How Gardenburger's gardens grow

About New York Restoration Project • Bette Midler founded the nonprofit New York Restoration Project (NYRP) in 1995 in the belief that clean, green neighborhoods are fundamental to the quality of life, and that every community in New York City deserves an oasis of natural beauty. • Seeing many parks and open spaces in dire need of cleanup and restoration, Ms. Midler created NYRP to be the "conservancy of forgotten places," particularly in New York City's underserved communities. • NYRP partners with individuals, community-based groups, and public agencies to reclaim, restore, and develop under-resourced parks, community gardens and other open spaces in New York City. • NYRP has removed over 875 tons of garbage from project sites, reclaimed more than 400 acres of under-resourced and run-down parkland, rescued scores of community gardens from commercial development and served over 10,000 at-risk urban youngsters with free environmental education programs.

In an effort to demonstrate how good food can transform people and communities, Gardenburger is providing support to community garden organizations nationwide.

"Community gardens across the country share the same philosophy as Gardenburger to make food that matters to people and their world," says Ami Krishan, Associate Director, Gardenburger.

Gardenburger has awarded funding to 14 nonprofit organizations through its Community Garden Grants Program to help provide communities with access to fresh fruits and vegetables by helping them create or maintain community gardening projects.

"We were inspired by the wonderful work that all of the organizations who applied for a grant are doing to provide community members with access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and are very excited to help 14 of them bring their community gardening projects to fruition," Ami adds.

The 14 chosen organizations were selected from a group of 362 qualified applications, each requesting grants between $1,000 and $10,000.

Gardenburger in the Big Apple

In a separate gardening initiative, a unique community garden was recently dedicated at a community center in New York City. Sponsored by Gardenburger, the event featured harvest activities, garden tours and native foods cooking demonstrations with field-to-fork education programs. Renowned artist and designer Fritz Haeg partnered with Bette Midler’s New York Restoration Project to create the garden which provided an educational tribute to the native Lenape people who lived on the island of Mannahatta 400 years ago.

Dozens of community volunteers and students joined the project to help build and plant the garden, transforming it into a beautiful, bountiful public space and outdoor classroom.

"This project embodied the idea of natural, healthy ingredients straight from this good Earth," Ami says. "The garden, which will continue to be maintained for the good of the local community, exemplifies Gardenburger’s belief in the importance of giving back to communities."

For more information about Gardenburger’s garden initiatives, please visit www.gardenburger.com.