The Neighborhood Gardens Trust is celebrating the preservation of its 35th community garden. On April 16th City Council approved the transfer of the Moore Street Community Garden to NGT.
In 2012, local residents in South Philadelphia came together to transform a city-owned vacant lot at 5th and Moore Streets into the vibrant, green community garden, where gardeners grow vegetables and flowers. This popular garden has a wait list for access to one of its 16 planting beds.
After several successful growing seasons, the gardeners learned the garden had been posted for sale on the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority website. The gardeners reached out to NGT fearful for the future of the Moore Street Community Garden. As residents of a dense urban neighborhood, the garden had become a precious element of their daily lives, offering community, fresh food, and access to green space.
With leadership from Councilman Mark Squilla, NGT worked intensively with the gardeners and the city to preserve this site in perpetuity. In addition to peace of mind about the future of the garden, as part of the Neighborhood Gardens Trust, the Moore Street Community Garden will be able to access liability insurance, technical assistance, funding for capital improvements and opportunities to interact with a citywide network of community gardeners.