Richmond, VA – The Jefferson Avenue Community Garden (JACG) in Union Hill was founded by neighbors in 2000 to create a community greenspace at 2310 and 2312 Jefferson Avenue. Sited on approximately 0.116 acres (5,053 square feet), the garden has been in continuous operation since 2002. Its origin began through an agreement with the then owner of the property, Richmond Affordable Housing (known today as Better Housing Coalition (BHC).
BHC allowed community members to install raised bed gardens to grow fresh produce in a part of the city that had long been void of grocery stores. It also marked the beginning for Tricycle Gardens, a non-profit organization that used community gardening to revitalize urban neighborhoods and address food access issues and grew to include several sites across the City.
While other community gardens faced the risk of losing access to the land because they did not own it and often did not have written leases, Jefferson Avenue Community Garden was able to secure its tenure when BHC gifted the property to Tricycle Gardens in 2019. Uncertainty loomed, however, when the following year Tricycle Gardens ceased operations and transferred its urban agriculture fellowship program and the property to the Enrichmond Foundation. Then Enrichmond abruptly dissolved in July 2022.
Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC) worked through the Enrichmond dissolution process to ultimately purchase several properties including the Jefferson Avenue Community Garden site. All the while, CRLC partnered with Stacey Moulds, Garden Manager, to secure the garden’s future and has subsequently recorded a conservation easement and transferred ownership of the garden to Verdant Richmond, which serves as the fiscal agent for JACG.
“Over 20 years ago, I contacted Bill Greenleaf to inquire if CRLC would protect this property under a perpetual conservation easement,” said Stacey Moulds. “We are now here! I am overjoyed that this land will be forever preserved as a community garden and greenspace for everyone to enjoy.
“Green places, spaces, and community gardens allow our urban community to breathe and where neighbors gather together, and bodies and souls are holistically nourished,” says Councilmember Cynthia I. Newbille, Richmond City Council, East End 7th District. “I celebrate the collaborative work and success of so many people and organizations that have pioneered and partnered on this transformational project that will be serving the health and wellbeing of our community for many years to come.”
While there are 24 community gardens operating on City-owned property under the Richmond Grows Gardens initiative, the Jefferson Avenue Community Garden predates many of these and was started on privately-owned land. For nearly a decade, Tricycle Gardens operated a 1/2-acre urban farm at 9th and Bainbridge Streets in Manchester on private property until it was redeveloped into townhouses.
“Whether operating a community garden, an urban agriculture site, or a rural farm, those who grow the food we eat often do not own the land on which they work,” said Parker C. Agelasto Executive Director of Capital Region Land Conservancy. “It is therefore essential to the future viability of our agricultural sites that those entities that invest to improve soil health, maintain greenspace, and put food on the table have self-reliance and don’t face eviction when a landlord has different plans.”
Approximately 33% of all agricultural acreage in Virginia is leased. According to the United States Census of Agriculture, in the prior five years between 2017 and 2022, Virginia had more than 488,000 acres of farmland converted to some other use while 10% of all farms ceased to operate. The Richmond region lost 9,632 acres of farmland and 227 farms. More than 80% of the 39,000 farmers in Virginia own or operate a small farm generating less than $50,000 in annual sales.
The conservation easement on the Jefferson Avenue Community Garden site prohibits the construction of dwellings on the property and limits the amount of impervious surface that can cover the ground. In addition, deed restrictions require the property to be used only for purposes of a community garden and owned by a non-profit organization for the benefit of the public.
“As an advocacy organization for the City’s green spaces, it was appropriate for us to expand our vital role as a community partner to serve as a fiscal agent for 11 community gardens and five friends groups when Enrichmond dissolved,” said Lawrence Miller, President of Verdant Richmond. “We look forward to continuing to support the Jefferson Avenue Community Garden well into the future.”
While community gardens serve a vital purpose in communities, it is worth noting how Richmond has evolved since JAGC was organized. Today, community gardens are an important strategy outlined in the RVAgreen 2050 Climate Equity Action Plan. The 2018 Farm Bill also established the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production with the Richmond location opening in 2020 as one of five inaugural offices across the country. The Richmond Urban County Committee with the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) was also established and comprises elected members to provide feedback on how USDA programs can better serve urban agriculture producers.
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About Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC): Capital Region Land Conservancy is dedicated to conserving the natural and historic resources of Virginia’s Richmond region for the benefit of people and nature. The nonprofit land trust serves the City of Richmond and 19 surrounding counties. Since 2005, CRLC has helped protect more than 15,000 acres, including easements on more than 5,000 acres. www.capitalregionland.org
Contact:
Parker Agelasto, Executive Director
202.302.0153
parker@capitalregionland.org
