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. 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.
Second Chances
DUG’s Second Chances program was piloted in 2024 with support from local greenhouses to distribute hundreds of seedlings to DUG Garden Leaders and community members. This program was born from the need for beginner gardeners and general Front Range gardeners alike to recover lost plants from early frosts or temperamental weather.
Plant Sale
DUG’s Spring Plant Sale focuses on increasing community access to affordable food-bearing plants. Our Spring Plant Sale is held annually on Mother’s Day weekend distributes thousands of vegetable, herb, and flower seedlings, and seeds to Denverites. We also have organic compost & straw, bare-root perennials (trees and shrubs), a sustainability swap, and local partners tabling.
Individuals who receive SNAP are eligible to receive free food-producing seeds and seedlings.
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.
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.
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SNAP Access
Learn the simple steps to accessing SNAP in Denver, Colorado, including tips for a more successful application process.
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