A Garden For The Community

Opened in the spring of 2014, the Hershey Community Garden (HCG) was built on the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center campus. The garden was founded and built by Hershey Impact, which is comprised of The Hershey Company, Milton Hershey School, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company (HE&R) and The M.S. Hershey Foundation.

Employees from The Hershey Company and HE&R have volunteered to tend a large plot that donates fresh produce to the Hershey Food Bank, Ronald McDonald House and the Hope Lodge. Since 2014 more than 2,500 pounds of fresh produce have been donated. From the time the garden is planted in mid-April, employees visit daily to water, weed and pick the produce throughout the growing season.

In addition to the plot tended to by The Hershey Company and HE&R, there are an additional 124 garden plots available for the community to cultivate. All gardeners have the opportunity to participate in on-site educational opportunities, hands on gardening demonstrations and garden festivals. The garden boasts traditional garden plots, as well as plots designed for children and highly raised plots for those unable to bend to ground level.

Since HCG has been such a success for the community, ground has been broken on another phase which will add more than 115 additional plots. This is expected to be ready for the 2018 growing season.

For more information on the garden, please visit their website.