Lots to Gardens

Who We Are

Lots to Gardens is a youth and community driven organization that uses sustainable urban agriculture to create access to fresh food, and to nurture healthy youth and a healthy community. We teach people how to grow their own food, provide affordable access to fresh food, and involve youth as leaders. We help families and youth develop skills and build power for lifelong and community-wide change.

Since 1999, we have built fifteen gardens and greenspaces in four diverse neighborhoods in Lewiston, Maine. We are sponsored by St. Mary's Health System.

Programs

Our community food projects include apartment-side and community gardens with more than sixty families and senior citizens; neighborhood veggie stands that provide affordable organic produce; weekly community meals and garden events; cooking and nutrition classes; and activities at the Lewiston Farmers' Market. Each year, we grow and distribute thousands of pounds of organic food throughout the city.

Through Lots to Gardens' gardening and nutrition programs, hundreds of families and elders have grown their own food, learned to value fresh and local produce, and learned to prepare nutritious meals. Through our youth training programs, sixty youth have given a summer of service to others; received job training, and participated in empowering themselves and their community. Hundreds of other youth and adults participate in the gardens as volunteers, learners, and leaders.

Growing good food takes many forms at Lots to Gardens.

Families and senior citizens grow their own food in community gardens or in apartment side beds. Youth and children grow food for those vulnerable to hunger in our city, and experience the sweet rewards of enjoying the food they grew.

Our nutrition programming includes cooking and nutrition classes that teach healthy eating habits, cooking demonstrations at the Farmers' Market, and many free recipes and nutrition information. Learn more about Sharing the Harvest Cookbook.

Growing Youth

Providing meaningful learning, service, and work experiences for youth

We believe that youth are necessary partners in creating social change. We employ and train a diverse crew of thirteen teenagers as Summer Youth Gardeners and year-round Youth Interns. These programs teach youth team-building, communication, and job skills. They also learn to grow, harvest and cook healthy food, learn about nutrition, food systems and hunger, and teach others their newfound knowledge.

Based in the gardens, our Garden Learning programs help younger children develop self-esteem and team-building skills while they grow vegetables, learn to compost, get fit, and then eat their yummy harvest.

Growing Community

Using the gardens as a classroom and community space, adults and youth grow food for themselves and their own community, resulting in healthier families, fresh food on the tables of hungry people, and stronger, more just communities.

We believe that it is essential that people affected by hunger are the leaders in building sustainable food systems. An example of this is our Resident Garden Coordinator Training at Hillview Apartments. This year, four gardeners led their neighbors in food production, supported the children's garden and programs, and developed a sense of pride in themselves and their neighborhood.

Where We Grow

We have gardens in four neighborhoods around Lewiston.

Hillview Apartments is a public housing complex for families. Hillview is the home for three community gardens and many apartment-side gardens where adults grow food for their families. The Children's Garden provides opportunities for learning and fun through the garden learning program called the Hot Tamale Team. Children also help at the weekly Veggie Stands and Harvest Dinners at Hillview.

Meadowview Park is a public housing complex for senior citizens. A large garden brings together senior citizens and teenage Youth Gardeners, and many seniors garden in beds and containers right outside their apartment doors. For those without gardens, the weekly Veggie Stand is a popular source for affordable organic produce.

In downtown Lewiston, we have three community gardens including the newly built

garden in Franklin Pasture. In addition to the gardens, we maintain green spaces and neighborhood parks for anyone in the community to use.

Welcome_Sign The Wood Street Garden on the Bates College campus is used as a service garden. Volunteers help in the spring and fall and our Summer Youth Gardener crew maintains it during the summer. The veggies grown in this garden are either sold at the Farmer's Market, used during one of our weekly meals or cooking classes, or donated to the Food Pantry or Trinity Jubilee Center.

Want to know more about the gardens? Download this map showing location and descriptions about what happens at each of the gardens.

Get Involved

Become a volunteer! There are volunteer opportunities in our gardens throughout the year for individuals and groups. We have plenty of one-time and short-term volunteer projects in the gardens, but are also excited to cultivate long-term volunteer and service-learning opportunities. If you are interested in getting involved please contact us and we will send you our volunteer packet! Volunteer Intake Form 26.06 Kb

Have something to offer but don't want to get your hands dirty in the gardens? Get in touch! Let us know how you can help, we could probably use the support!

Become a member! Members will be updated throughout the year, via our newsletter, so you can learn what Lots to Gardens has accomplished and see how your support is being put to good use. Receive notices about harvest dinners and volunteer opportunties. Keep up to date with all we are doing and meet the gardeners. Become a member now by giving an online donation here.

Our Video & News

Growing Together, Changing Our Community Video
Lots to Gardens: Kids Growing Community Video