Our Story

Eden Community Garden began with a simple weekly drive through the Hyatt Park neighborhood in Columbia, South Carolina. It was 2020, at the start of the pandemic, and our co-founder Anaiya Moore, a second-generation native of the city, noticed something that couldn’t be ignored.

Grocery stores were miles away in every direction, but fast food chains and gas stations were more frequent. Not only were there challenges with the effects of COVID-19, but also with the weight of the lack of close food access that had long existed in the community. It was clear that there needed to be a solution.

Anaiya shared what she saw with her family, and together they decided to take action. After a series of ideas, the Moore Family purchased a plot of land in the center of a neighborhood, where a house that had burned down formerly stood. Their vision was inspired in part by community meetings held by the City of Columbia in 2019, where residents had voiced a need for more fresh food options and community spaces like gardens. The Moores wanted to answer that call, but they also recognized that food wasn’t the only thing people were missing.

The pandemic had highlighted another challenge: loneliness. People were isolated from one another and from nature itself. In creating the garden, the Moores hoped to offer more than just a source for fresh food; they wanted to build a place where people could reconnect. A place where neighbors could trade gardening tips, children could get their hands dirty, and the simple act of tending a plant could remind everyone that growth is still possible, even in hard times.

Today, the Eden Community Garden continues to grow as a community space where food, friendship, and purpose grow side by side.