We believe that together, we can grow a sustainable urban future where people across metro Denver are connected to the earth, each other, and the food they eat.
Our Impact
Our 2024 Impact Report is Coming Soon!
Working with our community, DUG is planting the seeds for a thriving metro Denver as we:
- Create healthy, hyperlocal food systems through our network of community gardens and food forests, providing people with access, skills, and resources to grow their own organic food for themselves and their neighbors.
- Steward a climate-resilient city by regenerating depleted urban soils, supporting pollinators, sequestering carbon, and educating metro Denverites of all ages on organic gardening, composting, pest + disease management, tree care, and more.
- Build strong, interdependent communities where neighbors find (and steward) common ground in our shared spaces.
DUG By The Numbers:
200
Gardens + Food Forests in the DUG Network
34
Acres Under Stewardship
627,926
Pounds of Food Grown Annually
4,533
Garden Plots Under Cultivation
62,500
Pounds of Food Distributed
A Garden in Every Neighborhood
In the short film A Garden in Every Neighborhood, community gardeners, researchers, and public health professionals tell their stories about the positive impacts that community gardens have had on their lives and in their communities.
1% for the Planet
Good for business, good for the planet.
Denver Urban Gardens joined 1% for the Planet as an Environmental Partner because we believe in their mission to connect businesses with nonprofit entities doing good for our planet.
With 40+ years of experience, we’re well-suited to support partners who want their impact to matter. We offer volunteer workdays, educational private workshops, and more to our partners who support our work.
Learn More
Gardening is Seriously Good for You
(And we’ve got the data to prove it)
DUG partnered in a 3-year (2018-2020) randomized trial, called the CAPS study, which explored the physical and mental health benefits of community gardening. It was funded by American Cancer Society and conducted by researchers from University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Michigan State University, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, University of South Carolina, and Urban Institute.
The study, which operated exclusively in DUG gardens, found that people who started gardening ate more fiber and got more physical activity—two known ways to reduce risk of cancer and chronic diseases. They also saw their levels of stress and anxiety significantly decrease.
