People�s Garden Initiative Cooperative Agreements Program

The People’s Garden community connects gardens across the country that produce local food, practice sustainability, create jobs, and strengthen communities. People’s Gardens empower communities to grow healthy nutritious food in a sustainable way and teach about the benefits of local, resilient food systems. These gardens foster community collaboration, create jobs and train future farmers, prioritize green spaces, provide access to nutritious food, and benefit the environment. People’s Gardens are different sizes and types, and can include school gardens, community gardens, urban farms, innovative, indoor and controlled environment operations, and small-scale agriculture projects in rural and urban areas. They cannot be personal gardens located at private residences.

Applicants located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), the Pacific Islands Area (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) are eligible.

Determined by Director of the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production.

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are voluntary.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Fiscal Year2025: A middle school in Missouri used People’s Garden funding to establish a classroom hydroponics system and outdoor garden and orchard. School curriculum is developed to educate students about local food systems and agriculture. Agriculture mentors have been hired to help students and teachers envision, plant, grow, and harvest food, and learn about careers in agriculture. An Agriculture Nature Center in New Mexico used People’s Garden funding to establish pollinator habitat adjacent to a community garden. The habitat will support native birds and insects, and will be used in outreach and engagement with the surrounding community.