Casper Urban Farm Donated 5,000 Pounds of Fresh Produce

A six-year dream is bearing fruit in Casper, Wyoming, where volunteers are turning donated land into thousands of pounds of fresh food for families in need.

The Grow Casper Urban Farm celebrated its first full harvest in 2025, producing 5,000 pounds of fresh vegetables from 58 community garden beds, one greenhouse, and a 25,000 square foot in-ground garden. All the strawberries and onions grown in the ground went straight to the Food Bank of Wyoming.

The farm's journey began in 2020 when Wyoming Medical Center gifted land on East 2nd Street to the Casper Community Greenhouse Project. The first few years focused on building infrastructure and establishing the foundation for what would become a community lifeline.

Now the farm is growing fast. The property holds 75 trees, including 35 fruit-bearing varieties that will expand this year. An apiary for beehives is coming in 2026, along with extensive fencing to protect crops from hungry deer that discovered the garden last August.

On a recent Saturday, Boy Scouts joined regular volunteers to plant 500 onions and prepare soil for the spring growing season. Tenderfoot Jay, grinning as he worked alongside fellow scouts, explained his motivation simply: "I know a lot of people like fresh food that isn't covered with, like, wax and stuff."

Harold Moya, who spent the day setting fence posts, has become a repeat volunteer. "It gives me a sense of purpose being out here," Moya said. "It makes me feel good inside, knowing what I'm doing, giving back to the community."

The Ripple Effect

The farm isn't just feeding families. It's becoming an outdoor classroom where young people can discover a passion for growing food.

This summer, the YMCA and Science Zone will bring campers to get their hands dirty and learn where food really comes from. Executive Director Jennifer Gillihan sees these programs as workforce development in action, helping youth discover careers in agriculture while building practical skills.

The master plan includes three more greenhouses, an indoor botanical garden, a geodome, a commercial kitchen for teaching food preservation, and a children's garden. Each addition will create more opportunities for Casper residents to learn, volunteer, and access fresh produce grown right in their community.

Anyone interested can join volunteer days throughout the summer or adopt their own community garden bed to tend.