Our Mission
Downtown Norfolk Community Garden was established in 2021 to benefit the diverse community of Downtown. Prior to the garden’s establishment, Norfolk had many public spaces; but it did not have a community garden in the heart of Downtown. This project was designed to revitalize a vacant city lot and create a living, vibrant community space.
Our Progress So Far
50
4x8’ raised beds constructed & occupied
8
beds sponsored by local businesses and individuals to ensure equitable access
1,200
seed packs donated by local businesses to enable enduring seed library for community
We’ve achieved these goals thanks to the amazing support from local businesses, sponsors, and the wonderful Downtown Norfolk community!
600+
volunteer contributors across 20 volunteer days
Our Current Projects
Accessibility
As a champion of accessibility, we are committed to meeting people where they are at to form a stronger community. To ensure our garden is accessible to those with limited mobility, we have partnered with the Rotary Club of Norfolk under the leadership of Jeff Wells to design one of the first fully accessible, ADA compliant gardens in the region.
Growth
Bordering a USDA designated food desert, we are committed to sourcing food back into the community through partnerships with local food banks and community refrigerators like Not Your Last Supper (@notyourlastsupper). Through effective crop rotation and rolling production, our goal is to source 800 lbs of fresh produce back into the community each year.
Community
In a community defined by our military, we recognize that 1 in 6 military families experience food insecurity. This project includes eight production beds and a pollinator garden with plans for a garden kiosk to support garden instruction. The project was funded through the charitable contributions of Patricia Smith, Veterans First, and Whole Foods.
Our Sponsors
