Rotorua Youth Centre and My Backyard Garden Project have teamed up to teach 58 families and eight kindergartens across Rotorua how to grow and compost their own food.
This is the first time something of this scale has happened in Rotorua, with 66 gardens being built, delivered, filled and planted in one weekend.
Community gardener Te Rangikaheke Kiripatea, along with a team of volunteers, will be building the gardens and compost bins from donated and recycled materials in just one weekend.
"There's such a narrative in the community at the moment which shows our youth, children, adults are overweight," Mr Kiripatea said.
"We really have to get back to what our parents and our grandparents did."
The initial target was to include 40 families, and the website was shut down when the team realised they had hit 66 gardens.
"We're wanting to give people a seamless experience," he said.
"They are 2.4m by 1.2m wide, it's just enough for the task not to become labour intensive, but a labour of love."
Auckland Council gave 138 wheelie bins to be used as compost bins, and T.W Moore in Okareka donated about 50 cubic metres of topsoil to the cause.
Each family will receive a compost bin and a garden, with the plants being given out on a case-by-case basis.
"We lead by example here, and our volunteers will teach how to plant and how to compost," said Mr Kiripatea.
"Having fresh vegetables in the backyard is a good way to bring us back to a better health, in body and state of mind."
Melany Dowie and her family will be receiving a garden for their family.
"We are trying to minimise our living costs," she said.
"Most importantly though, learning to go back to basics just like our ancestors."
The gardens will be going out on March 18 and 19. People interested in volunteering are encouraged to email attscic@actrix.co.nz or call Alan Scicluna on 027 389 3505.