The Community Garden of UT Arlington has yielded more than 5,000 pounds of food, to be donated to local food banks, since the project';s inception in 2011. Organizers say the project has strengthened the University';s bonds with the surrounding community while encouraging healthy, sustainable food options for local Arlingtonites.

The garden was previously controlled by community partnership between UT Arlington and Arlington Parks and Recreation Department. Management of the garden is now controlled by a local citizen group, meaning enrollment will be shifted to them as well.

"The community garden is a great way to conserve water, produce food for local food banks, and education local citizens about the environment," Assistant Director of Community Programs Bill Gilmore said.

The Garden is a 21,480 square foot sanctuary with 77 planting beds with three accessible 4x16s, and one 4×12 seed bed. In total the whole garden measures about half an acre. The garden is considered a suitability project due to the water collection system known as cistern which is a natural run off collection system that helps supplement city water usage.

The garden has everything you could want to satisfy your gardening needs, including garden tools, hose bibs, trash cans, water hoses and a storage shed. The facility itself includes mulched walkways, benches, crushed granite pathways, a shade arbor, accessible parking and a university police call station.

Enrollment for the 2015 planting season is now closed and the waitlist is full. Registration will open again early next year.