The Community Garden Program was created to establish a single point of contact and streamline the process for starting community gardens. Our broader goals include providing leadership, education, policy analysis, and project development support for the City of Austin’s community-based food system.
Benefits of a Community Garden
- They increase access to fresh and nutritious food for all Austinites.
- They create a more resilient city by reducing the impacts due to climate change.
- They offer a great way for neighbors to connect, socialize, and produce something together.
- They educate residents on sustainable gardening practices.
Guidelines for Community Gardens
- Produce food for non-commercial use.
- Use sustainable urban agriculture practices.
- Operated and maintained by committed volunteers from multiple families and households.
- Can be built on private or public land.
Community Garden Permit
The community garden permit guide will help you start a successful community garden on city-owned property in Austin. The process takes approximately a year and the permit serves as a fee waiver for a water tap installation and a site plan application.
You do not need a permit to start a community garden on property owned by a church, business, and other private entity. However, the permit and fee waiver benefits are still available to you.
If you are not ready to start the permit application but would like to discuss the prospect with the community garden coordinator, please use the Community Garden Interest Form.