I first heard about Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) in August of 2010, when I walked through the doors of Sweet Action Ice Cream after a century bike ride into the Mile High City. One of the vegan flavors, “dirt ice cream,” benefited a local nonprofit called DUG. Little did I know how that double scoop sugar cone would change my life.
Fast-forward a few months: I had moved to Denver; I had neither a job nor a place to live; I knew one soul and nothing about gardening. Within a month of starting my unpaid internship at DUG (yes, my parents were concerned), I knew neighborhoods in the city better than my best friend who had lived here for four years. I spent my days traveling the inner city and suburban outskirts meeting with volunteer leaders across the wide network of gardens. The incomparably passionate and capable staff at DUG became my fast friends, and they welcomed me into their world of composting, growing food, and community organizing. Over the next five years I went from intern to Director of Garden Support and had the incredible privilege of working with over 500 volunteer community garden leaders, along with some of the brightest minds in urban agriculture and food access. I’m proud to say that many of my closest friendships today were cultivated in the DUG network.
By far the biggest challenge and gift was working with the volunteer garden leaders. These individuals spanned the vast and varied spectrum of humanity, crossing race, class, education, language, ability, age, and they taught me to tend my expectations of them the same way they tended their gardens: with patience, grace, and attention. They challenged me to think bigger and more inclusively. They frustrated me to no end, and in so doing invited me to new perspectives and deeper compassion. I received from garden leaders pounds of produce but also wisdom; an invitation to listen; and a true understanding of generosity. The way that my connections with garden leaders nourished and shaped me is invaluable. I would not be who I am today without DUG, and the incredible people I met while there who continue to grow and nurture me into my best self. I may have branched away professionally, but my heart and soul are rooted in the vast and remarkably special community of DUG.
DUG is about equipping every individual in Denver to grow healthy food, yes. More importantly than that, DUG is about nurturing each individual gardener’s growth, about challenging and supporting every single volunteer in a way that changes them for the better, and about creating systemic, community-wide change that spans generations, zip codes, income brackets, beliefs and backgrounds. In deeply divided times, DUG offers a sacred space in community gardens. Everyone is invited to the table, and everyone brings something valuable to offer. What will you share?
Emily Grace Frost is DUG’s former Director of Garden Support, and worked at DUG for more than five years.
