Community Gardens in Cabarrus County: How to Find a Plot, Start One at Church and Get Free Garden Help
A garden plot can stretch a grocery budget, get children outside and put fresh vegetables on the table. Cabarrus County does not keep one public list of community garden plots, but there are clear places to start, and most of the expert help is free. Fresh produce matters to us too; see how a Concord food box is built.
Start With the Extension Office
N.C. Cooperative Extension's Cabarrus County Center is the local hub for home and community gardening. Staff and trained volunteers give research-based advice on soil, vegetables, pests and plant choices. Call and ask whether any community or church gardens near you have open plots or need volunteers.
The office is at 715 Cabarrus Ave. W, Concord, NC 28027. Phone (704) 920-3310. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On the lawn beside the office is a free public pollinator garden, about 650 square feet, planted in 2022 by Extension Master Gardener volunteers.
Finding a Plot Near You
Many gardens here are run by churches and neighborhood groups, not the county. Some Cabarrus congregations have grown produce for local food pantries, and plots open and close from season to season. If a church near you has raised beds, call the church office and ask who coordinates them, whether there is a fee and what the rules are.
Good questions to ask: Is there water on site? Where are tools kept? Are there required work days? Is any of the harvest shared with a pantry? A well-run garden has written rules and one clear contact person.
Starting a Garden at Your Church or in Your Neighborhood
NC State Extension's free guide, Growing Communities Through Gardens, is written for neighborhoods, schools, work sites and faith communities. It covers land, water, design and planning. Find it at nccommunitygardens.ces.ncsu.edu.
Test the soil before you dig. The N.C. Department of Agriculture tests soil free for North Carolina residents when samples reach its Raleigh lab by 5 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2026. From Dec. 1 through March 31, the fee is $5 per sample. Pick up sample boxes and forms at the Extension office. Questions: 919-664-1600.
Become an Extension Master Gardener
If you want to learn deeply and then help others, the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program has trained Cabarrus volunteers since 1979. The 2027 class runs Jan. 16 through May 1, 2027, with 40 hours of instruction on soil, vegetables, fruit, native plants and more. The registration fee is $144, and beginners are welcome. For other ways to serve, see where to volunteer in Concord.
Graduates become certified after 40 hours of approved volunteer service within one year. To stay certified, volunteers complete 10 hours of continuing education and 20 volunteer hours each year. The application deadline and class format were not listed, so call (704) 920-3310 to confirm.
Need Food? We Deliver — Free of Charge
Solo Faith Church partners with DoorDash to deliver free groceries directly to families across Concord. No paperwork. No judgment. Just food delivered to your door. Request a free grocery delivery.
Community Support Note: This resource guide is part of Solo Faith Church's community directory. Facts come from N.C. Cooperative Extension's Cabarrus County Center pages on the Master Gardener program and 2027 training, NC State's Plant Toolbox listing for the Extension pollinator garden, NC State's community garden primer and the N.C. Department of Agriculture's Sept. 16, 2026 soil testing notice, all read on October 25, 2026. We could not find a current public list of community garden plots in Cabarrus County, so call Extension or a nearby church to ask about openings. The photograph is a stock image from the Wix free media library. Solo Faith Church has no financial relationship with any organization named here.
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