David Sepulveda Photo
Volunteers building a hoop house at ChapelSeed.
One of the longest-standing examples of New Haven’s community-garden movement is now in the hands of the New Haven Land Trust.
The Land Trust already operated the garden, ChapelSeed at 1592 Chapel St. But it leased the land from the city.
It has now purchased the land from the city for $4,000 in the hopes of ensuring the garden continues for years to come amid encroaching economic development.
“ChapelSeed Community Garden has been in existence for over 20 years, and has been an important asset to the West River community,” stated a Land Trust release. “Each year 30 – 40 gardeners of all backgrounds use the garden to grow their own organic vegetables as a source of healthy food. The garden also serves as a central location for neighbors to come together and develop connections with their fellow gardeners and community members. The garden is a much-needed green space in West River and benefits not only the neighbors but the community at large. In addition to the ChapelSeed community gardeners supporting their individual raised garden beds, gardeners have a large, shared plot on the property where they communally grow food. This spring the Land Trust constructed a hoop house to allow gardeners to extend the growing season and increase the amount of vegetables they produce each year.”
The release quoted Land Trust Executive Director Justin Elicker as saying, ““We are excited that ChapelSeed garden will be a permanent community asset for the benefit of West River and New Haven. In these divisive times, local grassroots efforts that bring people together such as the work gardeners are accomplishing at ChapelSeed Garden are more important than ever.”
Neighbors started the garden in the 1990s as part of an effort by City Hall’s then-new Livable City Initiative (LCI) to convert abandoned properties into active uses that build community.