GROWING A MOVEMENT

Backyard Gardens

Re:Vision helps low-income families overcome the barriers to growing food by providing the necessary resources, including seeds, plants, compost and drip irrigation systems, to convert their yards into high-production organic vegetable gardens. Each family is assigned a promotora who provides training and technical assistance throughout the growing season, which helps maximize garden production, builds relationships, and creates a strong neighborhood network.

Launched in the Westwood Neighborhood in 2009, the Re:Farm program is now in twelve neighborhoods in southwest Denver.

Since starting with 7 families in 2009, Re:Vision has helped more than 600 families start growing their own food. Over 90 percent of these families live on less than $15,000 per year, which is abject poverty by U.S. standards. With Re:Vision's help, these families grew over 55,000 pounds of organic produce in 2016 and many shared food with their family and neighbors, building a community food system in a neighborhood that has zero healthy food options.

For most families, having a garden is the only way they can afford to eat healthy or feed organic produce to their children. We prioritize families who have the greatest financial need, and who have demonstrated the dedication to put in the time to take care of their garden, a desire to change their diet, and a commitment to work with other community members.  

In return for providing this assistance, we ask that each family “pay-it-forward” and refer another family to join the program. The result is an initiative that creates a healthy, thriving community.