Council of Gardeners

Growing Collective Power Across NYC Gardens

The Council of Gardeners is a cross-borough network of community gardeners and open-space allies working together to strengthen and sustain New York City’s community gardens. Convened by Green Guerillas, the Council creates a dedicated space for gardeners to connect, share knowledge, identify collective priorities, and take coordinated action.

For more than 50 years, Green Guerillas has supported and protected community gardens across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, advancing environmental justice, food sovereignty, and neighborhood-led leadership. The Council builds on this legacy by centering the voices of gardeners themselves. It ensures that those who steward these spaces have a platform to collaborate, advocate, and shape the future of community gardening in NYC.

Together, we grow more than gardens, we grow community power.

Your Voice Belongs Here

The Council is open to all community gardeners and open-space allies, from long-time garden leaders to emerging stewards.

Whether you manage a plot, organize events, or support your local garden in any way, your experience and insight are valuable. The Council exists to amplify grassroots leadership and ensure every borough is represented.

What the Council Does

The Council provides a collaborative space to:

Share knowledge, resources, and best practices
Address common challenges across boroughs
Build leadership within garden communities
Advocate for policies that protect and expand community gardens
Strengthen connections between gardeners citywide

Council meetings are designed to be participatory, inclusive, and solution-focused. Each gathering centers the lived experience of gardeners and creates space for meaningful collaboration across boroughs.

Our Council Meeting Structure

Wisdom Sharing & Updates

Meetings begin with gardeners sharing updates from their communities, successes, seasonal challenges, policy concerns, and emerging issues. This space allows members to learn from one another’s experiences and surface common themes affecting gardens citywide.

Open Discussion & Collective Problem-Solving

Through guided dialogue, participants explore shared challenges, exchange practical strategies, and offer peer support. Whether addressing land security, resource gaps, leadership transitions, or city agency coordination, the Council prioritizes collaborative solutions grounded in community knowledge.

Action Planning & Advocacy Alignment

Each meeting concludes with identifying next steps and collective priorities. Members discuss advocacy opportunities, upcoming events, and ways to strengthen coordination across boroughs. Action items are community-driven and focused on advancing policies and practices that protect and expand NYC’s community gardens.

Our Committee Chairs

Meet the community leaders who help guide the Council of Gardeners across New York City. Representing gardens in every borough, our Committee Chairs bring lived experience, grassroots leadership, and a deep commitment to collaboration, ensuring that gardeners’ voices remain at the center of advocacy, decision-making, and collective action.

BROOKLYN

Fiodhna O'Grady

T&T Vernon Block Community Garden

Jess Frost

Maple Street Community Garden

BRONX

Chantal Phaire

Bronx River Community Garden

Lina E. Krakue

New Beginnings Community Garden

MANHATTAN

Barbara Caporale

Sixth & B Garden

Ixchel Austin

Grant Shade Garden

QUEENS

Sonia Ferraro

Paradise Community Garden

Elizabeth O’Connor

Moore Jackson Community Garden

2026 Advocacy Training

Our Advocacy & Civic Engagement Training brought together gardeners, community leaders, and partners from across New York City to strengthen their voices and build practical advocacy skills. Designed as a two-part workshop, the training focused on helping participants better understand civic systems and how to effectively engage with them.

Across both sessions, participants explored tools for civic engagement, learned strategies to advocate for their communities, and gained insight into how policy and decision-making impact community gardens and green spaces. The training also highlighted the importance of community-led leadership in shaping more equitable and sustainable neighborhoods.

Through collaborative learning, hands-on discussion, and shared experiences, the sessions created space for connection, knowledge-building, and collective action toward lasting change.