Research & reports

Eric L. Hazzard, Elizabeth Moreno, Deborah Lane Beall, Sheri Zidenberg‐Cherr · Public Health Nutrition · United States (California)

A mid-term evaluation was conducted on 3103 California public schools (80.6% of applicants) to assess the effectiveness of the California Instructional School Garden Program (CISGP). Many schools reported not achieving their predicted goals related to the CISGP grant, with only 39.4% of schools accomplishing all their garden-related goals. Additionally, 37.8% of schools reported that their school gardens were negatively affected by the California budget deficit, suggesting that the discrepancy between predicted and actual grant utilization may be due to a combination of budget shortfall and insufficient grant award amounts.

Julian S. Yates, Jutta Gutberlet · Environment and Planning A Economy and Space · Brazil (Diadema)

This paper analyzes food waste flows in Diadema, Brazil, through an urban political ecology lens, focusing on integrated organic waste management for composting and urban food production. While presented as a means for positive socioecological change, the process is characterized by conflict and potential exploitation. Broader structural conditions also constrain the system's ability to offer an alternative to existing waste-management models.

Andrew Kimbrell · Tikkun · United States

This essay criticizes the dominant industrial food model, corporations turning agriculture into agribusiness through heavy chemical, mechanical and genetically altered inputs, as producing profound alienation between the public and food production; it argues that increasing urbanization widens this physical and psychological distance, obscuring the industrial food model's consequences, including forest destruction, animal cruelty, pesticide harm to farmworkers and wildlife, and devastation of farm communities, which together constitute a moral crisis as well as an environmental and health crisis. It also describes a growing organic-and-beyond movement over the past two generations, with millions of Americans joining community supported agriculture (CSA) and opposing pesticide misuse, factory farming and genetic engineering of crops.

Joshua M. Davis · School for International Training Digital Collections (School for International Training) · United States

This paper evaluates the sustainability of the Market Basket (MB), a modified Community Supported Agriculture program run by Post Oil Solutions in Brattleboro, Vermont, USA, that provided local, fresh vegetables to low-income consumers at wholesale prices across two locations over two years, drawing on the author's experience as market coordinator, focus groups, interviews, and secondary data. Over 60 people participated in the MB during that period, and the paper argues the MB was an effective approach for increasing produce consumption, but issues affecting its sustainability remained unresolved — most notably funding to support a coordinator and increasing participation among generationally low-income consumers — with steps to address both currently underway.

Saad El‐Din Hassan, Eva Boon, Marc St‐Arnaud, Mohamed Hijri · Molecular Ecology · Canada

A study assessing indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community structure in roots and soil of Plantago major (plantain) growing on trace-metal (TM)-contaminated versus uncontaminated sites, selected based on a survey of TM concentrations (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sn, Zn) in community garden soils in Montreal, Canada. AMF community structure was analyzed using PCR-DGGE, cloning and sequencing, and direct sequencing. Native AMF diversity, measured by the number of AMF ribotypes, was decreased in TM-polluted soils and plant roots compared with unpolluted sites, and community structure was altered by TM contamination. Various Glomus species along with Scutellospora aurigloba and S. calospora were the most abundant ribotypes in unpolluted soil, while G. etunicatum, G. irregulare/G. intraradices and G. viscosum occurred in both polluted and unpolluted soils, and G. mosseae together with unidentified Glomus ribotypes (B9, B13) dominated in TM-polluted sites. The predominance of G. mosseae at metal-polluted sites is interpreted as suggesting tolerance to TM stress and potential use for phytoremediation.

Tommy Bleasdale, Carolyn J. Crouch, Sharon L. Harlan · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

Researchers studied a struggling community gardening program in a low-income minority neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona, operated within a larger local food initiative led by a nonprofit community development organization. Based on interviews and participant observation used to build an exploratory survey, the study found that while residents had gardening interest and experience, awareness of the program itself was low, perceptions of gardening's benefits and burdens varied among current gardeners, ex-gardeners, and those who had never gardened, and the benefits residents cited often differed from the goals stated by the local food initiative.

