The urban gardening movement is going strong, and many low income and minority population communities are getting involved to clean up their environments and provide food security for their residents. The background image for this blog, located here http://grist.org/article/the-new-wave-of-urban-farming-how-to-get-fresh-food-from-small-spaces/, is just one example of urban gardening in America. The article is a good source for beginner urban gardeners; it lays out ideas on how to start a garden and answers some common questions about gardening in urban areas.

Today, and in next few posts, I will be showcasing a few communities who are working with their local governments and the EPA to create urban gardens.

First up is the Ironbound community in Newark, New Jersey.

What started out as a small community garden has expanded into a network of gardens throughout the city. Community involvement has played a large role in this expansion, with many residents helping out with the revitalization of the land, and by attending community meetings with a call for more improvements and garden locations.

The Ironbound Community consists of approximately 50,000 people; 75% of these residents are non-native English speakers, and the community is plagued with high unemployment and poverty. In addition, the community is home to chemical plants and a trash incinerator. The children suffer from high asthma rates, and the water is polluted with toxins and pathogens.

Urban gardening is a way for this community to improve its living conditions. As a result of the Ironbound Community Corporation’s efforts, the EPA has granted the community a $25,000 environmental justice grant to improve community gardens and provide environmental education.  

The EPA’s environmental justice small grant program has provided disproportionately affected communities with over $23 million in funding, and has helped over 1,200 communities with environmental justice issues.

The Ironbound community continues to pursue improving itself through urban gardening, and is currently raising money for its next garden expansion project.

For more information on the Ironbound Community’s efforts and its EPA grant, see http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6427a6b7538955c585257359003f0230/8500b892eb5c805d8525798e00659684!OpenDocument and http://www.njconservationexchange.org/tag/icc.