Valley Community Gardens: Nearly a Decade of Growing Together

For almost ten years, a network of community gardens has been putting down roots across the Lower Naugatuck Valley. What started in 2017 as an initiative by Valley United Way (VUW) to address local food insecurity has grown into something much larger. They have become gathering places for neighbors to learn, grow, and share.

Valley Community Gardens is a collective of communal growing spaces created to increase access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs, while encouraging neighbor-to-neighbor connections. The gardens are open to all and require no buy-in or plot rental.

VUW, recognizing significant food insecurity across the region, partnered with local sponsors and donors to establish gardens in neighborhoods across Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, Shelton, and Oxford — built specifically to help residents access fresh produce. Originally branded by VUW as “Grow Your Own” Gardens, the collective rebranded itself in 2024 as Valley Community Gardens, inviting anyone to participate, harvesting what they need and donating the rest. At least half of the gardens are located at or adjacent to a food pantry.

What sets these gardens apart from traditional community plots is their open-door philosophy. While the towns of Derby, Ansonia, and Shelton all have functioning community gardens that allow residents to rent a plot, waiting lists for those plots can be lengthy. The Valley Community Gardens offer a different model with communal participation; no rental or buy-in required.

Garden facilitator Caty Poole, who served as Executive Director at Massaro Community Farm from 2012 to 2023, has seen firsthand how that openness changes things. "We know that gardening knowledge has often skipped a generation," she says. "People often see community gardens and think, 'I'd like to do that but don't know how,' or 'That garden must be members only.'"

By operating communally, residents can learn from one another, build skills together, and share in the watering, weeding, and harvesting when life gets busy. Garden spaces also provide a respite from the pressures of daily life and create opportunities for residents to know their neighbors. There's science behind it, too. Evidence indicates that getting one's hands in the soil increases serotonin and dopamine levels, decreasing stress and boosting mood.

The gardens also fill a critical gap in the region's food supply. Food pantries are having difficulty maintaining inventory as more working families rely on them to put meals on the table. Produce harvested at Valley Community Gardens can be donated directly to the nearest pantry, making each volunteer hour count twice.

Gardens are run by volunteer leaders who coordinate instruction-led days and ensure each site has basic supplies like seeds and seedlings, tools, and access to water. This season, leaders are also hoping to host rotating community events that could include garden yoga, food preservation workshops, and activities for kids.

The following ten gardens are active for the 2026 season:

Ansonia

• Beaver Brook — 96 Central St.

• Salvation Army — 26 Lester St.

Derby

• Griffin Hospital — 130 Division St.

• 5th & Olivia Streets

• Derby Public Library — 313 Elizabeth St.

Seymour

• Seymour Community Center — 20 Pine St.

• Trinity Episcopal Church — 91 Church St.

• Little Free Pantry on Skokorat — 58 Skokorat St.

Shelton

• Good Shepherd Church — 182 Coram Ave.

Oxford

• Little Free Pantry — 130 Bee Mountain Rd.

Those interested in getting involved — whether by building or maintaining garden beds, mowing, planting, watering, weeding, leading a workshop, or transporting produce to a local food pantry — can reach out at valleycommgardens@gmail.com. Updates and schedules are posted on Facebook under Valley Community Gardens and on Instagram at @valleycommgardens.