Temple Shalom Opens Urban Garden

Temple Shalom will celebrate the opening of its 12,100-square-foot urban farm on Dec. 10.

The Justice Garden was grown with help from People’s Garden to limit food insecurity within Dallas. The ribbon cutting and dedication celebration will start at 12:30 p.m.

The dedication will feature remarks from Natural Resources Conservation Services state conservationist Kristi Oates and Farm Service Agency state executive director Kelly Adkins. 

Included in the garden are 56 raised garden beds and eight no-bend beds for accessibility. The garden was built with four pillars — education, ecology, wellness, and food justice — making it unique among People’s Gardens located in 17 urban hubs across the U.S.

The Temple Shalom Justice Garden started in October 2021 and rapidly expanded in 2023 through a $74,999 United States Department of Agriculture’s People’s Garden Program grant. 

The garden will collaborate with NRCS and community organizations dedicated to food security to bring food to families in need.

Dallas has the fourth highest number of food insecurity for children in the nation, according to the North Texas Food Bank. An average of 15.5% of households in Texas reported they lacked consistent access to affordable and healthy food, more than 4% higher than the country’s average, said the most recent USDA annual study measuring food security in the U.S. 

People’s Garden has a goal of bringing communities together to produce local food and practice sustainability. People can register to be a part of People’s Garden if they sign up, grow a sustainable garden, and teach about gardening and resilient local food systems.