Garfield Community Farm

Today, we are amplifying the voices of Garfield Community Farm and its diligent work to advance food sovereignty in Pittsburgh.  The staff, volunteers, and residents that contribute to and benefit from this great organization create sustainable, growing paths to food justice, teach patrons about environmental justice, and invest daily in this community’s self-driven resiliency.  There are many ways to get involved, including open volunteering hours every Thursday evening during the spring and summer, classes and workshops like the Gardening Basics Workshop series, and enjoyment by all ages of community green play spaces.

Food sovereignty is the “right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.” 

Declaration of Nyéléni, the first global forum on food sovereignty, Mali, 2007 (as seen on the U.S. Food Sovereignty Alliance’s Homepage on 9/9/2026)

If you are looking for a more personalized way to join in, there are daily chore times and independent garden maintenance ‘stakeholder’ shifts that people can volunteer for on a consistent weekly basis.  Even residents who prefer to grow food on their own land can become part of the Garfield Growing Network, which centers individual and community relationships by sharing gardening knowledge and processes via peer-to-peer conversations.  Garfield residents in particular can inquire about raised garden bed installation through the GCF.  The organization wants to make local, sustainable food production accessible to everyone, including residents with limited space and unique accessibility needs. 

The Garfield Community Farm also offers educational programming both on-site and off-site at various schools in the city.  Educators are encouraged to inquire about the potential for in-classroom learning and field trips to the GCF itself. 

A little about their history from their website:

Garfield Community Farm was started by The Open Door Presbyterian Church in 2009. Our desire in the early years was to increase access to fresh produce for our neighbors and give congregation members a chance to give back to the community. What we didn’t expect were the dozens of local children who came to help, the community organizations, schools and church groups wanting to experience the farm, and the donors interested in investing in a neighborhood-based farm whose community was shaping it in greater ways than imagined. Today the farm is becoming more and more of a neighborhood asset by serving as a vibrant community green space. From artwork to seating to programming, our community members are continually shaping how our site looks and how it is used. 

Three Rivers Community Foundation has supported them from the very beginning - with their first grant from us being in 2009!

Come support this wonderful organization as it cultivates care for people and the Earth through urban agriculture and ecological education. 

EVENTS:

Fall Fundraiser on Thursday, October 1st from 7 PM to 10 PM at Tree Pittsburgh

Community Harvest Party on Saturday, September 12th from 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM at the farm.

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My name is Lucy, and I am the Social Work intern at the TRCF for the 2026-2027 school year.  I hope to learn how to better serve the Pittsburgh community by learning with Anne!