Community Cultivation: Building Community Health, Growth, and Sustainability Through A Community Garden

Urban Farm DB summary

The Community Cultivation program, a grant proposal project focused on Hays, Kansas, in the United States, sets out a plan for how a community garden could improve access to healthy food in rural areas. Guided by the question of how community-based food initiatives can reduce nutrition-related disparities, the proposal responds to the HaysMed Community Health Needs Assessment, which identifies nutrition and fresh produce access as critical concerns for Ellis County. With an emphasis on food-insecure and low-income individuals, the planned garden aims to reduce health disparities tied to socioeconomic status and strengthen community connections by building gardening and cooking skills. It proposes a multi-phase implementation plan involving collaboration with sustainable landscapers, development of gardening infrastructure, and educational classes, with visitor logs and participant surveys planned to track access to fresh produce, garden usage and skills applied; data collection and analysis are planned to continue throughout implementation.