Once a vacant and trash-filled eyesore, this 9,063-square-foot garden – encompassing four city lots – was originally founded in 1997 by members of the nearby Congregational Church of North New York and local residents.

Those involved in utilizing and maintaining the Willis Avenue Community Garden include a large and very active group of gardeners from the neighborhood, as well as members of adjacent churches who use the space for recreational and educational purposes. An important site for community gatherings and barbeques, the garden also provides a safe and protective green space for students from two nearby schools to engage with and learn about the outdoors.

The garden is located in the Melrose section of the Bronx and is situated at the corner of two busy thoroughfares. The primarily Hispanic residents of this community of single- and multi-family homes and small businesses have ensured that this space remains a fully functioning vegetable garden, equipped with a shaded food preparation area and picnic tables. Vegetables grown in the garden range from peppers and tomatoes to eggplant and beans. In addition, a rainwater harvesting system, located in the back of the garden, reduces stormwater run-off and conserves water used to replenish planting beds.

In 2007, Just Food, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a fair and sustainable food system in New York City, chose the Willis Avenue Community Garden for a model chicken coop – which provides eggs to the community and waste nutrients to enrich the garden’s soil. Gardeners from across the city and around the world now come to the garden to learn about raising chickens and building coops.