UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension
Community Garden Program

Community Garden Benefits

• Provide you a place to garden even if there is not enough space or soil nearby your home.
• Improve your family’s health and nutrition.
• Utilize open space and help improve unsightly neighborhood locations.
• Promote a sense of community pride and social fellowship by meeting and learning from other gardeners.
• Reduce food costs by providing fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs.
• Provide valuable recreational and therapeutic benefits.

We Provide

• educational materials and information
• a garden plot
• compost and water
• basic gardening tools
• demonstrations and instructions to help you start a vegetable garden
• soil testing and recommendations for soil improvement
• help with gardening problems
• guidance on how to harvest and use the vegetables
• instructions on how to preserve and store garden produce

If You Want to Be A Gardener

If you are interested in a community garden in your neighborhood, or would like a plot in an existing community garden, please contact Patricia Porchey at 941-861-9801 or Bob Mertens at 941-861-9805. 

• Garden plots are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Plots assigned, but not planted as scheduled will be reassigned.

Visit Our Community Gardens at the Following locations:

Organice Gardening Documents

• Oganic Vegetable Gardening Introduction
• Organic Vegetable Gardening Pest Management
• Organic Vegetable Gardening Soil Management
• Organic Vegetable Gardening Water Management