Catherine J. LaCroix · Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons (Case Western Reserve University) · United States (Cleveland)

This paper explores legal challenges faced by shrinking cities, using Cleveland, Ohio as an example. It specifically examines issues related to downzoning urban property for urban agriculture and other green uses, focusing on takings law, fairness, and the limitations of current legal structures for Brownfield revitalization when traditional redevelopment is improbable. The study identifies significant legal constraints and challenges in implementing such land use changes.

Miranda Martinez · · United States (Lower East Side)

This work explores the dynamics of gentrification, community gardens, and their impact on the Puerto Rican community in the Lower East Side. It examines class cultures in conflict, neighborhood transformation, and the symbolic significance of the area.

Emma Schroeder, Almuth Koby · · United States

In a 2010 interview, Almuth Koby shared her memories of the Eagle Heights Community Garden, including her time as president of the Community Gardens Committee. She described challenges such as members failing to fulfill their duties and the issue of abandoned plots, indicating governance difficulties within the community garden. Koby also recounted her personal gardening journey, from being mentored to mentoring others and learning from diverse cultures.

Kevin C. Matteson, Gail Langellotto · Insect Conservation and Diversity · United States (New York City)

The ability of adding 70 plants of seven native wildflower species over two years to augment beneficial insect richness, including bees, butterflies, and predatory wasps, was assessed in New York City community gardens. Bayesian analyses failed to find a strong influence of the native plant additions on beneficial insect richness, even after correcting for prior floral abundance. Butterflies and megachilid bees were found to heavily utilize introduced ornamental and crop flowers in these gardens, even when native flowers were present.

Andrew Flachs · Electronic Green Journal · United States

This paper explores the social and cultural effects of urban gardening in the greater Cleveland area, noting that the social impact of community gardens is less studied than other benefits. The author's fieldwork found that many gardeners combine utilitarian functions with environmentalist ideology, contrary to some authors who claim that gardeners are preoccupied with economic impact, leading to a biased conclusion about motivations. The paper aims to convey the complexity of use, function, and intent in these communal spaces.

Eric L. Hazzard, Elizabeth Moreno, Deborah Lane Beall, Sheri Zidenberg‐Cherr · The FASEB Journal · United States (California)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the California Instructional School Garden Program (CISGP) grants by surveying 749 grantee schools. It found that the development, sustained use, or expansion of gardens was less than expected (p=.01), and fewer schools than expected reported using gardens for instruction (p<.001) or to teach academic subjects (p<.003). Less than 40% of schools reported accomplishing all their garden goals with the funds.

Megan Sheridan · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · United States (Minneapolis)

This project aimed to facilitate the creation of a commercial urban farm in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis. Goals included developing a business plan for an economically viable urban farm. The project found that economic viability without foundation grants is challenging, and site control is key.

Emma Schroeder, Krishna Ramanujan · · United States

In his 2010 interview with Emma Schroeder, Krishna Ramanujan shared his memories of the Eagle Heights Community Garden. Mr. Ramanujan discussed the ethnic diversity of the gardeners, the tensions between the Gardens and the University, and balancing graduate school while raising a young family in the Eagle Heights community. This interview was conducted for inclusion in a Master's thesis on the Eagle Heights Community Gardens.

Laura Whitzling, Michelle M. Wander, Ellen Phillips · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Chicago)

This study profiled soil quality, including lead levels, in 10 Chicago community gardens, comparing raised beds to non-raised beds and adjacent bare soil. The overall mean soil lead level was 135 ppm (n=86) by EPA method, with a range of 10-889 ppm. While most gardens' lead levels were not a concern, higher lead in adjacent bare soil suggested contamination risk. Use of raised beds reduced lead levels, but further study is needed.

G. M. Hettiarachchi, Sabine Martin, A. David Rae, Phillip P. Defoe, Dennis Presely, G. M. Pierzysnki · · United States

Using a newly established urban community garden in Kansas City as a case example, this study examines the challenges of converting brownfield sites — abandoned or underutilized properties where environmental concerns impede redevelopment — into community gardens. Soil at the site was found to contain mildly elevated levels of lead (Pb) and detectable levels of DDT/DDE (an organochlorine pesticide). Based on an evaluation of soil properties, safety and corrective measures were proposed and implemented to reduce both direct (soil-to-human) and indirect (soil-to-plant-to-human) exposure for gardeners and their children, and field test plots with three crop types showing different contaminant-uptake patterns were established to evaluate site-specific soil amendments for reducing lead bioavailability.

