Grow Pittsburgh

Project Details

Food Advocacy

Where: Pittsburgh, PA

Dedication Date: July 20, 2021

Donation Type: Greenhouses, equipment and solar array

Size: 14.5 kW

Claim to Fame: Earned income from annual seedling sales at Garden Dreams will increase by up to 300% with the greenhouses, allowing Grow Pittsburgh to operate the site and invest in other programs.

Project Overview

Grow Pittsburgh's mission is to teach people how to grow food and promote the benefits that gardens bring to neighborhoods. Pittsburgh’s Community Garden Program has built over 100 gardens, the Community Garden Sustainability Fund, and the Garden Resource Center tool lending library and materials depot.

Grow Pittsburgh grows food to help feed the community at The Frick Greenhouse and three urban farm sites: Garden Dreams Urban Farm & Nursery, Braddock Farms and Shiloh Farm. Growing more than 20,000 pounds of produce yearly, these sites provide access to fresh organic fruits and vegetables for local neighborhoods at weekly farm stands and food pantries.

Sun Club has donated Grow Pittsburgh a $211,000 grant to build out the Garden Dreams Urban Farm & Nursery with two 24 feet by 60-feet greenhouses. They will have an automated irrigation system, programmable environmental controller and energy curtain system. Thanks to a 14.5 kW solar array that will offset 100% of the farm’s electricity, the energy needs at Garden Dreams will be net zero.