Our Legacy

Honoring Don and Betty Fields, Fields Market Garden pays homage to the couple’s 60 years as community activists who reached some of the most under-served in Hamilton County. They helped usher Carmel from township to city status and made their home continually available to all.

Fields Market Garden models their work by encouraging engagement with our neighbors, cultivating connections with people and the earth, and seeing community grow. We’re excited to join hands with those who want to contribute to the garden’s mission of connection and engagement.

Our Current Season

We’re thankful for the strong foundation we built at the garden this year and are inspired by plans for its continued growth. The non-profit urban garden is set in the heart of Carmel which provides the unique opportunity to unite us with our nearby neighbors, residents in North End, and local community service organizations which share our passion. The North End community features 40 attainable apartment units set aside for adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, which creates an awesome opportunity to provide meaningful work and engagement opportunities just steps from their homes. 

The 2024 season allowed us to hire two North End residents to work part time at the garden. We hosted 148 unique volunteers throughout the year totaling to 1032 volunteer hours which were instrumental in contributing to building out and operating the garden. Our team grew seasonal flowers and produce to sell to customers. As a new community partner, Fields Market Garden was also able to donate 124 pounds of fresh produce to local food pantries. We also enjoyed hosting open houses, garden tours, field trips and workshops for the community to engage with each other and the garden space. Additionally, we were able to start construction of our greenhouse and wash house building. This project was made possible by funding from community members and a few notable grants. We would like to say thank you to Merchants Foundation for Fund VII, Patronicity for supporting us through our fundraiser, and IHCDA for the matching grant in response to our fundraiser with Patronicity.

The 2025 season will allow us to continue and expand on our employment opportunities for nearby North End residents. We are excited to more broadly offer our fresh flowers and produce to the local community through several new channels such as our new farm stand, Joe’s Butcher Shop, and the Freelands Restaurant coming soon to North End.

Our Future

Set on over 5 acres with 1.4 acres for the garden itself, we are thrilled with our future possibilities to keep growing in support of our community. With plans for a parking lot, expanded garden space, inclusive group gathering spaces, a welcoming place to relax, and plans to actively revitalize native plants, we are excited for the future of Fields Market Garden! We look forward to creating a welcoming and inclusive garden space for people with all abilities, backgrounds, and experiences!