Want to grow your own food—right in your yard? The Food Project believes that everyone who wants to grow their own food should have access to adequate, toxin-free growing space. To this end, we have built more than 1,800 raised-bed gardens through our Build-a-Garden initiative.

Build-a-Garden: Greater Boston

The Food Project’s Build-a-Garden initiative supports low- to moderate-income households in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan — plus organizations — that want to grow their own food.

We provide you with:

A raised-bed garden filled with healthy, safe soil.
12 free seedlings in May of your first year.
Free Garden Planning & Planting workshops and a Growing Guide.
Ongoing support through drop-in open hours at the Dudley Greenhouse.
An annual sale for gardeners to purchase high-quality seedlings, compost, and other supplies to keep our neighbors’ gardens growing.

Eligibility Priorities and Gardener Expectations:

Residents of Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan, are welcome to apply. Priority is given to those with financial need and to families with children. Gardeners are expected to:

Attend a 2-hour introduction to gardening workshop session and complete a post-season survey.
Plant and maintain your garden on a weekly basis. We generally recommend spending at least 1-2 hours per week.
While not required, our hope is that participants will become engaged with our programs and other gardeners in their neighborhood.

No prior gardening experience is required; enthusiasm and a willingness to learn are all you need!

*At this time, we only have the capacity to build standard 4 ft wide, 8 ft long, and 10 in tall beds.

Visit https://thefoodproject.org/bag/ for application forms and information. There is also an opportunity for residents in the North Shore – information at link.