We’re excited to feature nonprofit partner - Five Points Farm, a Community Garden! The Five Points Community Garden started on top of the Five Points MARTA station - but they've moved and expanded to create additional "points" around downtown. The garden is also a member of AgLanta Grows-A-Lot program where they share resources and information with other community gardens around metro Atlanta.
Get involved with 5 Points Farm:
To volunteer, click on this link
Learn more about Five Points Farm in our interview below!
Tell us about your organization – what’s your mission, and what does it mean to the our community?
The Five Points Community Garden is for downtown residents or workers (or close to downtown) who want to grow their own food, and well as build community in the heart of the city. We're also creating green spaces in a sea of asphalt and concrete. While our original garden was contained on top of the Five Points MARTA station - we've expanded beyond to create additional "points" around downtown that's now a pollinator garden at Underground and a rooftop herb/drip irrigation garden on top of the Kessler. We're a member of AgLanta Grows-A-Lot program where we share resources and information with other community gardens around metro Atlanta. We've also provided tours and hosted neighborhood meetings.
Can you share some impact stats or comments about the work being done by your organization?
Our impact extends far beyond our garden beds. In 2024 alone, we've engaged more than 400 volunteers who have contributed more than 2,000 hours to help us relocate and establish our new space. These dedicated individuals have transformed a neglected, weed-filled parking lot into a thriving green space that nourishes both body and soul. We're planning to continue our work as a gathering place for the community, hosting everything from Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association meetings to urban agriculture education events. Our garden is a living classroom, a community hub, and a model for sustainable urban living.
What’s the history of your organization? How and why did it get started?
Established in 2016 through a visionary partnership between Central Atlanta Progress, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (CAP/ADID), and MARTA, our garden has deep roots in the community. In 2018, we joined forces with the City of Atlanta's Office of Resilience through its AgLanta program, solidifying our position as a key player in Atlanta's urban agriculture movement.Today, our garden is a vibrant tapestry of galvanized steel planters, raised beds and giant clay pots brimming with garden favorites and exotic plants alike. From juicy tomatoes to aji peppers and aromatic za'atar, our 23 dedicated members cultivate a diverse array of produce. But we're more than just a garden—we're a vital source of fresh food in an area that lacks easy access to a major grocery store.Thanks to AgLanta’s Grows-a-Lot and support from organizations like Food Well Alliance and ChangeX, we've expanded our vision and reach. Our garden now boasts a greenhouse, tool storage, compost station in our new space - and a pollinator garden at Underground. We're proud to be an official Pollinator Partner and completing certification as a Pollinator Steward.
What kind of programming do you offer to the community?
While we haven't had a specific schedule of programming, we're also using our Hands On volunteer sessions to educate. And our Urban Ag partners have used our space for classes and online demonstrations.
What problem is your organization trying to solve, and can you tell us more about the issue?
Twenty-five percent of downtown Atlanta is parking lots. As someone who lives in a high-rise, garden space is usually a few plants on a windowsill. We're not only turning a gravel parking lot into much needed greenspace - but we're providing food and community.
“Volunteers have been critical to the success of the 5 Points Garden. While our garden members help to maintain their plots, it’s hard to get full participation for our other features in the garden. Without volunteers, we wouldn’t have been able to create our pollinator garden, build our greenhouse, install and maintain our hydroponic system. They have been critical in our move - with nearly 400 volunteers helping us since the start of this year. We wouldn’t exist without their help!”
What’s your biggest highlight or success from the past year?
Our move from on top of the 5 Points MARTA station to a gravel parking lot 5 blocks south. It took 6 months, much of that bringing plants and supplies down Forsyth St. - even carrying the greenhouse by hand! We're now in our new space and playing catch up to the growing season.
How many volunteers do you need every month, and can you describe the experience of serving with your organization for the volunteer? What do they do? What’s a day in the life as a volunteer with your organization?
We’ve had an extremely busy 2024 so far, and it’s with help from our Hands On volunteers that we’re getting things up and running. We haven’t had too many typical days - as we’re still setting up the garden infrastructure (think digging a new rain garden) - but we want to match volunteers with their skills - whether that’s construction and landscaping, or less strenuous like watering (great for kids) and weeding, mulching and planting seeds. And we’re eager to share our knowledge on what grows in Georgia! Dress to get dirty - and bring bug spray if they bother you. We have gloves if you didn’t bring them - and water to keep you hydrated.
We normally hold our biggest volunteer sessions with anywhere from 15 to 25 people on Sunday morning because it’s cooler, the on street parking is free, and it’s quieter downtown. Our work session will start at 9am - but those looking for some more community service time can come in at 8:30 to help set and break down after. We always do a group picture toward the end - which gives me a chance to thank everyone there. We also get a lot of return volunteers who jump right in to continue projects they’ve worked on before - we really want everyone to enjoy what they’re doing and to see their impact on our downtown community garden.
What types of projects do you offer? What are your biggest projects available, and needs from volunteers? Tell us abouta few different offerings.
We're always exploring projects that can make our garden better - as well as turn out space into an Urban Ag Resource Center. In addition to our new Zero Waste Zone Station (described below), we're building a rain garden. We'd also like to get a rain barrel up and running. And ongoing garden projects are seed planting, transplanting, weeding, fertilizing. We're also exploring creating a mural on our stone and brick walls.
Who is your volunteer manager, and what’s their favorite thing about working for your organization?
We're all volunteers at the 5 Points Garden - so there's not officially a volunteer manager - but what I really enjoy is giving volunteers a little direction and let them create the solution. It's especially rewarding when a volunteer shows a keen interest in one of our project - and they turn into a garden member. One example is our hydroponic system - where a young engineer took it on and is now managing it as a fun side project for him. Our best members started as volunteers.
“We want our volunteers to enjoy working in the garden, and give them ownership of their work. Whether it’s creating a raised bed or planting a tree - we want them to be able to come back and see the results and feel pride in how they’re contributed. And we look for opportunities to share our knowledge about growing a garden so that it’s less intimating.”
What’s going to be happening with your organization in 2024 that you’re really excited about?
We want to create a Zero Waste Zone Station @ 5 Points Community Garden. Atlanta launched the Southeast’s first Zero Waste Zone in 2009 - but it’s since disappeared. This project will look at what happened to it and how we can relaunch it on a smaller scale by creating a compost station at a downtown community garden that collects food waste from surrounding businesses using a bicycle cart.
The 1st goal is building a Zero Waste Zone station at the front of the 5 Points Community Garden (203 Forsyth St) that’s visible with signage to be a demonstration and education site. It will feature a robust, three bin compost system, a biochar kiln and vermiculture (and other waste reduction techniques as the students research what’s appropriate).
The 2nd goal is researching then creating a Zero Waste collection system. This is examining how the process worked in the past and establishing relationships with local food service businesses to restart it - and collect the waste using bicycle carts (there are a numberof urban bike-powered compost collection services in the US - we’d be the first in Atlanta!).
The 3rd goal is community engagement and education. The 5 Points Garden has already had more than 400 Hands On volunteers so far this year (many of those students). In addition to its current garden members, it plans to involve residents of The Melody (the first project in Atlanta's Rapid Housing Initiative). The Zero Waste Zone creates an opportunity to showcase composting to its members, volunteers and visitors.
Let’s leave our readers with a list of ways they can jump in and get involved. Tell us how we can support you!
Our normal volunteer sessions are Sunday mornings - so we welcome anyone of any ability or age (and bring a group and we'll have you work together). We can also accommodate groups outside of our normal volunteer days. I had a building consulting group construct our greenhouse on a Friday afternoon as a team building project.
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