About the Rutgers Gardens Urban Farms and Community Gardens
Our community gardens are vibrant hubs for urban food production where students, faculty, and neighbors come together to grow fresh, nutritious, and culturally meaningful vegetables, fruit, flowers, and more. We are committed to revitalizing these spaces as safe, inclusive educational centers where garden members grow culturally significant crops, share traditions, celebrate their diverse food heritage, and build community, fostering connections to the land and one another.
The Rutgers Gardens Urban Agriculture team, which is part of the Rutgers Gardens Student Farm, envisions a set of thriving, inclusive community gardens that serve as a model for sustainable urban food production, cultural exchange, and food sovereignty. Through hands-on learning, we empower individuals with the tools and knowledge to grow nutritious food, extend the growing seasons, and preserve the harvests. By improving access to healthy food and creating opportunities for collaboration, these gardens provide a welcoming environment where people can connect, learn, and grow together.
The Esperanza Community Garden is located at 178 Jones Avenue in New Brunswick, near the Rutgers Community Farmers Market (RCFM) pavilion. Gardeners must be residents of Middlesex County or affiliated with Rutgers University and must be 18 years or older to rent a 4’ by 8’ raised bed for the gardening season. The Esperanza Garden is open 7 days a week, from sunrise to sunset, for community members to grow nutritious and culturally diverse vegetables, fruits, and herbs that feed their families or provide a source of income. The garden is open to the public during RCFM operating hours at Jones Avenue.
The Rutgers Gardens Student Farm (RGSF) team grows seasonal vegetables and flowers in the community garden and surrounding urban farm plots that attract and nourish pollinators for the benefit of the entire garden. The food grown here by the RGSF is shared equally among the community gardeners.
The Cook Organic Garden (COG) is located at 14 College Farm Road West, New Brunswick, on the George H. Cook campus of Rutgers University. This space is also managed by Rutgers Gardens, and community members have the choice of renting either a 10’ by 10’ or a 20’ by 20’ in-ground garden plot. Both the Cook Organic Garden and the Esperanza Garden are operated with a shared commitment to organic growing practices. Gardeners in this campus-based garden cultivate a wide variety of crops from around the world, reflecting the diverse community of the COG, the university, and New Jersey.
Both the Esperanza Garden and the Cook Organic Garden serve as vibrant community hubs where food and connections are grown. Community residents and university students, staff, and faculty are invited to participate as members.
Each member of both the Esperanza Community Garden and the Cook Organic Garden is responsible for the care and maintenance of their plot, and all participants attend group workdays on-site which foster cooperative relationships and keep the gardens thriving as well-maintained assets to the neighborhood. Rutgers Gardens and our cohort of student interns maintain the general community garden sites and composting operations, share gardening tools and sustainable agriculture knowledge with members, and ensure that the rules and policies of these communal spaces are followed.
Want to get involved without the commitment of maintaining your own rented garden plot? We welcome volunteers to lend a hand in our efforts to grow food and community!
Community Garden Rules and Regulations:
Garden Rules and Regulations (2025).docx
REGLAS Y REGULACIONES DEL JARDÍN COMUNITARIO.docx
Anahi Nicolas Gaspar coordinates urban community garden operations at multiple locations, including the Cook Organic Garden and the Esperanza Community Garden. Her efforts support community residents and university faculty, staff, and students working collaboratively to grow fresh vegetables, herbs, fruit, and flowers toward a goal of increased food security and garden beautification.
Rutgers Gardens Student Farm (RGSF) student interns rotate their experiential learning opportunities between the RGSF at the main Ryders Lane site of Rutgers Gardens and the urban farms throughout our campus.
Interested in a plot in our community gardens? Please contact Anahi via email at avn26@sebs.rutgers.edu.
If you’re interested in volunteering at either the Esperanza Community Garden or the Cook Organic Garden, please email Rutgers Gardens Senior Program Coordinator Moira Keihm at moira.keihm@rutgers.edu.
