Urban Farm + Community Garden

Rooted in New Orleans. Growing with Grace.

Garden & Grace Urban Farm & Community Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to growing food, growing knowledge, and growing stronger communities throughout New Orleans.

EIN: 42-3500729

Our mission is simple:

We Give What We Grow.

We believe that fresh food, gardening education, and access to green spaces should be available to everyone. Through sustainable urban farming, environmental stewardship, volunteerism, and hands-on learning, we cultivate more than fruits and vegetables—we cultivate connection, opportunity, and hope.

Our Story

Garden & Grace began with a simple belief: gardens have the power to transform lives.

What started as a passion for plants has grown into a nonprofit urban farm and community garden where neighbors, schools, volunteers, and families come together to learn, serve, and grow. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the joy of planting a seed, harvesting fresh food, and connecting with nature.

Our roots are firmly planted in New Orleans, where the climate, culture, and resilience of our community inspire everything we do. Living and gardening in South Louisiana has taught us what thrives here, and we're passionate about sharing that knowledge while creating a healthier, greener future for our city.

Growing Food. Growing Community.

Our urban farm serves as a living classroom and a place of generosity.

The fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers we grow help support local families, community refrigerators, food distribution partners, and neighbors experiencing food insecurity. Every harvest is an opportunity to nourish both people and community.

Beyond growing food, we provide opportunities for people of all ages to reconnect with nature through:

  • School field trips and educational programs
  • Gardening and sustainability workshops
  • Volunteer and community service opportunities
  • Environmental education and pollinator conservation
  • Seasonal events and hands-on learning experiences
  • Community partnerships that strengthen neighborhoods

Whether you're five or ninety-five, there's always something new to learn in the garden.

Gardening for the Gulf Coast

As a New Orleans nonprofit, we understand the unique challenges and rewards of gardening in South Louisiana. Our subtropical climate, long growing season, heavy rains, humidity, and native ecosystems shape everything we plant and teach.

We share practical, region-specific gardening knowledge that helps our community successfully grow vegetables, herbs, fruit trees, native Louisiana plants, pollinator gardens, and more.

By teaching people how to grow their own food and care for the environment, we're planting seeds that will benefit generations to come.

Supporting Our Mission

Garden & Grace is also home to a mission-driven online garden shop that helps sustain our work.

The shop operates as a separate for-profit business, and a portion of every purchase is donated directly to Garden & Grace Urban Farm & Community Garden to support our nonprofit programs and mission.

Every purchase helps us:

  • Grow fresh produce for donation.
  • Expand educational programming.
  • Maintain our gardens, greenhouse, and pollinator habitats.
  • Provide volunteer opportunities and community events.
  • Continue investing in a healthier and more sustainable New Orleans.

When you shop with Garden & Grace, you're helping grow far more than a garden.

Our Promise

Everything we do is guided by one simple philosophy:

We Give What We Grow.

Whether you volunteer, attend a workshop, visit the farm, partner with us, make a donation, or shop in our online store, you become part of a community rooted in kindness, sustainability, and service.

Thank you for believing in our mission and helping us cultivate stronger gardens, stronger neighborhoods, and a greener future for New Orleans.

Together, we're growing food, growing community, and growing with grace.

 

Our Board Members

Meet the dedicated leaders guiding our community garden mission.

Emily Frischhertz

Emily Frischhertz

President
Emily Frischhertz is the Founder and President Garden & Grace Urban Farm & Community Garden. A serial entrepreneur with a background in marketing, communications, event production, and community engagement, Emily has spent much of her career bringing people, ideas, and organizations together. Garden & Grace began organically from Emily’s lifelong love of gardening and her desire to share the products, plants, tools, and growing methods she genuinely used and loved. She first launched the Garden & Grace online shop, curating favorite fertilizers, garden tools, pots, plants, and other products while propagating plants from her own New Orleans backyard. What began as a small passion project quickly grew, eventually becoming a Louisiana Licensed Nursery and, ultimately, the foundation for something much larger: Garden & Grace Urban Farm & Community Garden. Emily created the nonprofit urban farm and community garden around a simple belief that growing food can also grow community. Garden & Grace is designed to be a welcoming place where children, families, neighbors, gardeners, and volunteers can learn where their food comes from, experience the joy of growing something themselves, support pollinators and the environment, and discover that gardening does not have to be complicated or intimidating. As President, Emily oversees the organization’s strategic planning, fundraising, marketing and communications, educational programming, volunteer coordination, community partnerships, and day-to-day farm operations. She is particularly passionate about creating hands-on opportunities for children and young people, believing that gardens can become some of our most meaningful classrooms. Her vision for Garden & Grace extends beyond the boundaries of the farm. Through workshops, educational programs, volunteer opportunities, sustainable growing practices, pollinator habitats, and community partnerships, she hopes to give people practical skills they can take home and use in their own yards, balconies, schools, and neighborhoods. At the heart of that vision is food access. Produce grown at Garden & Grace is shared with community partners and neighbors in need, putting the organization’s mission into practice with every harvest: We Give What We Grow. Emily also brings years of experience supporting charitable organizations, foundations, fundraising initiatives, and community events to her leadership of Garden & Grace. For her, the farm represents the intersection of many of the things she values most—gardening, education, entrepreneurship, service, sustainability, and bringing people together for a greater purpose. Her goal is not simply to grow a successful garden. It is to create a place where people feel welcome to learn, get their hands dirty, share what they know, serve their neighbors, and leave knowing they can make a difference in their own corner of the community. As Emily has said, “The greatest harvest isn't what grows in our gardens—it's what grows in our community.” We Give | What We Grow.
Marc Frischhertz

