The mission of Kansas City Community Gardens is to assist low-income households and community groups in the Kansas City metropolitan area to produce vegetables and fruit from garden plots located in backyards, vacant lots, and at community sites. KCCG helps over18,000 individuals in the Kansas City area each year. The organization maintains or partners with over 500 community garden sites. KCCG provides free gardening workshops, technical assistance, garden supplies, and other resources to individuals, families, neighborhood organizations, nonprofit agencies, and other groups throughout the metropolitan Kansas City area through the Self-Help Gardening and Community Partner Gardens programs. In addition, KCCG’s Schoolyard Gardens program staff help schools to create and grow gardens to improve students’ knowledge about nutrition and the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables to a healthy diet. KCCG’s Beanstalk Children’s Garden complements the efforts of Schoolyard Gardens staff by allowing school and community groups, families, and other visitors to learn about plant science, food production, nutrition, and insects during summer tours of this unique garden. The Beanstalk includes fruit, vegetable, and herb gardens; a seed and grain garden; the Curiosity Garden, filled with strange and unusual plants; and water garden featuring water lilies and floating hyacinths, fish, and frogs.
