Benson Community Garden

About Benson Community Garden

The Benson Community Garden is a nonprofit community garden located in the heart of Omaha's Benson neighborhood at 1302 N 60th Street. Founded in 2011 by Kurt Goetzinger on a vacant lot he purchased next to his home, the garden has grown into one of Omaha's most active and beloved community growing spaces, now serving 33 gardening families each season. Our mission is simple. Grow food, build community, and make a positive impact on the neighborhood and environment around us. We do that through shared growing space, education, outreach, and a genuine commitment to bringing people together. Each season our gardeners grow fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in individual plots while sharing responsibility for the common areas that keep the garden running. A communal herb garden, pollinator plantings, composting stations, and shared tools support both individual growers and the health of the garden as a whole. We are actively expanding our educational footprint through the Discovery Garden, a new public demonstration space designed to showcase heirloom, heritage, and uncommon varieties that inspire visitors to grow beyond the typical Midwest garden. QR codes throughout the space link visitors to growing information they can take home and put to use. Community events are a core part of who we are. Over 15 years we have hosted concerts, art workshops, film nights, potlucks, youth programming, gardening talks, and seasonal celebrations that welcome the broader Omaha community into our space. Environmentally, we promote organic growing practices, rainwater harvesting, composting, and responsible urban land stewardship. Our garden transforms underutilized city land into productive green space that supports pollinators, reduces food insecurity, and strengthens neighborhood connections one season at a time. We are proud to have been part of the Benson community for 15 years and are just getting started.