how the ugp shows up for community garden organizations

THE UGP exists to help community garden organizations not just survive, but thrive. 

We do that through five core elements: we help you connect with peers, keep learning, access tools, and get hands-on support and contribute to something bigger than any one garden.

Everything we do is grounded in the 9 Factors to Thrive — the framework we've built from years of working alongside community garden organizations worldwide.

Find your people

The community garden movement is full of leaders solving the same problems in isolation. The UGP brings them together.

QUARTERLY FORUMS
Two-hour Zoom sessions that are part meet-and-greet, part thought partnership. Get to know peers, share what's working, and dig into what isn't.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Join the broader community garden community in person once a year for deeper connection and collaborative learning. (In partnership with GreenThumb GrowTogether in NYC.)

UGP ONLINE 

Our private community platform where members share tools, wins, templates, questions, photos, and real talk — any time, not just at scheduled events.

Stay sharp + grow your practice

Community garden leadership is a discipline, and the field is always evolving. The UGP brings the best thinking directly to you and your team.

WORKSHOPS
Deep dives into the issues that matter most, led by peers and field experts.

TECHNICAL TRAININGS 

Practical, skills-based sessions your team can put to work immediately.

ASK ME ANYTHING 

Get to know luminaries in the community garden and urban agriculture movements. 

Let's stop reinventing the wheel and focus on getting stronger

Across hundreds of garden organizations, the same back-office challenges come up again and again. The UGP builds a shared library of what works — so you don't have to start from scratch.

RESOURCE CLEARINGHOUSE
Standardized tools sourced from UGP members: land use agreements, water authority contracts, fundraising playbooks, bylaws templates, communications guides, and more.

GROUP PURCHASING
Collective access to core operational resources (CRM, accounting software, insurance) at rates no single organization could negotiate alone.

Lean on people who've been there, done that

Sometimes you don't need a workshop. You need to talk to someone who's already navigated what you're facing.

The UGP matches you with experienced community garden leaders who can work directly with you and your team to address a specific challenge or growth opportunity — conflict resolution, funding strategy, land security, leadership transitions, and more.

Help build the case for the movement

Individual gardens are powerful. The movement, measured and documented, is transformative. The UGP is building the evidence base that proves what we all know to be true.

COMMUNITY GARDEN DATABASE
Help us get an accurate picture of the full scale and impact of community gardens worldwide by Completing the community garden survey →

LITERATURE REVIEW
A living library of research documenting the benefits of community gardens — available to all members to strengthen funding applications, advocacy, and public communications.