New Castle Conservation
District
"Dedicated to soil and water management"
Urban/Community Agriculture
Looking for Urban Farmer and Gardener Mini-Grant Information? Click here!
Since the late 1990's NCCD has been a partner in assisting urban residents in overcoming obstacles to community gardening and urban agriculture such as soil toxicity, land acquisition, and by developing a mini-grant program where community gardeners and urban farmers can apply for financial assistance.
In 2017, NCCD worked in local partners and was awarded a grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts as part of their "Urban Agriculture Conservation Initiative." These funds allowed for the creation of a dedicated urban agriculture staff person and more robust urban agriculture programming. Since then we built upon those programs and continue supporting the growing urban agriculture community in New Castle County.
Below you will find more details about the different facets of our work in urban ag. For more information on any of the programs, please email our Urban Agriculture Coordinator, Madison Walter at madison.walter@delaware.gov.
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Tomato freshly picked from the Village Tree Garden in Wilmington, DE.
NCCD tour of 2019 urban ag. grant recipients
Urban/Community Ag Projects
Community Agriculture Resource Review
"New Ground Growers"
Training Program
Grow It Yourself (GIY) Program
Similar to a community mapping process, the Community Agriculture Resource Review is a collaborative project to document the numerous urban gardens and farms in our area and the programs that support them. Over the Summer of 2022, and in partnership with the Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition, our urban ag team conducted over 80 site visits, dozens of surveys and interviews, and review countless resources. All this information is still being analyzed but will be made publicly available by fall of 2023.
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In the mean time be sure to check out the Urban Agriculture Project Map which was created during this process.
Additionally, if you are interested in the tools and outreach method that were used, please contact Madi Walter for more information.
** NEW IN 2023 **
This is a FREE flexible and accessible training for urban/ community growers of all styles and scales to increase local food production. This program is designed for participants to craft their own journey as they round out their existing experience and education. Through a combination of events and assignments participants will learn about topics from the primary aspects of urban growing: planning, planting, tending, processing, marketing, and managing.
Learn more by visiting the New Ground Growers webpage or by downloading our program guide here.
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We would like to give a big thank you to all of our community partners and curriculum committee members for making this effort possible.
Grow It Your (GIY) is a two year program where NCCD partners with communities in New Castle County to implement a self-sustaining adult container gardening workshop series. This program utilizes the "Train the Trainer" model to help build capacity amongst local community members to take ownership of their GIY program.
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During the Summer of 2020 we were able to digitize some of our GIY workshop class content! Check it out at the links below!
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Small Garden Planning Video Playlist
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Container Gardening Basics Playlist
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Additionally, NCCD is willing to provide workshops or info talks on a wide range of urban agriculture topics to groups that are actively engaged or just starting in urban ag work, including community gardens.
Urban Farmer& Gardener Mini Grant Program
Danette Brock, NCCo Dept. of Community Services, plants lettuce transplants at the Absalom Jones Senior Center, a 2019 mini-grant recipient.
These grants, part of our Cost Share program, award up to $2500 to help urban growers improve and/or increase the access to local, healthy foods in New Castle County. This includes many different types of practices at a wide variety of scales. Past projects have included:
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Rain barrels/cisterns
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Fencing
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Garden start ups
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Acquiring soil and tools
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Outdoor food prep stations
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many more!
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-* 2023 Application is Now Closed *-
Our 2023 Urban Farmer and Gardener Mini Grant program is now closed. Applications were due Thursday, April 13th at 4:30pm. All applications are are being reviewed by our committee and all applicants can expect a response regarding their application status by the end of April.
If you have questions, please email madison.walter@delaware.gov. or call (302) 365-8983.
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Download 2023 Request for Proposal
Download 2023 UF&G Mini Grant Application
Download 2023 Frequently Asked Questions
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Looking for grant writing tips? Visit the DEUFFC's Resource Hub!
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Congratulations to our 2023 Recipients!
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Food Bank of Delaware - raised bed teaching garden
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Maple Lane Elementary School -perimeter garden fence
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Odyssey Charter School - greenhouse
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The ORCHARD - raised beds
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Ressurection Parish -raised bed repairs
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Rt. 9 Library (NCCo Dept. Community Services) - aeroponic towers
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West Side Grows Together - infrastructure improvements
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Wilmington Manor School - new school garden
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2019 Mini Grant Awardee- The Village Tree installed a new fence.
2020 Mini Grant Awardee- Downtown Community Garden installed 6 new, eco plastic raised beds and a composting system.
2021 Mini Grant Awardee- Urban Promise Academy installed eco plastic raised beds to grow veggies in their new school green space!
Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition (DEUFFC)
NCCD is a proud member of the Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition! DEUFFC formed in 2007 to support Wilmington, Delaware’s first urban farm, E.D. Robinson Farm at 12th and Brandywine. DEUFFC also organized the region’s first urban agriculture summit in 2011 during Delaware’s Ag Week. This summit led to an annual Ag Week event, which is still held today.
The Coalition represents a broad spectrum of individuals all working to support urban agriculture in Northern New Castle County. Their ongoing mission is to provide a network of support for community-oriented urban agriculture and community garden projects that seek to expand access to healthy foods in Northern Delaware. Together members work to achieve its mission through resource sharing, event coordination, networking, partnership, collaboration and community building activities.
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Get Involved with DEUFFC!
Our monthly e-newsletter is the best way to stay up to date with DEUFFC and it's members. These newsletters container event, opportunities, and interesting articles partners! Sign up to receive our newsletter here.
Share and learn about urban ag opportunities and resources, plus connect with other members!
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Our quarterly meetings are when the full DEUFFC membership comes together (or via Zoom) to hear updates from the committee, learn about urban ag topics and/or local projects, and share about their current projects. If you are interested in learning more about DEUFFC, this is a great place to start!
Our committees are small working groups that meet monthly to plan, organize, and execute the many projects and events the DEUFFC is working towards. Read below to learn more about each committee.
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Community Garden Committee: A standing committee which exists to connect new and existing community gardens to a variety of resources in order to support and sustain their activities. In recent years, the Community Garden Committee have provided one-on-one support to community gardens, has produced and updated the Northern Delaware Community Toolkit (see "Useful Link" below) and hosted "Ready, Set, Grow" a virtual networking and resource fair.
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Policy Committee: A standing committee which exists to evaluate and improve the way that DEUFFC activities are supported, allowed, and otherwise permitted by political processes. Previously this committee helped introduce a urban agriculture water resolution to Wilmington City Council and is currently working to produce other pieces of legislation that would further support and promote urban agriculture.
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To learn more about DEUFFC make sure to visit their NEW website at deuffc.org​
Helpful Links
What is Urban Agriculture? -USDA
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Northern Delaware Community Garden Toolkit- Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition
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2021 Urban Ag Session Breakout Room Results- Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition
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Pest Information Resource Guide- updated Summer 2019