthy produce, nourishing families, diversifying diets, and easing grocery expenses.
- Internally, we upgraded our finance, technology, and HR systems, making DUG more efficient and better equipped to serve our community.
- On the fundraising front, we secured over $1.2 million in federal funding to support our work in Denver’s West Area and other CJEST neighborhoods, reaffirming our belief that when we amplify the voices of Denver’s people, there will be enough for everyone.
With all of this momentum, we enter our 40th year focused on solidifying DUG’s legacy for decades to come. We are focused on DUG’s legacy.
DUG gardens and food forests are living legacies. Over the last 40 years, these spaces have nourished bodies and communities across Denver, and they will continue to do so for generations to come. They offer sustenance, connection, and healing, reminding us that we can –ALL OF US– leave this world better than we found it.
Here’s to a thriving and resilient Denver,
Executive Director,
Denver Urban Gardens
