Mercy Gardens

Fresh and Local for all

Mercy Gardens increases nutrition across Decatur by increasing access to fresh, local, nutrient-dense produce to the community.

At Mercy Gardens, we grow fresh, local produce on 1.25 acres between the Old King’s Orchard neighborhood and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital. This produce enhances Good Sam’s Noon Meal as well our partner food pantries including Northeast Community Fund, Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, and Crossing Healthcare.

In order to give some of our produce away for free, we also function as a local farmer, organizing and selling produce at the local farmer’s market, growing and selling Mercy Mums and pumpkins, and investing in a future urban aggregation site to support not only our own agriculture but those of other local farmers through 5-7 acres of farmland in the Old King’s Orchard Neighborhood.

Garden Staff Kent Jones shows off some Mercy Garden bell peppers CREDIT N Besser.jpg

Mercy Gardens Staffer Ben Frazier waters starts in the greenhouse CREDIT N Besser.jpg

Northeast Community Fund ED Angel Lawrence receiving produce for their pantry.jpg

GSI Staffer Charles Boyland plants and irrigates mums for Mercy Gardens to sell in the fall CREDIT N Besser.jpg

Summer salad featuring zucchini and tomatoes from mercy gardens.jpg

working in greenhouse - Marquis Crawford (former employee, went through Mercy Programs Job Training and worked 1 year) CREDIT Rachel Holden Photography.jpg

2023 Yield:

59,630 servings (10,611 lbs) fresh produce provided in 2023

5,228 lbs /26,728 svgs: Good Sam Noon Meal
5,352 lbs / 31,338 svgs: Partner Pantries:
- Crossings Prescription Produce Program
- Northeast Community Fund
- Catholic Charities
- Richland Community College Pantry

Sustainable Programming as a Local Grower

We are reducing barriers through social enterprise, or a business that uses profits to serve the community. Through this model, we are engaging the local workforce, consumers, and producers, and utilizing the capital from this venture to give away produce at a free or reduced price to those in need.

We are excited to not only be local farmers, but support local farmers and vendors who sell fresh food. We believe this model works to benefit all while utilizing the free market.

We are currently preparing this acreage while purchasing equipment including large spaces for washing, processing, and refrigeration of produce for storage, processing, and aggregation, as well as a refrigerated truck which will enable us to participate in distribution to local regions. This will provide access for small growers to a much larger and more lucrative distribution network and support our free and local programs here.

Contributing to a Resilient, Market-Based Local Food System

We contribute to a resilient, market-based local food system over time in many ways including a local Farmer's Market in Downtown Decatur, started in June of 2023. We accept SNAP benefits and also double SNAP money spent on local produce via a State voucher program.

So, a person can swipe $20 weekly in SNAP and receive $20 toward SNAP-eligible items and $40 in free vouchers toward produce.

This benefits both SNAP recipients as well as local farmers. This market is one step in establishing a distribution network for local produce and provides income back to Mercy Gardens through its produce sales.

Mercy Market 2023

$1,538 run on LINK

$2,400 in matches

Total of $3,938 in market dollars spent by people with food assistance

Learn about Mercy market