The average distance that food travels to get to Nova Scotia is 4,000 km. This makes the municipality’s food system particularly vulnerable to climate change. If there is an unexpected event or emergency that causes widespread instability, we may not have the local resources to meet the needs of our residents. Community gardens are one way to support the local food system.
Many community gardens in the Halifax region are operated by residents on land owned by the municipal government. These are small-scale sites operated by non-profit societies for one or more of the following purposes:
- growing produce for:
- personal consumption
- donating to local food causes
- generating revenue to reinvest in the community garden
- production of a floral or landscape display
- demonstration gardening or other related instructional programming
Community gardens can include vegetables, fruit, herbs, flowers, native and/or ornamental plants established and operated within existing municipal regulations, by-laws and assessments.
A community garden must have a “common area” with shared upkeep and may include individual garden plots. Community gardening differs from urban agriculture (urban farms), which is an industry that produces agricultural products for distribution to local markets.
Thinking of starting a community garden?
The Community Garden Program application for 2025 is now closed. For more information about the program you can review the Community Garden Program Handbook and the application form or contact Jasmine Du, Community Developer.
Want to be a part of an existing community garden?
The following is a list of community gardens on municipal property. Not all gardens will have space; most garden groups maintain a waiting list for when spots become available.
- Dartmouth
Take Action Society
Harbourview Elementary School (Dartmouth North)
Goodness Grows! Findlay Community Garden
Findlay Community Centre, Dartmouth
Guy Jacobs Community Garden
35 Jackson Road, Dartmouth F
Rope Works Community Garden
Victoria Park
Dartmouth Commons Community Gardens & Park Avenue Community Oven
Leighton Dillman Park, Dartmouth Commons
Gaston Road Community Garden Association
43 Gaston Road
Le Jardin Community Garden
4 Windmill Road (Public Gardens), Dartmouth
Landrace Community Garden
74 Landrace Crescent, DartmouthCaledonia Community Garden
133 Caledonia Road- Halifax
Birdland Community Garden
99 Flamingo DriveDevonshire Garden
3395 Devonshire AvePrescott Street Community Garden
3791 Novalea DriveHope Blooms Community Garden
Murray Warrington Park
2103 Gottingen Street
Geroge Dixon Community Garden
George Dixon Park
2502 Brunswick Street
ISANS Community Garden
67 Glenforest DriveISANS Community Garden
3311 Ashburn AveNorth End Community Garden
Union St, at the lower parking lot of Ft. Needham Park
Peninsula Urban Gardens Society
Gorsebrook Park
City Kidds Escape Society Community Garden
Off Huron Street
Visit our Facebook PageCommon Roots
Bottom of Bayers Road
Visit our webpage.- Bedford
Bedford Sprouts Community Garden
36 Holland Avenue, Bedford
- Beaver Bank
Beaver Bank Kinsac Senior Association
Beaver Bank Road- Lakeside
BLT Community Garden Project
Lakeside Community Centre- Lake Echo
Lake Echo Community Garden
Lake Echo Community Centre- Prospect
Prospect Road Community Gardens
Prospect Road Community Centre