Community Garden
Growing sovereignty together.
The Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden hosts a thriving community garden. These garden beds are planned and maintained by local residents from our Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood with support from Sankofa staff, youth interns, and partners.
Due to the high volume of sign-ups we’ve received, applications for the 2026 growing season are now closed. Please check back in early spring for 2027 season sign-ups.
Space is limited! Priority for the 2026 growing season is given to returning gardeners from the 2025 season. Applications for new gardeners will be considered on a case-by-case basis, as beds are available.
More details about eligibility, cost, and community garden rules are available below.
Who Is Eligible
All gardeners, including both new and returning gardeners, must apply to participate each year.
In order to be eligible to apply, you must:
- Live near Bartram’s Garden: south of Baltimore Avenue, east of 70th Street, west of 38th Street, and north of Gray’s Ferry Avenue in order to apply for a plot. All address eligibility exceptions are on a case-by-case basis.
- Commit to the community garden rules (see below).
Priority is given to returning gardeners.
Cost & Payment
An annual membership fee of $25 is required for your garden plot to be assigned. This fee will go toward expenses of the community garden (seed purchases, community tools, meeting supplies, food, etc.). This fee is not refundable.
Membership fees can be paid with cash, food stamps, debit card, credit card, or check made payable to Bartram’s Garden at the time of your community garden orientation in spring.
Application & Orientation Process
In order for a plot to be assigned for the season, all community gardeners must:
- Complete the online application using the linked form, including committing to uphold the community garden rules and participate in community garden activities and workdays
- Participate in a 30–60-minute on-site orientation at the community garden. Orientation session sign-ups are embedded within the online application.
- Submit the required annual fee.
Community Garden Rules
We have a few guidelines to help keep our community safe and to maintain the integrity of the work we do at the Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden.
Below are the basic guidelines that we expect every gardener to commit to upholding.
1. The Sankofa Community Farm and Community Garden are Natural Agriculture–based farms rooted in ancestral growing techniques that emphasize cooperation with the natural processes of the environment. The use of any chemical pesticides or fertilizers is prohibited. Any gardener using chemical inputs of any kind will be asked to surrender their garden plots immediately.
2. Each community gardener is required to show up least two days a month.
3. Each gardener is expected to help, as able, during the season with general chores.
