Through our Community Agriculture Network, and as an affiliate of The Giving Grove, we partner with local organizations and community members to establish community orchards across Nashville. These orchards are built through collaboration and shared stewardship, creating spaces where neighbors can grow food together and share in its abundance.
Planting is expected to begin in early 2026, and applications are now open for future orchard sites. Some orchards will be located within existing community gardens, expanding access to fresh fruits, nuts, and berries in neighborhoods with limited food access.
Each orchard is cared for by trained volunteer orchard stewards, with ongoing support and resources provided by The Nashville Food Project and The Giving Grove. Together, these stewards help ensure orchards remain productive, welcoming, and rooted in community care.
Beyond food, community orchards strengthen neighborhoods. Fruit trees improve urban tree canopy, support biodiversity, enhance soil health, manage stormwater runoff, and help create cooler, greener environments. Over time, these orchards become places of nourishment, learning, and connection for generations to come.
Orchard Partner Criteria
To qualify as an orchard partner, sites must meet the following criteria:
Land access: Permission to use the land for a long-term orchard.
Water access: A reliable water source to support tree establishment and ongoing care.
Sunlight: A cleared planting area that receives at least eight hours of sunlight each day.
Committed stewardship: A minimum of two orchard stewards who are responsible for the care and maintenance of the orchard. If one steward is no longer able to serve, the site is responsible for identifying a replacement.
Community support: Established relationships with eight to ten additional individuals who are willing to support the orchard over time.
Community benefit: A commitment to sharing a portion of the harvest to increase community access to healthy food.
For more information about the role of an orchard steward, please review the steward description linked here.
What we Provide
In partnership with The Giving Grove, we offer support throughout the life of the orchard, including:
Site evaluation and planting support: TNFP staff will visit your site to determine appropriate planting locations and tree varieties. We provide trees, brambles, soil amendments, mulch, tools, and guidance on planting day. Partner sites are responsible for providing volunteers or coordinating with TNFP staff to support volunteer needs.
Ongoing support: Our team is available to answer questions and provide site visits as needed.
Training and education: Orchard stewards receive access to workshops, trainings, and educational materials throughout the year.
Next Steps
If your site meets these criteria, we encourage you to complete an application to join the Community Agriculture Network. If you are not quite there yet, we are happy to schedule a conversation to explore next steps and determine whether partnership may be possible in the future.
Please note that we are unable to partner with schools at this time. Schools interested in orchard projects are encouraged to contact our partners at Nashville Foodscapes to learn more about available support.
The Giving Grove
The Giving Grove’s mission is to provide healthy calories, strengthen community, and improve the urban environment through a nationwide network of sustainable neighborhood orchards. Their work recognizes that growing food is not only about nourishment, but about connection, stewardship, and care for the places we share.
We are proud to be an affiliate of The Giving Grove, a national 501(c)(3) organization that shares our commitment to food access and understands how growing food together helps build stronger, more connected communities.
After five years of successful programming in Kansas City, Missouri, The Giving Grove launched a national affiliate network in 2017. This action-oriented network was created to support organizations across the country that are rooted in their communities and committed to long-term orchard stewardship. Since then, The Giving Grove has brought together partners like The Nashville Food Project to share knowledge, resources, and best practices.
Through this network, The Giving Grove provides both technical and financial support for new orchard programs and expansions. Partner organizations also benefit from ongoing opportunities to learn alongside one another, strengthening a collective effort to support neighborhood vitality and healthier urban environments.
From planting and pruning to pest management and long-term care, The Giving Grove’s educational resource library draws on experience from more than 550 orchards growing fruit, nuts, and berries nationwide. This shared knowledge helps ensure that each orchard is equipped to thrive, season after season.
Philanthropic Partner
TNFP’s affiliate partnership with The Giving Grove is made possible through the generous support of Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Their continued commitment to our mission has helped grow and distribute thousands of pounds of fresh produce each year, while sustaining and expanding community farming initiatives that increase fresh food access across Nashville.
Learn more in this WKRN News2 story highlighting Tito’s support of TNFP.