Garden District Columbus, OH

05/26/2026

We have two new free little pantries in the community, and the story behind them is worth sharing.

Katie Benton and Erin Bowden at Barrington Elementary organized the whole thing with their students and school families. The kids decorated them with fingerprint flowers. Families signed up to restock on rotation. Each pantry is stocked with canned goods, toiletries, and even birthday kits for anyone who has something to celebrate.

And we have to give a shout out to our neighbor Chris Caridas, who volunteers at our sites once a month and just handles whatever needs to be done, usually the heavy lifting. The pathway leading up to one of these pantries is there because Chris showed up and built it.

This is what community looks like. We are grateful for all of it and cannot wait to add fresh garden produce to the mix this season. Take what you need, leave what you can.

05/26/2026

It did not snow in Columbus this morning. That is cottonwood season doing what it does.

The beds at LIFE Community Farm are coming in beautifully underneath all that fluff, drip lines are set, and the soil is happy. Nature has a sense of humor and we are here for it.

05/22/2026

Something incredible happened at our near east community farm this week. Luke from the bee collective brought over a swarm and our hives have new life in them.

Fun fact most people don’t know: honey bees are not native to the Americas. European settlers brought them over in the 1600s as a farming tool. Indigenous peoples called them “the white man’s fly” because the bees spread westward even faster than the settlers did.

Now they pollinate about a third of everything we eat.

Grateful to Luke and the Columbus bee collective for this gift to our farm and our gardens. Come visit us and see them for yourself.

05/08/2026

Celebration of Agriculture at Georgian Heights Elementary! 600 kiddos connecting agriculture to their everyday lives through learning and fun. Thank you to the Columbus City Schools Farm to School program for making this happen and to all of the community partners that showed up with us.

05/08/2026

So proud to celebrate Berwick Alternative School becoming the 217th WILD School Site in Ohio and only the 2nd for Columbus City Schools!
Students grow, harvest, cook, and share food while supporting native wildlife through bird houses, bug hotels, native flowers, and water features. Surplus goes straight to the local food bank.
The site is named Tyler’s Garden, honoring former Berwick student Tyler Simmons, who lost his life serving in Iraq. His memory lives on in every seed planted.
Congratulations to the students, teachers, families, and Franklin County Master Gardener Volunteers who made this happen.

05/07/2026

When we launched our Fresh Share survey, we set a goal of 100 responses. Honestly? We thought that was a stretch.

Then the community showed up.

77 of you told us exactly what you want to find at a farmers market. And we are not keeping that information to ourselves. We are sharing it publicly so growers, gardens, and neighbors across Columbus can make better decisions together.

That same community input is shaping what we grow this season. Fresh Share is open now.

Purchase your Fresh Share here:
https://connect.intuit.com/pay/TheGardenDistrictCorporati/scs-v1-25b43b64a66d47b09c7644c58850433eb12a4a418c26401b8cb588ac1e219d13d78e43fcf3044e4baafc83659f23e808

05/02/2026

Come visit us at the German Village Farmer's Market this morning from 9a - 1p! It’s a beautiful morning to do your shopping!

05/02/2026

These Berwick Alternative Scholars are eating up their community garden- literally! Easting radishes, planting potatoes, rolly polies, oh my!

05/01/2026

What a beautiful, wet, spring morning at th Berwick Alternative Community Garden! We recruited some new master gardener volunteer interns and harvested quite a bounty. It will be donated to Canal Wi******er Human Services.

02/14/2026

02/14/2026

Want to get involved with the Garden District? Choose your pathway.

Whether you have one afternoon or are ready for a longer commitment, we have options that fit your schedule and goals.

Ways to get involved:
• Volunteer Garden District
• Community Garden Program- lease a space
• Garden Cultivator Program- lead a garden
• Urban Farmer Program- try urban farming
• Garden District Collaborative- partner with us

Start here: https://gardendistrictcorp.org/ or scan the QR on the graphic.