Community Resources

Check out the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society‘s list of hardy “Gold Medal” plants for gardens in the Mid-Atlantic region and explore their website for other valuable tips for gardeners.

More resources:

• Penn State Extension Vegetable Gardening has lots of great information on site selection, growing, and managing gardens.
• Mother Earth News has a crop-by-crop guide to growing dozens of varieties of crops.
• American Community Gardening Association contains tips, FAQs, resources, conference information, teleconference participation, archives and other information helpful for maintaining a garden and growing your knowledge base.
• The United States Department of Agriculture shares comprehensive information community gardens and urban agriculture, including toolkits, research, and other support.
• EPA Brownfields and Urban Agriculture: Interim Guidelines for Safe Gardening Practices is a condensed report from 60 experts on how to safely grow food on formerly polluted sites.
• UMass completes a comprehensive and fairly inexpensive soil test that will determine amounts of any toxic materials as well as provide information on soil pH and nutrient composition for your soil.
• Step by step guide to vegetable gardening.

Need supplies and gardening equipment?

Fairmount Park Organic Recycling Center offers compost, mulch and manure for free (up to 30 gallons) or for a fee (larger amounts).

PHS City Harvest Program offers seed, soil, seedlings, supplies and technical assistance through Green Resource Centers to participating urban farmers and gardeners. City Harvest participants will receive instructional workshops on organic pest prevention and control, pre- and post-harvest handling, season extension, and soil building. Participants are expected to donate a portion of their produce to local soup kitchens and food cupboards.

The Farm and Garden Section of Craigslist often posts cheap tools, soil, compost, materials, and other useful items.

The free section of Craiglist often posts firewood, bricks, palettes, horse manure and other useful materials for starting or maintaining a garden project.

Explore the Tool Library in West Philadelphia where you can sign up for an inexpensive library card and access thousands of tools.

Looking for insurance?

Every garden needs insurance. Read about insurance for gardening in Philadelphia.

The American Community Garden Association offers affordable liability insurance policies for members.

Need help securing funds for your garden or community space?

• PA Statewide Small Business Grants (opens June 30, 2020 and is open for 10 days)
• Community Microgrants and Education (Keep Philadelphia Beautiful)
• Philadelphia Activities Fund Grants – applications due in April. Offices at 1515 Arch Street, 10th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
• Fiskars Project Orange Thumb – Fiskars awards grants that include cash and garden tools to support community gardens in North America.
• The Home Depot Foundation Community Impacts Grant Program – Grants, up to $5,000, are available to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and tax-exempt public service agencies in the U.S. that are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their community.
• Lowes Toolbox for Education Grants – Public schools (K-12) and non-profit parent groups associated with public K-12 schools are eligible to apply. Past projects awarded grants include reading gardens, vegetable gardens, nature trails, physical fitness areas, and more.
• The Society of Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP) of Greater Philadelphia – provides grants to help fund organizations or programs that protect, restore, or foster the natural environment or provide educational programs increasing environmental awareness. SWEP has a particular interest in funding programs that involve local girls or women in science, engineering, or environmental fields.
• KaBoom Grants for Outdoor Play — Grants to support playgrounds and other outdoor play areas for children.
• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), every city receives some Federal funding and it can be used for community gardens, you just need to get into the planning process and have it put in the budget.
• Looking for larger grants and loans for farming?
• Although limited, financial support for small farms and farm-related businesses is available from a variety of Federal, state and local agencies and from non-governmental organizations.
• Explore the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service for further support.

Looking for help?

Explore the guide to food assistance in Philadelphia with Philly Food Finder.

Explore a public computing center.

Find free career workshops and resources at PA CareerLink® Philadelphia.

For free one-on-one support to help you apply for over 20 public benefits, visit a BenePhilly Enrollment Center.

Use the Network of Care and Supports for Behavioral Health & Intellectual disAbility Services.