Written by Zoie Denton

 For 27 years, Crabtree has been more than just soil and crops; it emerges like a hidden oasis of green tucked quietly within a neighborhood, just amongst the hum of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The farm has been a place where neighbors gather, hands dig into the earth, and the community learns together the rhythms of farming. Crabtree’s commitment to sustainable agriculture is matched only by the way it nurtures curiosity, connection, and a sense of belonging for everyone who steps through their fields.

Spanning 22 acres, the farm stretches out like a patchwork quilt of green and soil, with about half its land neatly fenced for growing rows of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. At the center of it all is Corey Hagan, the Director of Farm Programs, who helps oversee everything. The land is in the middle of the Clifton Hills neighborhood, and this is intentional, proving just how close the property can be for its people and helping blur the boundaries between “urban” and “rural” farming.

The 501(c)(3) nonprofit status of Crabtree Farms allows the organization to receive the grants, donations, public funds, and upkeep needed to combine community and educational programs. There are currently 30 active gardening beds with plans to add eight more. The workers supply everything each gardener needs: soil, compost, starter plants, and tools to help maintain them. 

Hagan stated, “The garden beds are for the people to come out and produce for their families.” These beds help families focus on planting and harvesting with the guidance of staff and volunteers.

While the community garden beds are ideal for personal growing, Crabtree also runs an Emerging Farmers Program to train people in farming on a larger plot. This offers more hands-on experience on real land, without the financial risks and burdens of purchasing and running one’s own farm. Hagan said that this idea is to “allow them to farm without the risks of owning their own farm.” 

Crabtree Farms’ mission is evident through programs, activities, and teaching agricultural skills. The farm’s educational effort extends through providing hands-on nature and farm-based learning for children and homeschool students through a partnership with Nature Kin Farm and Forest School. 

“It is an opportunity for these kids to be able to come out and learn what it’s like to work in nature,” said Hagan. Through this collaboration, the kids not only learn about plants and soil but also about the ecology of nature. 

Operating in an urban setting, Crabtree offers a connection between people and their food. Providing green spaces, farmland, and education within walking distance of neighboring homes. 

Over the past 27 years, the farm has become a hub for locals while giving back to the community. Crabtree donates plants, supports local food access, and opens its gates to locals who may lack access to fresh produce.

By lowering barriers to farming skills, Crabtree’s Emerging Farmers Program empowers more people to see themselves as producers, nurturing new growers who help seed local food resilience and enterprise.

It’s easy to walk past Crabtree, but once you step into the fields and gardens, the farm’s purpose comes alive. Every bed of soil, every shared tool, and every mentoring moment is designed to help people grow food for their families and themselves. For the locals, Crabtree is more than land, it is a place of learning, connection, and care.

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