Marc Frischhertz

Vice President
Marc Frischhertz serves as Vice President and Legal Counsel for Garden & Grace Urban Farm & Community Garden, bringing decades of professional experience, leadership, and practical support to the organization. Marc is the Managing Partner of Frischhertz & Impastato Law Firm in New Orleans. A graduate of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Marc graduated magna cum laude in 2004, served as Managing Editor of the Loyola Law Review, participated in moot court, and was recognized as a William Crowe Scholar. Throughout his legal career, he has handled complex trial and appellate matters and has appeared before Louisiana appellate courts and the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. At Garden & Grace, Marc provides legal and organizational guidance to help ensure the farm is built on a strong foundation as it grows. But his contribution to the organization extends far beyond his professional expertise. Marc is also Garden & Grace's resident bonsai specialist and an experienced, hands-on gardener. He lends his knowledge to plant care, bonsai cultivation, property maintenance, infrastructure projects, and the countless physical jobs required to transform a New Orleans property into a working urban farm and community garden. From repairing and building to hauling, planting, maintaining and problem-solving, Marc has been an essential farmhand behind the scenes. His willingness to tackle whatever needs to be done has helped turn the vision for Garden & Grace into a functioning space for growing food, educating the community, supporting pollinators, and serving our neighbors. As Vice President, Marc supports Garden & Grace's mission of creating a sustainable community resource where people can learn, grow, volunteer, and give back.
Emily Catanzaro

Emily Catanzaro

Community Director
Emily Catanzaro serves as a Director and Community Connector for Garden & Grace Urban Farm & Community Garden. A United States Army veteran, she brings a strong background in leadership, service, logistics, and organization to our board. Her professional experience includes working at Sysco, giving her valuable insight into food systems and the logistics of getting food where it needs to go, an especially meaningful perspective for an organization committed to growing and sharing fresh food within our community. Emily has a genuine love of gardening and a strong commitment to education and service. At Garden & Grace, she helps strengthen community relationships, support educational and volunteer programs, and connect people with opportunities to grow, learn, and give back. Her practical experience, creativity, and community-minded approach make her an important part of Garden & Grace as we continue to grow our mission.
Susan Cantrelle

Susan Cantrelle

Director
Susan Cantrelle is a Registered Nurse whose career has been dedicated to improving the health and well-being of others. Throughout her life, she has mentored and guided teenagers in wellness, encouraging healthy habits, confidence, and personal growth through compassionate leadership. Her love of gardening began in childhood under the guidance of her father, Jack, who held a degree in Forestry. His knowledge of trees, plants, and the natural environment inspired Susan's lifelong fascination with herbs, gardening, and the healing power of nature. Susan combines decades of medical knowledge with a deep appreciation for herbal education, nutrition, and holistic wellness. At Garden & Grace, she helps bridge the gap between traditional healthcare and natural living by teaching the many ways gardens can nourish both body and mind. Her warmth, wisdom, and commitment to lifelong learning make her an invaluable resource for volunteers, students, and community members at Garden & Grace.
Nick Frischhertz

Nick Frischhertz

Director of Social Media & Digital Engagement
Nick Frischhertz serves as Director of Social Media & Digital Engagement for Garden & Grace Urban Farm & Community Garden. He is a senior at Louisiana State University studying psychology and a talented photographer with a natural eye for storytelling. Through his photography, Nick captures the people, plants, progress, and purpose behind Garden & Grace. His creativity and understanding of digital media help us share the farm’s story and connect with a broader community. Nick also brings an important younger perspective to the board, along with a strong commitment to service and community. His connection to the property and its history gives his involvement with Garden & Grace special meaning. Through photography, digital engagement, and his service on the board, Nick helps us tell the story of why Garden & Grace exists and who we hope to serve.

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