Food Access Programs
Promoting food sovereignty in the Denver Metro Area
Denver Urban Gardens’ Food Access Programs are aimed at promoting food sovereignty in the Denver metro area. Our unique approach to food access in partnership with other organizations across the city, supports our efforts to ensure everyone can grow fresh & healthy food for themselves and their family.
Grow a Garden
Our Grow a Garden supplies thousands of themed garden kits containing seeds, seedlings, and educational resources to Metro Denver residents. This pay-what-you-can program with a free option is ideal for novice and veteran gardeners alike. The order form opens every February (and close when kits run out). Distribution occurs in mid-May every year via a network of 17 community centers spread across Metro Denver.
Community Seed Distribution
DUG’s Community Seed Distribution program offers free seeds to Metro Denver families. Starting every February, DUG distributes 30,000 and 100,000 seed packets at no cost to support local food sovereignty. Operating as the largest collection of free seeds in Denver, the Community Seed Distribution offers thousands of vegetables, herbs, and flowers varieties. The program supports DUG’s network of 200+ gardens plus at-home gardeners, immigrant assistance organizations, schools, housing shelters, community centers, and food pantries.
DUG’s Community Seed Distribution reduces barriers to community food production by providing access to free seeds sourced for ideal use in our arid, high-desert Colorado climate. In total, the program distributes up to 33 million seeds every season, jump starting thousands of pounds of healthy food production and dozens of acres of pollinator havens in the Denver Metro.
Culturally Inclusive Seeds
DUG’s Culturally Inclusive Seeds program aims to support community members with marginalized identities in DUG gardens by providing free access to rare and specialty plant varieties with an emphasis on cultural inclusivity. Culturally Inclusive Seeds intends to support a global array of culinary and gardening practices in celebration of our shared diversity. These varieties may be harder to source locally or through DUG’s other Food Access programs.
At the moment, this program is only available to DUG Garden Leaders.
Plant Sale
DUG’s Plant Sale focuses on increasing community access to affordable food-bearing plants. Our Spring Plant Sale is held annually on Mother’s Day weekend and, in 2024, distributed 9,700+ vegetable, herb, and flower plants to 2,100 attendees.
Individuals who receive SNAP are eligible to receive free food-producing seeds and seedlings. In 2024, 577 free plants were given out to the community!
Baseline Infrastructure Initiative
Through the Baseline Infrastructure Initiative, DUG supplies garden resources like vegetable plants and compost to under-resourced community gardens. This is a holistic program centered on establishing and increasing equity across DUG’s entire network of community gardens to ensure they are well-resourced and produce optimum yields for our community members.
Community Resources
Denver Resources
You can explore community resources, including ways to access food, donate produce, or advocate for food security across the Denver metro area.
Learn More
SNAP Access
Learn the simple steps to accessing SNAP in Denver, Colorado, including tips for a more successful application process.
Learn More
