Land Network
GGN facilitates access to 10 farm, community garden and orchard sites across metro Atlanta. These sites collectively offer access to over 30 acres of quality land for cooperative farming. For growers who face barriers to access, land is vital to preserving cultural traditions, ensuring food security, and increasing financial stability.
Our sites serve as regional and national models of ecological land stewardship and collaborative food production. We focus on regenerative farming practices that improve soil fertility and biodiversity.
Rockdale Farm
GGN board members tour the site, which will launch in 2022 as an organic-certified cooperative farm for refugee, immigrant and BIPOC farmers.
In 2021, GGN acquired a new flagship farm in Rockdale County through an innovative partnership with The Conservation Fund’s Working Farms Fund. The 23-acre property will offer a permanent home for farmers who face barriers to accessing land and capital by establishing a cooperative farming model and sales enterprise. Our vision is for the farm to become a vibrant and inclusive hub for celebrating local agriculture and global food cultures. Learn more about this exciting new venture here!
Umurima Wa Burundi Farm
GGN’s first site, Umurima was established in 2010 as a shared community farm for a group of families from Burundi. Umurima means “farm” in the Kirundian language. The farm features a mix of traditional east African crops (cassava, squash, beans, peanuts, amaranth) and southern American staples (collards, sweet potatoes, onions). Located at and sponsored by East Decatur Station mixed-use development, the farm is convenient to the Avondale MARTA station used by farmers to travel from nearby Clarkston.
The women farmers at Umurima cultivate onions, sweet potato, squash, and more entirely by hand, and sell their produce to local marketplaces.
Clarkston International Garden
Growers from Bhutan practice mixed cropping methods to grow a wide variety of veggies at Clarkston International Garden for their families to enjoy.
Clarkston International Garden is a community garden and educational space located in the heart of Clarkston at the Forty Oaks Nature Preserve. The garden features 30 small in-ground plots integrated into a permaculture design on the sloped hillside. The garden features a rainwater harvesting system, rain gardens, fruit trees, native and pollinator plants, tool shed, 3-bin composting system, and a covered meeting pavilion.
Decatur’s Kitchen Garden
The large plots at Decatur’s Kitchen Garden offer growers space to cultivate a wide variety of culturally familiar veggies to eat at home, sell locally, or give to those in need.
Located inside Decatur’s beautiful Legacy Park campus, Decatur’s Kitchen Garden is a 2-acre community garden with 30 large in-ground plots for growers. This garden features an agroecology design, with fruit trees integrated between plots of annual crops, and keyline contours to capture rainwater and reduce soil erosion. The site also features a meeting pavilion, pollinator garden, pond irrigation, and a shared toolshed. DKG frequently hosts volunteer groups, field trips, corporate team building activities, and small outdoor events.
Decatur Community Orchard
This new orchard is a partnership between Global Growers Network, the City of Decatur, the Decatur Youth Council, and the Atlanta Local Food Initiative. While still in the planning stages, the orchard features recently planted apples, pears, blackberries, and persimmons (planted in 2019). Once the design is complete, the site will open to the public for pick-your-own events and learning opportunities. Stay tuned for updates!
North DeKalb Mall Garden
The NDM Community Garden was established as a partnership between Global Growers Network, North DeKalb Mall, Food Well Alliance, International Rescue Committee of Atlanta, and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. The 2-acre garden features large in-ground plots, a tool shed, and a table with benches for gathering. GGN and FWA coordinate garden maintenance and volunteer groups at the NDM garden.
Columbia Presbyterian Church Garden
Hosted by the Columbia Presbyterian Church, this garden features 5 in-ground plots for garden members matched by Global Growers Network. The garden is located on the front lawn of the church, and features a rainwater harvesting system, shared toolshed, and pollinator garden.
Columbia Theological Seminary Garden
Hosted by Columbia Theological Seminary and supported by their students, this garden features 6 extra large in-ground plots for garden members matched by Global Growers Network. The garden also includes several smaller plots used by students. A shared tool shed and irrigation system are available. The garden is in a peaceful setting behind the seminary, right next to large soccer fields.
Jolly Avenue Garden
The Jolly Avenue Garden played a supporting role in the formation of Global Growers Network, and is now managed by Friends of Refugees. GGN continues to provide technical assistance and co-host activities with Friends of Refugees at this vibrant garden which features 70 raised bed plots for tenants in nearby apartment complexes in Clarkston.