OUR VISION
A sustainable urban future where people are deeply and directly connected to the earth, each other, and the food they eat
OUR MISSION
To provide the access, skills, and resources for people to grow healthy food in community and regenerate urban green spaces
OUR VALUES
- Earn TRUST
- Demonstrate INTEGRITY
- Embrace EQUITY
- Build COMMUNITY
- Inspire CURIOSITY
Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) was established in 1985 to support Denver residents in creating sustainable, food-producing neighborhood community gardens. Over the past 35+ years, our network of community gardens has expanded to six metro Denver counties as we have championed the power of plants, the people who grow them, and the communities they nourish.
During that time our program reach has extended to offering educational resources and skill-building in urban growing for all ages, as well as providing access to seeds, seedlings, and an interconnected network that builds community resilience by growing local, fresh, organic food together.
We currently operate 190 community gardens throughout Metro Denver, including more than 70 school-based community gardens. In addition to building and supporting community gardens, we operate DeLaney Community Farm, the Master Composter Training Program, the Master Community Gardener Training Program, Grow a Garden, and provide extensive opportunities for youth education in nutrition and gardening.
How We Support Our Gardens
- Provide approved access to the land where communities can come together to grow food
- Establish and maintain working relations with garden property owner agencies
- Negotiate and maintain garden site use agreements
- Recruit & support garden leadership
- Support gardener recruitment and placement
- Mediate inter-community gardener conflicts when necessary
- Respond to inquiries from the general public
- Provide liability insurance coverage for gardens
- Serve as liaison between gardens and city officials, agencies and water providers
- Provide fiscal management of garden accounts (when requested)
- Provide garden maintenance support (eg, turning water off/on seasonally, helping with repairs, etc.)
- Coordinate volunteer groups and supervise large maintenance and improvement projects
- Provide school gardens with volunteer background checks, approved protocols and programming support
Meet Our Team
Learn more about the dedicated team of staff and board members at DUG.
Get Involved
Join the DUG community to get involved with our garden workdays and other special projects.
