Global Gardens supports a network of refugee community gardens in Boise. As of 2015, we have nine different community gardens.
Eight of the nine are managed by our partners, either religious congregations or neighborhood groups. We directly manage the Liberty Street Garden site which is city owned.
The goal of the community garden program is to support refugee health through improved nutrition and increased physical activity, as well as to continue engaging our community partners. This program has over 200 participants, depending on the year, and is always in high demand.
We offer initial analysis of whether a plot of land is suitable for a community garden, assistance in planning the development of the site and irrigation, as well as assistance in recruiting refugee gardeners. We also hold an annual meeting and/or training of garden coordinators to keep everyone informed of possible funding sources.
Eight of the nine are managed by our partners, either religious congregations or neighborhood groups. We directly manage the Liberty Street Garden site which is city owned.
The goal of the community garden program is to support refugee health through improved nutrition and increased physical activity, as well as to continue engaging our community partners. This program has over 200 participants, depending on the year, and is always in high demand.
We offer initial analysis of whether a plot of land is suitable for a community garden, assistance in planning the development of the site and irrigation, as well as assistance in recruiting refugee gardeners. We also hold an annual meeting and/or training of garden coordinators to keep everyone informed of possible funding sources.
The Avahath Beth Israel Synagogue GardenAddress: 11 Latah Street
Boise, ID 83706 This garden was founded in 2004 mostly for Somali Bantu arrivals. The Somali Bantu were traditionally farmers, and they love to garden! This garden is perfect for them because it’s located next to an apartment complex where many Somali Bantu and other refugees live. Somali Bantu especially love to grow corn. In Somalia they used a hard variety of corn, which was ground into flour to make a traditional food called ugali, something like polenta. There are also a few gardeners from Afghanistan, Russia, and Sudan. The garden is managed by a member of the synagogue, and volunteers help out at several work days per year. There are spaces for 18 families. |
The Hillview Garden
Address: 8525 W Ustick Rd
Boise, ID 83704 The Hillview Garden is located on Ustick Road at the Hillview United Methodist Church. It was originally built as an Eagle Scout project. Members of the church and other volunteers help manage this garden. There are raised beds for 10 families, mostly from Russia. |
The Jordan Street GardenAddress: 2919 Jordan Street
Boise, ID 83702 The Jordan Street Garden was founded in 2009 by members of the Veterans Park Neighborhood association. They decided to convert a vacant lot into a garden. It's conveniently located near the Davis Park apartments where many refugees live. The garden serves 15 families including African, Eastern European, Bhutanese, and Syrian families, and has a children's garden, too. This garden serves many moms and kids, who are able to walk to the garden from home. |
The Mountain View Church of the Brethren Garden |
The Saint Marks Catholic Garden |
The King of Glory Lutheran Church Garden |
Address: 2823 North Cole Road
Boise, ID 83704 |
Address: 7960 Northview St
Boise, ID 83704 |
Address: 3430 N Maple Grove Rd
Boise, ID 83704 The King of Glory Lutheran Church garden was founded in 2009. Dedicated members of this church converted the unused space behind their church into a garden, spending many weekends hauling compost, picking rocks, tilling, and setting up irrigation. Like many of the other gardens, it is located to where most of refugee and gardeners live. This garden offers spaces to a mix of refugee families of several ethnicities, including Burundis, Somali Bantu, Russians, as well as American members of the church. This ethnic diversity allows everyone to learn from each other and practice English at the garden. King of Glory has also been very generous in allowing us to use their fabulous, industrial sized kitchen, for cooking workshops and our first annual harvest dinner. This wonderful space allows many participants to prepare food together with ample space for all to work, and gives participants the opportunity to share recipes and to learn new ways to cook the bounty that our farms and gardens have to offer. |
The Cole Community Church Garden |
All Saints Episcopal Church Garden |
The Camille Beckmann Farms |
Address: 8775 W Ustick Rd
Boise, ID 83704 |
Address: 704 S Latah St
Boise, ID 83704 |
Address: Camille Beckmann Facility
Eagle, ID Although this garden space is no longer managed by Global Gardens, we still want to acknowledge our history and its accomplishments. The Camille Beckmann Farms, also known as the Somali Bantu Community Farm, began in 2007. The farm is located on about 3 acres behind the Camille Beckman facility in Eagle, ID. The owners of this business, Foad and Susan Roghani, donate the use of land and water to us. The Somali Bantu Community organized this project themselves before they began collaborating with Global Gardens, and we mainly assisted in the marketing aspects of the farm. There are about 15 Somali Bantu families who work at the farm regularly, and many more who come out occasionally and have enjoyed fresh food from this plentiful garden. The farmers also sometimes distribute produce to families through a monthly food distribution in cooperation with the Idaho Food Bank. The Somali Bantu have recieved grants from the Heifer International's New Immigrant Farming Initiative and the USDA's Farmers Market Promotion Program, which have enabled them to put in a new irrigation system and purchase seeds, farm and market supplies, and a farm pickup truck. Thanks to these grants, the Somali Bantu Community Farm is financially independent from Global Gardens, and the farmers have been learning to manage grants and a farm budget. The farm produces a mix of traditional African crops and more typical American crops. As a result, many of the farmers have tasted and learned to cook with new foods, and our market customers have tasted, enjoyed, and come back every week asking for "mchicha," a traditional African leafy green! The Somali Bantu farmers market at the Capital City Public Market on Saturday mornings during the growing season. The Somali Bantu Community Farm has gotten a lot of press coverage, too. The farmers were filmed for a short spot on Channel 6, and had articles in the Idaho Statesman and the Idaho Business Review. |