Growing food for yourself or for others? You can do both even if you lack your own garden
Though our trees barely have a hint of green, many of us are already dreaming about starting a garden.
If planting and tending a garden sounds like a good idea, but you just don’t have the space for one, don’t throw away those dreams just yet.
Champaign-Urbana has several locations with garden plots that are available for public use. You just need to reach out — sooner rather than later — to reserve your spot or otherwise get involved.
Your personal gardening goals will help determine where you go to satisfy your urge to work the soil:
- Are there plots located where you live (like the Royse + Brinkmeyer apartments at 611 W. Healey), where you will be totally in charge of what you grow?
- Can you get a plot subsidized by a park district, where you may make some gardening friends with those working on adjacent plots?
- Do you view gardening as a way to improve a specific neighborhood, whether by providing food, involving kids, or strengthening community?
- Or is gardening the means through which you want to give back to the community at large?
Read on for details about public gardening options in Champaign-Urbana. We do our best to ensure that the information in this post is accurate at the time of publication; please email us to let us know of any updates or corrections.
University of Illinois
Illini Urban Farmers, a student group affiliated with the Metropolitan Food & Environmental Systems (MFST) program at Illinois ACES, provides UIUC students with hands-on experiences in sustainable urban agriculture. You may find these students involved in planning or volunteering at many of these garden sites and projects listed here.
Orchard Downs
Orchard Downs is a graduate student housing complex on the University of Illinois campus. Garden plots are located south of the Orchard Downs apartments; plots rent for $40 for residents of Family and Graduate Housing and $70 for non-residents. Interested gardeners can email for more information or contact the Orchard Downs Family Housing Council.
Champaign
These Champaign Park District plots are located in Dodds Park between Parkland College and North Mattis Avenue.
The Eddie Albert Garden plots are for everyone, from the experienced gardener to the beginner. Plots are available in two sizes, with elevated plots provided for participants with disabilities. The gardening season officially begins on April 1. Water will be turned on mid April. All plots must be cleared by Nov. 1. Spring till is the responsibility of the plot renter. Registration for those who had gardens in 2021 began Nov. 22, 2021. New gardeners enrollment began Dec. 6, 2021. Limit two per household.
- 11′ x 3′ Raised Seasonal Plots (April-October) are $15 for residents or $22.50 for nonresidents
- 20′ x 20′ Seasonal Plots (April – October) are $30 for residents or $45 for nonresidents
- 20′ x 30′ Seasonal Plots (April – October) are $40 for residents or $60 for nonresidents
- 20′ x 20′ Year-Round Plots (1/1 – 12/31) are $40 for residents or $60 for nonresidents
For more information, call (217) 398-2550.
Randolph Street Community Gardens
Located on North Randolph Street north of Stratton Elementary School and south of Bradley Avenue, Randolph Street Community Gardens is a place for residents to grow their own food in North Champaign. It is also a place for people to come together as a community and be a part of a long-term movement towards eating healthy and being connected with the sources of the food we eat. Engaging with children and youth is an integral part of this vision.
Short term goals at Randolph Street include building and caring for the garden space. Long term vision includes developing infrastructure for youth programs, training workshops and organizing a community kitchen and greenhouse.
For more information contact Dawn Blackman by email or phone.
Headquartered on North First Street in Champaign, Prosperity Gardens is a program of the City of Champaign Township offering employment opportunities to homeless individuals through the CU@Work Program. The urban farm sells its affordable produce at the Champaign Farmers Market and makes food donations to the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen and the Carle Mobile Market. For information about how to get involved, see their Facebook page.
The Give Back Garden is a project of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD), located at 201 W. Kenyon Road in Champaign. It is an opportunity for people from Champaign County to discuss their gardens, offer suggestions and advice to new gardeners, promote local Farmer’s Markets and gardening events, encourage the use of LINK cards to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, and as a resource for donating excess produce to local food pantries.
Volunteers supervised by CUPHD staff grow produce to supplement CUPHD’s food pantry, so all produce is free of charge, available in their lobby when it is harvested. For volunteer information, contact them through email or Facebook.
Urbana
Since 1975, the Meadowbrook Organic Garden Program has supported healthy people and a healthy community. “We provide space, water, hoses and wheelbarrows. You supply tools, plants, labor, and optional fencing.” During the growing season (May-October), a garden supervisor can be contacted with any questions or concerns. Garden plots are rented in “as is” condition and participation is at your own risk. This is a community garden and interaction with the general public is expected and encouraged.
For more information, call the Urbana Park District at (217) 384-4062 or see the Meadowbrook Garden Manual. Tips on the basics of organic gardening are available in the supplemental guide.
To register for a Meadowbrook garden plot:
- Register by calling (217) 367-1544 or in-person at the Phillips Recreation Center. Online registration is not available.
- In addition to the plot rental fee, gardeners pay a $30 deposit. The deposit is returned at the end of the growing season if the gardener abides by the Urbana Park District’s published guidelines. Returning gardeners in good standing earn a discounted deposit.
- New gardeners will receive an orientation email once they are registered. This is when plot selection will take place.
Raised Plot (ADA accessible) 11’ x 3’- $20 resident/$30 non-resident
Half Plot 17’ x 15’- $30 resident/$45 non-resident
Full Plot 17’ x 30’- $50 resident/$75 non-resident
Solidarity Gardens C-U was launched in June of 2020 by Cunningham Township in collaboration with Sola Gratia Farm, Channing Murray Foundation, Urbana Free Library, Urbana Park District, and other community partners. According to its website, “By providing seeds, tools, knowledge, and redistribution, we intend to address current and worsening food insecurity by supporting local residents in growing food for themselves as well as our neighbors in need. We encourage individuals and organizations to work with us to create gardens throughout the Champaign-Urbana area and to donate seeds, garden supplies, and expertise.”
In other words, Solidarity Gardens wants people in Champaign-Urbana to grow food, and they want to help. They will help you get garden space and supplies (at some of the locations listed above, as well as at gardens they own); they will support you starting your own garden at home; they will help get the food you grow to people who need it; and they welcome volunteers or donations at all steps of this process.
If your club or group interested in volunteering, Solidarity Gardens CU is looking for groups to “adopt” garden plots in local community garden spaces to plant, maintain and harvest produce to be donated. Email Chelsea Prahl for more information.
One of the many community partners involved in Solidarity Gardens C-U is The Urbana Free Library, which runs a free seed lending library.
See the Solidarity Gardens Facebook page for more information on how to get involved.
Victory Park, at 1000 E. Green St. in Urbana, was first established in 1920. Records indicate the park was named in recognition of the victory gardens that were planted at the parks location during World War I and in tribute to the successful outcome to the war, which ended just two years before the park’s establishment.
In homage to the victory garden concept, Victory Park features neighborhood community gardening from April-November. Gardens can be reserved by neighbors by contacting the Urbana Park District at (217) 384-4062.
Did we miss a gardening opportunity in your community? Email us and let us know.