Project Description

Promise Garden continues to develop as a premier urban agriculture demonstration site and community garden in the heart of downtown New Brunswick, NJ. Promise Garden operates through a land-use partnership with the United Methodist Church of New Brunswick, foundational support, and the hard work of over 300 volunteers annually! This site offers 50 raised beds for local residents to grow healthy produce in the city. The garden includes an Apiculture Project with two bee hives, a Fruit and Nut Tree Orchard including Hazelnuts, Apples, Blueberries, and Raspberries, and Promise Compost which diverts over 10,000 pounds of plant-based food waste from our Promise Catering to create new soil for improving garden beds.

The garden is an outdoor classroom for New Brunswick Elementary School students who participate in Lets Cook for Kids. Over July 2017, Promise Garden hosted over 60 elementary students to learn about growing and harvesting healthy fruits and vegetables and inspired kids to learn more about local food, soil, and pollinator production.  Promise Garden also offers a variety of community events including story slams, musical performances, and educational workshops. In this way, the garden celebrates food production and community roots.