WASHINGTON, D.C. – In 2009, the People’s Garden Initiative was created under then-USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. After sitting dormant for a number of years, the program was reintroduced this year with the goal of eventually adding more gardens nationwide.

People’s Gardens may be food gardens, or used for wildlife habitat, to demonstrate conservation practices, for beautification, or for education and training purposes, according to USDA. The gardens must benefit the community, be a collaborative effort, incorporate sustainable practices, and educate the public about sustainable practices and the importance of local, diverse sources of healthy food. Sustainable practices include using native plants, rain barrels and integrated pest management.

The gardens are a way to inspire people at a time when the food system is transforming, said Leslie Glover, project manager from USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, which manages the initiative.

“It’s a way to create a community showing and sharing their best management practices,” he explained. “It’s a time of great change. What better opportunity to reconnect with the environment and with food.

“We need to get rid of the ‘just consumers’ mentality. We need to become active participants in the food system. You can get people to think about the food system, change a whole generation for the future. What can be more powerful than that?”

People’s Gardens empower communities to participate in local food production and provide diversity and resiliency to the food supply chain, USDA said. Gardens on federally owned or leased land are eligible; private gardens are not.

There is no size requirement for the gardens and the program is free, Glover said.

“People’s Gardens offer a broader reach in the community than individual gardens,” he noted. “We hope this will help people reconnect with and rethink our food system.”

Vilsack, who served as USDA secretary in the Obama administration, became USDA secretary again in 2021 under President Joe Biden.

“The simple act of planting a garden can have big impacts – from building a more diversified and resilient local food system to empowering communities to come together around healthy food access, climate change and equity,” Vilsack said in a release. “We’re committed to our priorities, and we are leading by example.”

When the initiative was relaunched earlier this year, USDA announced that 17 flagship gardens in urban communities in 15 states would be a part of the program, along with one at USDA headquarters in the nation’s capital. Included on the list were gardens in Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit and Grand Rapids, Mich.

“It was a popular program (when it was first created),” Glover said. “USDA wanted to re-energize it and expand it. Once we announced the first 17 cities, we heard from other cities wondering if they could have one too.”

In September, USDA announced the program was being expanded to school gardens, urban farms and small-scale agriculture projects in rural, suburban and urban centers. Gardens at faith-based centers or other places within the community are also eligible.

The program currently has 398 registered gardens nationwide, Glover said.

Groups can learn more and apply to register their gardens at www.usda.gov/Peoples-Garden. Once USDA confirms a garden meets the program’s requirements, the agency will send a display sign acknowledging the site is a registered participant in the initiative.

In addition to supporting traditional gardens, the program also promotes vertical and rooftop gardens, and aquaponics, Glover said. “We’re just looking to see a change in how people think about food.”

USDA has 45 programs offering financial or technical assistance to urban farmers, he said. For information, visit www.farmers.gov/urban.