Urban Farm & MLK Community Garden
The Urban Farm & MLK Community Garden are designed to serve as a resource for environmental education, local food production, and sustainability. These green spaces encourage community members to get involved in urban agriculture, learn about regenerative urban farming practices, and participate in environmental activism through the lens of food justice.
We currently have community gardens located at five Shreveport Public Assembly & Recreation (SPAR) Centers and schools in Caddo Parish:
Airport Park
Atkins Elementary School
Bilberry Park
Hattie Perry Park
Lakeside Park
Ten of our gardens are located at elementary schools:
Caddo Heights Math/Science Elementary
Claiborne Elementary
Creswell Elementary
Greenbrook Neighborhood Community Garden
Sunset Acres Community Center
Linwood Public Charter School
Midway Professional Development Elementary
Sunset Acres Elementary
Werner Park Elementary
VOA Lighthouse
A garden and after school program
Centenary College
A community garden on the campus and maintained by
ShreveCorps, students and grateful neighbors
MLK Community Garden
Our flagship garden and a showplace for the neighborhood. 1.5 acres holds 32 beds, an orchard with 16 fruit trees, and two gathering areas used for workshops, events, and even potluck suppers!
KEY: DARK GREEN ARE SPAR CENTERS & THE LIGHT GREEN ARE SCHOOL GARDENS.
With the help of our ShreveCorps AmeriCorps members and volunteers, we are able to plant, maintain, and harvest fresh fruits and vegetables for area residents year-round. These gardens are not only here for healthy eating but learning as well. We hope that allowing children of all ages to be a part of the process from beginning to end will give them a better appreciation for these fresh foods. The earlier we introduce kids to fresh foods the more likely they are to incorporate them into their diet. We at Shreveport Green hope that our efforts are matched by those in the communities we serve during our garden workdays and other events. No matter the age, we hope everyone is able to sow and harvest an appreciation for these spaces.
Community Orchards
With the help of the Alliance for Community Trees, we started the first orchard in Allendale in 2012. In 2013 we obtained a Fruitful Canopy grant from the Office of Forestry to add orchards at all of our community gardens. We have since obtained a UPS grant to add a special section of fruit trees at our Growing Station at Walter B. Jacobs Park. This enables us to create our own source of fruit trees! Species include Satsuma, pomegranate, several varieties of fig, sweet and sour persimmons, and pears. We have also added blue berries and black berries to round out our fruit offerings!