Who We Are
About Us
Community GroundWorks is a nonprofit organization that connects people to nature and local food. Through hands-on education, children and adults learn gardening, urban farming, healthy eating and natural areas restoration. Organized in Madison, Wisconsin in 2001 as The Friends of Troy Gardens, Community GroundWorks serves diverse communities and schools across the region.
Community GroundWorks is dedicated to developing, managing and stewarding Troy Gardens. On 26-acres of urban property, Troy Gardens integrates community gardens, an organic farm, and restored prairie and woodlands. Troy Gardens is open to the public and hosts an interpretive trail. Please visit, learn and enjoy!
Vision and Mission
Our vision: People cooperate to create and sustain healthy communities by growing food and caring for nature within their urban environments.
Our mission: Community GroundWorks connects individuals to urban agricultural and natural lands within a diverse learning community. We grow wholesome and organic food for local tables, steward urban natural areas, inspire healthful eating, and offer hands-on learning opportunities. By teaching what we practice, we pass on the skills to build enduring communities.
Core Values
Respect—Our strength comes from embracing diverse experiences, cultures and points of view, and from appreciating the integrity of the natural world.
Collaboration—We are committed to collaborative decision-making. We partner with and support the efforts of others who share in the work of building enduring communities.
Sustainability—We share in the collective responsibility to steward and protect the earth’s resources. We are committed to ethical business practices that ensure an economically healthy organization.
Innovation—We serve as a model for innovative land use. Continuing this tradition by developing new program designs and strategies to grow food and support healthful lifestyles.
Discovery—We invite people to stray off the path as they experience the land, allowing people to define their own experiences and interactions within a shared natural resource.
Social Justice—Everyone deserves plentiful access to nourishing, fresh foods and broad opportunities to experience nature.