The Manna Garden

Manna is one of only a handful of soup kitchens in the United States that has an onsite garden, which was started by The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado. The garden’s purpose is multidimensional and serves various segments of the population. It helps Manna be more self-sustaining and provides educational and nutritional benefits to the community.

Food harvested from the garden feeds Manna’s clients and supplies instructional produce for Manna’s Culinary Program. Roughly 2,400 pounds of produce were harvested in 2018, an increase of almost 900 pounds from the previous year, contributing to nearly 25,000 meals from June to October of that year.

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Manna & The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado have Merged!

We are thrilled to announce, Manna and The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado are merging to address the root causes of poverty, hunger and hardship in our community. Together we will expand our community relevance and impact, cooperating with families and individuals of all ages to achieve greater resilience and sufficiency by providing nourishing meals, support services, garden programs, food security education and job skills training. 

Learn more about this merger: 

Merger FAQ's
TGP History
Merger press release
DONATE to support
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Service Through Gardening

When you volunteer in our garden, you’ll be “growing” community and also learning about specialized topics that include Biodynamic and organic gardening maintenance. One in five children in La Plata County face food insecurity. With your participation, we can ensure a bounty of food for generations to come. Because of the dedication of The Garden Project, volunteers, clients, Colorado Master Gardeners, and local teens from La Plata Youth Services, our garden haven is a special place where everyone belongs and learns together.

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Cooking Matters at Manna

Learn how to prepare the fresh produce you receive at the Manna Market by attending a FREE 6-week cooking and nutrition class with Cooking Matters. Topics include: cooking tips and techniques, budgeting (how to stretch your food dollars and maximize your resources), plus tips on how to get your family to try new healthier foods. To sign up for the cooking class, visit the Manna Market or contact Brigid at bhunt@strength.org.

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Volunteer in our Garden

We host community volunteer workdays every Wednesday morning of the growing season from 9 - 11a.m.

Garden Tasks

Planting, mulching, weeding, dead heading, composting, bed building, harvesting, and more.

Things to Bring (if you have them!)

Gloves, hat, sunscreen, jacket, clippers.