This is the final installment (part three) in our Garden Get Down Honoree Series. We are excited to be honoring some of our community’s most dedicated growers and fresh food lovers at this year’s Garden Get Down.
As a project of the non-profit Millvale Community Development Corporation since 2010, the Gardens of Millvale strives to create a food independent community through education, preservation, and sustainability. Since Grow Pittsburgh last held our Garden Get Down in Millvale in 2019, the gardeners have epitomized resiliency in expanding food production and deepening community impact through challenging times.
Today, the Gardens of Millvale spans 11 lots, and includes a full orchard lot, a hoop house, pollinator habitats, more than 45 raised beds. They’ve also improved their food distribution and created a paid staff position. Maya Little has been the dedicated garden manager in Millvale since 2020.
In the past few years, the space has evolved to become a kind of hybrid community garden and urban farm. “About half of the beds are for community growing to give away free food,” Little explained. “The rest of the garden beds are for residents who want to grow their own food.”
Although Millvale lacked a full service grocer until 2023, the gardeners have worked diligently to fill the gap. One recent development has been a Free Fridge started by the Millvale Community Library where the gardeners contribute fresh produce. “The Free Fridge has been a game changer,” said Little. “Before that, we held pop-up food distributions, but in the heat of summer, the produce could start to wilt and spoil before we could share it all. Now once food is ready, we pop it in the fridge, post it on social media and it’s gone within hours.” The gardeners have also offered public educational events around composting, soil testing, worm bins, and printing workshops.
Denise Rudar, a Councilwoman on the Millvale Borough Council, has witnessed the garden’s evolution firsthand, from being a volunteer in 2010, to eventually becoming one of the garden’s co-chairs. “I don’t think anyone had any idea it would become this big, but it was what the neighborhood wanted,” she said.
The pandemic, inflation, and climate change have all underscored the need for local food sustainability. “The need for food is so apparent,” Little said. “These past few years with the pandemic and inflation pretty much everyone’s been rocked or knows someone who has been, and knows what it’s like to feel uncertain about where your next meal may come from.”
She added, “Community gardens are fundamental to the health and future of urban areas and the people living there. We need true sustainability of local food supply. We need gardens and farms like this more than ever.”
Grow Pittsburgh is pleased to honor the Gardens of Millvale at this year’s Garden Get Down for their dedication to food security for all residents of the community. Join us on August 13th to celebrate these community growers and the rest of this year’s Get Down Honorees, including our “School Garden Hero” and our “Farm Stand MVP” awardees.
