Home gardening increases fresh food access in food-insecure neighborhoods and helps shape healthy eating habits. Vegetable gardens also reduce carbon emissions associated with the transportation of fruits and vegetables, which are often trucked or flown thousands of miles to local food stores.

Goals
To help New Orleans become a healthier, more sustainable city, Green Light has built 550 backyard gardens over the past fewyears, with a ten-year goal of establishing 10,000 gardens. Green Light is committed to long-term impact and will support new gardeners with follow-up calls, site visits, and workshops.

Why 10,000 gardens?
The map above displays the 27,000 residents participating in Green Light’s energy-efficient light bulb program. Collectively, they save $27 million on utility bills and lower the region’s carbon footprint by265 million pounds of CO2. Like energy-efficient light bulbs, backyard vegetable gardens reduce a household’s carbon footprint lessens the burden of reoccurring living costs and improves the family's health. Imagine the impact that 10,000 backyard gardeners will have.