We are so thankful for receiving an Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production USDA grant this year!
These competitive grants initiate or expand the efforts of farmers, gardeners, citizens, government officials, schools, and other stakeholders in urban areas and suburbs. As the largest independent community gardening nonprofit in the country, Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) aims to use this support to elevate our Dig Deeper Initiative.
DUG’s three goals for this grant include:
- Increase production for fresh foods in limited-resource communities
- Decrease barriers for access to fresh food
- Increase growing skills
A culmination of these goals led to the creation of the Dig Deeper Initiative. This new initiative supports DUG operations including food forests, community gardens, and educational programs. A primary way to achieve these goals is by building new community gardens and food forests in under-resourced communities, such as Denver’s West Area, which leads to the reduced impact of the heat island effect and provides access to fresh and healthy food for the community. This, paired with offering low-cost and free educational opportunities, offers a unique way to support urban green regeneration in the Denver metro area.
