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Community gardenActiveSince 2018

Gorky Park Community Garden (Green School)

Moscow, Russia · Operator: Зеленая школа, Парк Горького (Green School, Gorky Park)

Overview

A citizen-participation garden run by the Green School inside central Moscow's Gorky Park. Families and children grow eggplant, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, salad greens, mint, sage and more in their own beds, functioning as an urban educational platform for learning to grow food.

Citizen participation

Residents rent a bed for the season and grow their own vegetables and herbs. Green School instructors provide gloves, tools, watering cans, seeds and planting guidance on site, and run themed 'garden meetings' through the summer. Each season ends with a Harvest Festival where participants present their crops and a 'Gardener's Diary'.

Operating model

Run by the Green School, the educational arm of the municipal Gorky Park. Beds are paid (e.g. family bed ~6,500 rubles per season), with tools, seeds and instruction included as part of an educational program.

Impact

Gives city dwellers without land a place to experience growing food in the heart of a megacity, contributing to family-oriented food and nature education and community building. It runs every season with an established Harvest Festival.

Land tenure

License / permit

The municipal park's operating arm licenses beds to residents on a paid, per-season basis.

Crops

  • vegetables
  • herbs
  • tomatoes
  • strawberries
  • peppers
  • salad-greens

Scale

Raised beds inside the Green School grounds in central Gorky Park; family beds 120x80 cm and small/children's beds 120x40 cm rented per season

Sources(2)

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Gorky Park Community Garden (Green School) — Urban Farm DB