Since its inception in the spring of 2005, the Urban Gardening Coalition has facilitated discussion and organied activities for individuals and organizations who are interested in gardening as a means of building community. Our current garden activities include providing support and guidance for more than 15 churches and community organizations across the Heart of Texas, conducting afterschool garden clubs with Waco Independent School District, and promoting the local food movement and entrepreneurial activities through the Waco Downtown Farmers Market. However, the UGC is much more than growing gardens. Our projects span from skill shares to food stamp outreach. As a coalition, we encourage and support partners and interested individuals dedicated to strengthening the local food system by providing support through shared resources of garden skills and knowledge.

AmeriCorps members (including State, VISTA, and Community HealthCorps) have been an essential element growing gardens throughout Waco. Through the UGC’s partnership with the World Hunger Relief Farm, State AmeriCorps members provide after-school garden programming a number of Waco ISD schools whose free and reduced lunch programs make up over 90% of their student body. AmeriCorps VISTA members have been crucial not only in the planning, planting and harvesting of produce from the Baylor Campus Garden – but they have grown all of their produce to be delivered by Baylor University Campus Kitchens to the Salvation Army Community Kitchen. Community HealthCorps members have prepped meals and built gardens alongside community members on both the MLK Day of Service each January and again in April for the Harvest Celebration, as part of the Global Youth Service Day. More AmeriCorps members are currently working on integrating SNAP (food stamps) in to the Waco Downtown Farmers Market to increase access to healthy, locally-grown produce.

The next step for the Urban Gardening Coalition is to develop an Urban Training Farm on 1-2 acres in East Waco, working with local high school students to learn agricultural skills while taking business courses – thereby honing financial literacy through participating in the local food system.

The Heart of Texas Urban Gardening Coalition is proud to work so closely with a variety of AmeriCorps programs around central Texas to strengthen the local food system, improve access to healthy food, and empower folks to grow their own.