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Welcome to Brittingham Community Garden! We are a collection of dedicated neighbors and friends who cultivate a small section of the Brittingham Park near the bike path. This garden started in 2013 and continues to serve a diverse population. We are grateful for our community partners like Community Groundworks, Freedom Inc, Bayview Foundation, and the Monona Bay Neighborhood Association.

History

Brittingham Community Garden is the result of a collaborative effort by many different organizations and individuals who worked to bring a community garden to the downtown area. The garden was originally proposed by Freedom Inc., a Madison-based nonprofit that promotes health and justice among low-income communities of color.  They noted a need for gardens accessible to the neighborhood’s many long-term Hmong residents, who would benefit from the nutrition, exercise, and community ties that gardens encourage. Community Action Coalition, and then Community GroundWorks, joined Freedom Inc. to secure space, support, and funding for the installation of the garden. We broke ground for our first growing season in 2013, making us one of Madison’s youngest gardens.  

Each year, Brittingham has continued to benefit from the support and partnership of the greater community. In 2014, the City of Madison and the Parks Department worked to install a water source at the garden.  In 2015, students UW-Madison’s College of Engineering partnered with Brittingham to design, build, and install a storage bench that would hold large tools and provide gardeners a place to rest.  Efforts by community member Mary Berryman Agard and artist Mike Burns brought the 2016 addition of “Updraft”, a sculpture, bench, and fence installation that unifies the garden and the park with both elegance and function.  We are grateful for the support we’ve received from all of our partners and we look forward to many more years of neighborhood collaboration in Madison!  

Join the Garden

Brittingham Community Garden is currently filled for 2020. To join our wait list please fill out our Contact form or call 1-608-509-4665. We give first priority to returning gardeners in good standing followed by those on the wait list the longest. We serve the Monona Bay neighborhood and will contact those who live within 1/2 mile of the garden first. Those who recently moved from other community gardens in good standing or interested in leadership roles may receive priority depending on the season.

There are many events throughout the growing season. All are welcome to attend a social event, workshop, or work day to meet the gardeners and get a feel for what a community garden is all about. Check out our calendar for the details!

If you aren’t sure that Brittingham Community Garden is the right place for you, try finding another community garden in Dane County at the Garden Network site. You’ll find a map with contact information for most community gardens in the area.