The Garden at 485 Elm offers affordable growing space for local residents to produce fresh, healthy, delicious food, culinary herbs, and medicinal herbs for themselves and their families. Instead of the plot-per-person model, gardeners here work together to grow all the crops, each gardener performing needful tasks according to abilities and interests. Collective gardening allows for greater diversity of crops and increased yield. Additional yields are donated to local organizations feeding people in need.