Item 2. Community Gardens Update - July 2026 — original pdf

Backup

Update Community Gardens Austin Parks & Recreation | July 13, 2026 Staffing Update New Community Garden Coordinator Hiring Education Specialist, adding a 30-hour position to our team. Agenda What is a City-Supported Community Garden? New Community Gardens Program Map on City Website The Three Categories of City-Supported Community Gardens Water Tap Plan Process Improvements Composting Effectiveness Improvements Water Conservation Funding Pollinator Education Time for Questions Defining Community Gardens We have two different categories of Community Gardens in Austin. 18 Traditional Community Gardens 12 Program Gardens Some for seniors only (55+) Gardens Matter Community Gardens are valuable to Austin residents. Volunteers, staff, and program participants add beauty and grow food in neighborhoods. 6,110 Volunteer Hours (Communal Areas) 688 Active Gardeners 590 Garden Plots 75 Orchard Trees 9+ Languages Supported We welcomed a new Community Garden Coordinator to lead the program and provide dedicated oversight. Additionally, we arreparing to hire a Culture & Arts Education Specialist who will directly support community gardens, adding a 30-hour position to our team. Map of Community Gardens https://www.austintexas.gov/parks/programs/join-community-garden We welcomed a new Community Garden Coordinator to lead the program and provide dedicated oversight. Additionally, we arreparing to hire a Culture & Arts Education Specialist who will directly support community gardens, adding a 30-hour position to our team. Map of Community Gardens There are 3 different color-coded categories to help you find a fit for your needs. Water Taps Process Improvements Through collaboration with Austin Capital Delivery Services and a formalized partnership with Austin Water we have streamlined the process for developing engineered water tap plans for community gardens. Community Gardens Budget The Austin Parks & Recreation Community Gardens Program has a newly allocated budget of $30,000 per fiscal year. The Annual Budget Includes: - 1 Engineered water tap plan - 1 Water tap install - Educational program materials - Brush pickup pilot program - Garden entrance signage - Emergency water access support - Annual potluck gathering event - Language access services Composting Best Practices To address challenges with ineffective and unused composting systems, we organized gardeners to visit sites with successful composting operations. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we plan to conduct follow- up site visits in summer of 2027 to evaluate progress and share best practices. Water Conservation Funding Discussions are underway with Austin Water’s Water Conservation team to establish best practices for cistern maintenance and identify funding opportunities for installing new cisterns, adding cistern pumps, and repairing existing cisterns. These efforts will enhance water conservation and ensure reliable irrigation solutions for community gardens. Pollinator Education The APR Native Bee Monitoring Program founded in 2023 is made up of 11 volunteer Master Naturalist and coordinated by APR staff. 7 volunteers and City staff collaboratively created an infographic to educate the public on the best pollinator plants to support native bees in Travis County and distributed the infographics at two events for National Pollinator Week. Program Contact: communitygardens@austintexas.gov