This toolkit is designed to support public gardens and other organizations interested in initiating, expanding, or adapting current urban agriculture programs. Developed by the United States Botanic Garden in collaboration with Chicago Botanic Garden's Windy City Harvest, it uses Windy City Harvest as a case example to illustrate key concepts in urban agriculture program development and operation. The toolkit addresses institutional, physical, and programmatic considerations relevant to urban agriculture, and describes a range of audiences and purposes that urban agriculture programs can serve.
Throughout the toolkit, readers will find example lesson plans, standard operating procedures, program outlines, farm site layouts, funding resources, and other reference materials. These tools can be flexibly used or adapted to support the development and operation of urban agriculture programs that fit the unique needs and interests of public gardens, their partners, and their local communities.