Urban Agriculture & Community Gardening
Community gardens promote healthy eating and active living, increase access to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate foods, and enhance community and environmental relationships.
Resources for community gardens
The resources below are intended for those wanting to learn more about community gardening or create a new community garden.
General resources
- Free seedlings and garden boxes for community gardens. (Minnesota Green)
- Free mulch and compost self-haul (Ramsey County)
- Accessing water from fire hydrants for Saint Paul community gardens
Resources from Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy
Contact Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy for information on using or producing compost, reducing food waste, donating excess food and improving recycling.Accessing land to create a new garden
Accessing land to create a new garden
Interested in accessing land to create a new community garden? Use Ramsey County's interactive property map to learn who owns the land you're interested in. If it's public land, email Ramsey County's Urban Agriculture Coordinator for assistance.
Community gardening resources in Saint Paul:
Join a community garden
Over 80 municipal and privately run community gardens exist in Ramsey County. Registration often occurs between January and March for the upcoming summer. Most operate on a first come, first serve basis.
Browse community garden locations
Municipal programs
- Arden Hills Community Garden
- Blaine Community Garden
- Falcon Heights - Community Park Community Garden
- Maplewood - Edgerton Community Garden
- Roseville - Oasis Park Community Gardens
- Saint Paul - Contact your district council (Many district councils facilitate community gardens.)
- Saint Paul gardening policies
- Spring Lake Park Raised-Bed Community Garden
Gardening resources & classes/videos
If you have or would like to start a garden, consider the resources below.
General resources
- Subscribe to the Ramsey County Master Gardener e-newsletter.
- Connect with other gardeners with the Community Gardeners in Minnesota (COMGAR) forum.
- Get a head start on this year's garden with healthy seedlings - University of Minnesota Extension
- Resources for gardeners - MN State Horticultural Society
- Yard and garden resources - University of Minnesota Extension
- Planting and growing guides - University of Minnesota Extension
- Raised bed gardens and container gardens
- Call before you dig! Call 800-252-1166.
- Gardening questions? Ask a Ramsey County Master Gardener.
Classes
- Online gardening classes - University of Minnesota Extension
Vídeos en Español
- Jardinería - Español - University of Minnesota Extension
Gardening by topic
Browse the following gardening resources by topic below.
Beginning of tab section with 4 tabs. Left and right arrow keys will navigate between tab navigation links.
Soil and compost
Soil
Healthy soil provides nutrients for plant growth. Sometimes soil contains harmful contaminants, especially in urban areas. Learning about your soil is an important step in starting a garden. Review the resources below to learn why and how to test soil.
- Gardening in urban soil - Minnesota Department of Health
- What's in my neighborhood? (agricultural interactive mapping) - Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- Tips for healthy soil in your garden - University of Minnesota Extension
Soil testing
- Why test soil? - University of Minnesota Extension
- How to take a soil sample - University of Minnesota Extension
- Suelo saludable para plantas saludables - University of Minnesota Extension
- Testing for lead in a garden - University of Minnesota Extension
- University of Minnesota Soil Testing Lab
Compost
Composting is the natural process of breaking down yard and food waste into organic matter. Compost can be added to soil to help plants grow. Consider the resources below for information on backyard composting, food scraps collection and where to get free compost.
- Compost bin and rain barrel fact sheet (PDF) - Recycling Association of Minnesota
- Backyard composting and discounted compost bins
- Free compost available at Ramsey County yard waste collection sites
Water access
Water access
Water access is critical for garden success. Whether for a community or home garden, there are different options to access water, such as saving rain water, getting nearby municipal water access, or creating an agreement with a nearby land owner.
Saint Paul allows community gardens to access nearby fire hydrants for water. Learn more
Rain barrels capture rainwater that can be used for watering gardens.
- Rain barrel fact sheet (PDF) - Recycling Association of Minnesota
- Rain barrel annual sale - Recycling Association of Minnesota
A nearby property owner may share water access. If an agreement is formed, installing a water meter can make it easy to share the cost.
Tools and seeds
Tools
The Minnesota Tool Library allows members to rent various tools (including gardening tools) for projects. Learn more
Seeds and plant material
- Minnesota Green Program - Minnesota State Horticultural Society
- Seed Savers Exchange
- Community Seed Network
Did you know? You can use SNAP/EBT benefits to purchase seeds and plants (for food plants.
Food use, donation and safety
Food use, donation and preservation
Learn how to donate food, reduce food waste and support community access to healthy foods.
- Donate to a food shelf near you
- Every Meal - Grow & Give produce donation program
- Guidelines for donating to a food shelf
- Community kitchen rentals in Saint Paul to process and preserve food (PDF)
- Food Keeper app - information on proper food storage
- Save the Food - learn how to reduce food waste with proper food storage, meal planning and creative recipes
Food safety
- Growing safe food - University of Minnesota Extension
- Preserving and preparing food safely - University of Minnesota Extension
- How to build a hand washing station (PDF) - University of Minnesota Extension
- Cottage foods law - rules on making cottage foods (baked foods, pickled, canned, jams, jellies) at home
Volunteer/connect with gardeners
Funding opportunities
Subscribe to our monthly Urban Agriculture Newsletter for the most up-to-date funding, volunteer, training and convening resources
Additional resources
The following organizations support community gardening.
National
State
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- The Food Group
- University of Minnesota Extension
- Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association
- Minnesota State Horticultural Society
- Renewing the Countryside - Farmland Access Hub
- MinneAg Legislative Advocacy Network
- USDA MSP Urban Service Center
- Latino Economic Development Center Agiculture Program
- Land Stewardship Project
- Sustainable Farming Association
Local
- Twin Cities Community Agriculture Land Trust
- Urban Roots
- Urban Farm and Garden Alliance
- Hmong American Farmers Association
- The Good Acre
- Healthy Homes Gardening Program - Community Stabilization Project
- Community Gardens - Safe City Project
- Giving Gardens
- Frogtown Green
- Frogtown Farm
- Big River Farms
- Youth Farm
- Route 1
- Kilimo Minnesota
- Metro Food Justice Network
- TC Food Justice
- Metro Growers Network
Indirectly involved
- Asian Economic Development Association
- Hmong American Partnership
- Latino Economic Development Center