The Randolph Street Community Garden is a ministry of the Champaign (Illinois) Church of the Brethren. The garden provides fresh fruits and vegetables to food pantry recipients, provides space for households to grow their own produce, and sells produce and gardener donations at regular Garden Markets. North Champaign is designated as a food desert, so the community garden provides a way to supply fresh food to the neighborhood.
The garden has also served as a community gathering space. The Champaign Church of the Brethren has sometimes moved worship outdoors and hosted garden parties. The garden is a destination for school programs, and has hosted many field trips where students receive a tour, a mini lesson on plant identification and edible weeds, and have the opportunity to volunteer in the garden. The garden has also been a site for the local school district’s Job Training program for 7 years, where local students can build skills like cooking, growing food, and pickling and canning produce.
The Randolph Street Community Garden has also helped form bonds between different members of the community, especially between youth and local police, a relationship that has historically been marked by distrust. The community garden is a place for all community members to participate, learn, interact, and benefit from freshly grown fruits and vegetables.
