180 gardens, one city: how Denver Urban Gardens builds community from the ground up
📍 Denver
Denver Urban Gardens manages 180+ community garden plots across the metro. Here's how they work, who they serve, and how to get your hands dirty.
Why we're sharing this
DUG is one of Denver's most accessible volunteer entry points. No application, no background check for most events — just show up and dig.
Denver Urban Gardens started in 1985 with a few plots. Forty years later, they manage over 180 community gardens across the Denver metro area, making them one of the largest community garden networks in the country.
The model is simple: DUG secures land, builds garden infrastructure, and supports community members in growing food together. Individual gardeners rent plots for a modest annual fee. Volunteers help with the heavy lifting — building raised beds, turning compost, maintaining paths, and running events that bring gardeners together.
What volunteering looks like
DUG runs several volunteer tracks. Drop-in workdays are the easiest entry point — check volunteer.dug.org for upcoming dates and show up ready to get dirty. Recent events have included building a therapeutic garden pathway at Sabin School and pruning fruit trees at Barnum Orchard.
The Garden Leader program is a deeper commitment: leaders serve as the point person for a specific community garden, making sure the space stays welcoming and functional for all plot holders. The Tree Keeper program focuses on DUG’s food forest sites — pruning, watering, mulching, and caring for fruit trees that provide free produce to the surrounding neighborhood.
Group volunteering is available for corporate teams and organizations. In 2025, 23 corporate groups contributed over 5,500 volunteer hours across DUG’s network.
Why community gardens matter
Community gardens do more than grow food. They create a reason for neighbors to be in the same place at the same time, doing something together. Research consistently shows that community gardens reduce social isolation, improve food access in underserved neighborhoods, and increase property values in surrounding blocks without displacing residents.
DUG’s gardens serve neighborhoods across the income spectrum. Some plots feed families that depend on the produce. Others are tended by retirees who come as much for the conversation as for the tomatoes. The mix is the point.
Getting involved
Browse events at dug.org/events or sign up for individual volunteer shifts at volunteer.dug.org. Community service hours (court-ordered or school-mandated) are accepted through a separate registration at form.jotform.com. DUG’s office is at 1031 33rd Street, Suite 100, Denver CO 80205 — email volunteer@dug.org or call 303.292.9900.