For 30+ years, this garden has fed Baker. Help protect this neighborhood green space and keep it growing for generations to come
WHAT’S HAPPENING
The private owners of the land, who have supported gardeners at this site since 1991, are dissolving their company and liquidating assets following the death of a business partner. Before listing the property on the open market, they came to Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) first, giving us a critical, time-limited opportunity to purchase the land and protect the garden permanently.
If we can’t raise the funds, the land will likely go up for public sale this fall, putting the garden at serious risk of being redeveloped and lost.
We’re launching a community capital campaign to buy this land, and we need your help.
About Historic Baker Community Garden
Baker Community Garden sits on 7,400 square feet at 75 W. Bayaud, Denver, CO 80223, and has been in continuous use since 1991. All 22 garden plots are full, and there’s a waiting list every year.
It’s one of five community gardens in the Baker neighborhood, and every single one of them is full, with its own waiting list.
That’s how clear the need for growing space is in this part of Denver.
WHAT TO KNOW
Does DUG already own this land?
No. At all but seven of our nearly 200 garden sites citywide, DUG partners with private and public landowners who allow their vacant or underused land to become community garden space. Since 1991, the landowner at Baker has been Providence Investment Co., a private real estate holding company.
How much is the land, and how was that number set?
The asking price is $600,000, based on a third-party valuation.
Does DUG want to own the land outright?
Owning land isn’t central to how DUG operates. That said, if the funding is there, we’re willing to purchase it, or we’d happily partner with a new landowner committed to keeping this space a community garden in perpetuity. Over the past three months, we’ve explored low-interest loans, local investors, and land trusts, without success. A community-funded campaign is, at this point, our best path forward.
Did DUG ask the landowners to donate the land?
Yes, but it isn’t a viable option for them. The landowners have covered the property taxes on this land since the garden began in 1991, and have given DUG the first opportunity to buy it before it goes to public sale later this fall.
Why isn't DUG just funding this from its existing budget?
DUG is a nonprofit 501(c)3 with predetermined, Board-approved, and limited funding. DUG and other nonprofit organizations have seen a decline in funding over the last two years (including the loss of half a million in government grants) and cannot divert resources from our current programs without harming the gardens we already support. This campaign is being led by the gardeners at Baker themselves, with DUG’s full support and platform behind them.
What happens if we don't reach the goal?
DUG is committed to the gardeners at Baker Community Garden no matter what. If we’re unable to raise the full amount, we will make sure every gardener has a spot at a nearby community garden so they can keep growing, and any funds not needed will go into DUG’s Endowment Fund, ensuring your gift still protects community gardens like Baker for the long run. Donors may also request a refund of their donation.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
- Give to the campaign–every dollar goes directly toward saving this land.
- Know an angel investor, land trust, or potential landowner partner? Have them contact DUG’s Executive Director, Nessa Mogharreban, directly at [email protected].
- Can’t give right now? Help spread the word: share this page (or flyer or Instagram post) with neighbors, local businesses, and anyone who loves this garden.
- Want to get hands-on? Flyering, door-knocking, and other ways to help are open. Email us at [email protected], or stop by the garden at 75 W. Bayaud, Denver, CO 80223.
- Media Partners: Read the press release here, write an impactful piece, and spread the word to your readers!
Historic Baker Community Garden has fed this neighborhood for 30 years. With your help, it will for 30 more.