M.R. Gorham, Tina M. Waliczek, Amy Snelgrove, Jayne M. Zajicek · HortTechnology · United States (Houston)

A pilot study in Houston, Texas, investigated the impact of 11 established community gardens on property crime numbers using 2005 crime data. Statistical comparisons between community garden areas and randomly selected city areas showed no statistically significant differences in the mean number of crime occurrences. The presence of a community garden was not found to be a predictor of a lower crime rate for a neighborhood.

Emma Schroeder, Julie Schneider · · United States (Eagle Heights)

Julie Schneider's 2009 interview discusses her five years at the Eagle Heights Community Garden. She described vegetables grown, organic gardening, rules and restrictions, and tensions with the university, as well as changes in the community gardens since the early 1990s. This interview was conducted for a Master's thesis on the Eagle Heights Community Gardens.

Wendy Heiger‐Bernays, Alexa Fraser, Vaughn R. Burns, Kerry Diskin, David Pierotti, K Merchant-Borna, Michael D. McClean, Daniel J. Brabander, H. Patricia Hynes · PubMed · United States

A study characterized urban community garden soils contaminated by timbers, specifically finding elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from railroad ties and arsenic from chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated lumber. Researchers determined the extent of contamination, designed a remediation plan, and assessed the safety of adding city compost as a soil amendment in Boston community gardens. Recommendations for healthful gardening practices were also provided.

Clara Irazábal, Anita Punja · Journal of Urban Affairs · United States (Los Angeles)

This qualitative case study analyzes the destruction of the 14-acre South Central Farm in Los Angeles in July 2006, arguing it was a landscape of resistance against discriminatory legal and planning practices. The study contends that environmental justice and planning ethics provided a substantive rationale for the city to prevent its dismantling. This case highlights a failure in governance to protect community gardens threatened by dismantlement in capitalist societies.

Andréa Andreis, Graziela Maria Schuh, Rejane Giacomelli Tavares · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Novo Hamburgo)

An evaluation of parasite contamination in playground soils at Horta Comunitária Joanna de Angelis in Novo Hamburgo, RS, Brazil, detected rhabditoid larvae in 33% of soil samples. An enteroparasitological survey (n=22) confirmed parasitism in 59.10% of samples. However, it was not possible to establish a correlation between the presence of parasitosis in children and in the soil.

Nathan McClintock · · United States (California)

This paper uses urban political ecology to explore the rise of urban agriculture (UA) in Oakland, California, where the city aims to source 30% of its food locally, partly from UA in "food deserts." The analysis argues that 20th-century industrial capital flows and racialized urban planning concentrated capital devaluation in the flatlands, leading to the creation of food deserts. Food justice activists are mobilizing through UA to counter these uneven transformations.

Gary Paul Green, Michael L. Dougherty · Community Development · United States (Door County, Wisconsin)

This paper examined culinary tourism through a case study of the Kingdom So Delicious program in Door County, Wisconsin. The analysis was based on intensive interviews with owners/managers of four restaurants and surveys of 30 retailers and 40 farmers in the region. The most frequently cited concerns with producing for local establishments involved in culinary tourism were low prices and challenging logistics.

Nathan McClintock · eScholarship (California Digital Library) · United States (California)

This paper explores the rise of urban agriculture (UA) in Oakland, California, using an urban political ecology framework. A macro-level structural analysis of Oakland's history reveals how 20th-century industrial capital flows and racialized urban planning concentrated capital devaluation in the flatlands, ultimately giving rise to food deserts. The study suggests that food justice activists are mobilizing through UA to counter these uneven transformations, despite critiques that some urban garden programs are neoliberal, emphasizing self-betterment while filling state-left gaps.

Erin Foster West · · United States (Minneapolis)

This study explores the interaction between community gardens and public agencies in Minneapolis and Hennepin County, United States. It identifies that despite a large number of community gardens in the Twin Cities Metro Area, there is no comprehensive city policy for community gardening, making land acquisition difficult as vacant land becomes scarce. The research inventories public policies related to land use, water, and compost specific to community gardens, highlighting the need for public agencies to provide essential services.