Tibbs
The Mayor's Garden Plots at Tibbs and 24th Street is quite possibly the largest community garden in the United States! At 20 acres, the Tibbs plots were established as part of the Mayor's Garden Plots project in 1975 by then mayor Richard Lugar. Current Mayor Greg Ballard would like to see 100 community gardens by the end of this summer!
 

The vision of Indy [Grows] Gardens is the establishment of a community garden in every Indianapolis neighborhood.

Indy [Grows] Gardens, a project of Fall Creek Gardens--Urban Growers Resource Center
www.fallcreekgardens.org
mail@fallcreekgardens.org
317.644.8286
609 East 29th Street; Indianapolis, Indiana 46205
 

  


History

For a comprehensive survey of community gardening in Indianapolis, see the 2006 report, Community Gardening: A Path to Food Security in IndianapolisPDF icon..

Significant community gardening dates in Indianapolis (recent history)

1975: Mayor’s Garden Project launched.
1978: Master Gardener program launched in Marion County.
1985: Indianapolis is one of 23 cities in the United States to participate in a federally-funded program to promote community gardening in public housing. The Roots of Ruckle, Mapleton-Fall Creek Garden, is considered the first in that project (Carpenter). Kathy Harting, then community garden coordinator for the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service in Marion County, oversees the effort. The Urban Gardening Program launched, later renamed the Capital City Garden Project.1986: Beville Sunshine Harvest Community Garden begins (later renamed Dewey’s Sunshine Community Garden). This garden continues after a two-year break.
1996: GreenSpeak, a newsletter of the Capital City Garden Project begins publication
1997: First summer of community gardening project at the Governor’s mansion, spearheaded by Judy O’Bannon. Project continued until 2003.
1997: Ammerican Community Gardening Association meeting held in Indianapolis.