Grow Pittsburgh was formed in 2005  by the owner operators of two urban farms:  Mildreds' Daughters Urban Farm and Garden Dreams.

Mildreds' Daughters Urban Farm has a 100+ year history and is the last remaining farm within Pittsburgh's city limits. Randa Shannon and Barb Kline purchased the Stanton Heights site in 1999 and developed a five-acre USDA certified organic farm that currently markets organic vegetables, fruits, herbs and free range eggs through farmers markets and restaurants. Mildreds' Daughters Urban Farm also operates a 20-member CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).

Garden Dreams is a small-scale, intensive market garden situated on what was once a vacant lot in the nearby Borough of Wilkinsburg. Its owner, Mindy Schwartz, specializes in producing heirloom tomatoes and other seedlings.

In response to strong community interest in urban agriculture, Grow Pittsburgh began offering educational workshops and tours for area residents at the two demonstration farms. It also created a 12-week Adult Intern Program and 10-week Summer Youth Intern Program. In 2005 the programs trained five adults and employed six youth and a youth coordinator. The following year Grow Pittsburgh repeated the Summer Youth Program (receiving over 100 applications for six positions!) and expanded its Adult Intern Program by awarding stipends for two seasonal positions and hiring two and a half full time farm employees.

In 2006 Grow Pittsburgh hired Executive Director Miriam Manion to take over the helm and moved the organization's location to the Penn State Cooperative Extension office. The original founders have turned their attentions back to the business of farming but continue to serve Grow Pittsburgh as board members.

Since that time Grow Pittsburgh has expanded its programming to include an Edible Schoolyard Project, the Frick Greenhouse Project, and a new demonstration farm located in Braddock.