Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
628 results(19 / 26)
Improving Participation of Non-Traditional Extension Audiences: The Empower Ocala Garden Project
2014Austen Moore, Norma Samuel, Glenn D. Israel · Journal of Extension · United States
The Empower Ocala Garden project in Marion County aimed to increase participation among low-income minority populations and address food desert conditions. It created a community garden for 12 households and provided bi-weekly trainings. Evaluation using pre- and post-project questionnaires showed participants attended 53.4% of sessions, attitudes improved by 9.82% across four indicators, and knowledge increased by 19.57% across eight indicators.
CommunityFood educationWelfareHealthPracticing urban agriculture on campus : integrating the LFS Garden with the Faculty of Land and Food Systems community
2014Jessica Chen, Shawn DiPardo, Yuliana Hermanto, Amy Jennermann, Lyviana Mananta, Sharon Lee, Alanna Jean Schroeder · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This student project at the University of British Columbia focused on expanding the LFS Garden to enhance organic production, provide food, and offer interdisciplinary learning opportunities. The group reviewed literature and consulted stakeholders to devise a business proposal for the garden's development, covering aspects like management, layout, and educational integration. The project also designed a garden layout and established a garden management committee.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleDIYAn investigation into waste heat recovery for usage by a rooftop greenhouse
2014Rohit Kumar Singla, Jeremy Lord, Jorden Hetherington · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This report conducted a triple-bottom line assessment of the environmental, economic, and social feasibility of using waste heat from a microbrewery at the University of British Columbia as an energy source for a rooftop greenhouse. The investigation was based on academic research and ongoing communication with the primary stakeholder. The project was found to be economically viable, with social benefits outweighing drawbacks, and environmentally feasible.
DIYEconomicsFood educationCommunityA growing opportunity: Community gardens affiliated with US hospitals and academic health centers
2014Daniel R. George, Liza S. Rovniak, Jennifer L. Kraschnewski, Ryan Hanson, Christopher Sciamanna · Preventive Medicine Reports · United States
This 2013 study identified 110 community gardens affiliated with US healthcare institutions using national databases and search engines. The gardens were distributed across US regions, with 39 in the Midwest, 25 in the South, 24 in the Northeast, and 22 in the West. Communities served by these gardens had similar demographic characteristics to the US population average but significantly lower obesity rates (27% vs. 34%, p < .001).
CommunityHealthFood educationUsing Fruit Trees and Berries to Create an Edible Landscape in Utah
2014Laura Wright, Brent Black · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · United States (Utah)
This fact sheet describes how to use fruit trees and berries in your landscape in Utah to maximize space, minimize water use, and grow produce in the process.
DIYFood educationFarming—It's So Citified: An Urban Agriculture Marketing Campaign
2014M. L. Browning, Stacy Herrick · Journal of Extension · United States (West Virginia)
The marketing campaign for the inaugural West Virginia Urban Agriculture Conference, a collaboration between West Virginia State University (WVSU) and West Virginia University Extension Services, was successful. The WVSU communications team developed an innovative, character-driven campaign combining urban and rural elements, featuring "Chicken Stu" as the official spokes-chicken who shared his journey from farm to city via social media. The campaign surpassed its goals and demonstrated the impact of innovative social media marketing in promoting Extension initiatives.
Food educationCommunityDestination education: A place-based look at the influences of school gardens
2014Connor J. Sloan · Scholarly Commons (University of the Pacific) · United States (California)
This phenomenological study investigated the role of school gardens as learning places and how place-based education influenced teachers' pedagogical approaches and curriculum decisions, involving four elementary school teachers in Central California. Analysis of interviews, classroom and garden observations, and supplemental curricula showed that participants were inspired to integrate project-based learning and interdisciplinary supplemental curriculum through interactions with school gardens. Direct interactions and experiences with elements of place-based learning in a school garden influenced how participants perceived the purpose of their pedagogical approaches and curriculum decisions.
Food educationCommunityLocal food in every pot: Growing farmers in northeastern Iowa through public and private partnerships
2014Kamyar Enshayan · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · United States (Iowa)
A group of urban women in northern Iowa, facing various life challenges, learned self-sufficiency by collaboratively planning, planting, growing, and harvesting produce from a community garden. This initiative focused on developing farming skills through practical engagement.
CommunityWelfareFood educationEffect of an After-School Garden Club Program on Elementary Students.
2014Maggie Caroline McGriff · Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science · United States
This study investigated whether three elementary school garden club programs influenced students' attitudes and behaviors regarding fruit and vegetable consumption. Quantitative analysis using pretest and posttest questionnaires found non-significant results, indicating no significant effect on participants' perceptions of fruit and vegetable consumption. Qualitative analysis of participant interviews also showed mostly non-significant changes in healthy eating, although participants reported positive experiences in other aspects like respect for nature and enjoyment of activities.
Limited or null effectFood educationHealthCommunityCommunity Voices: The Postville Oral History Project Recording with Judy Egeland
2014Judy Egeland · UNI ScholarWorks (University of Northern Iowa) · United States (Postville)
This oral history project recording features Judy Egeland, a master gardener and Vice President of the Diversity Council in Postville, United States. Egeland, who moved to Postville in 1970, was instrumental in establishing a community garden and a school garden in the rural town. The community garden is noted for bringing together people from diverse backgrounds.
CommunityFood educationUrban–rural linkageDevelopment of a STEM‐based school garden and nutrition education program to increase knowledge and consumption of pulse crops by school aged children (626.17)
2014Kelly Atterberry, Carol Miles, Lee Anne Riddle, Janice Rueda, Drew Betz · The FASEB Journal · United States
A pilot study in a Washington school cafeteria investigated the effects of a school garden and nutrition education intervention on pulse crop consumption by school-aged children. Fifty-six students (25 in fourth grade, 31 in ninth grade) participated, with a STEM-based curriculum combining exposure to pulse crops in a school garden with classroom nutrition education. Pre- and post-intervention surveys assessed changes in students' knowledge about pulse foods and their attitudes towards spending class time in the school garden.
Food educationHealthCommunityCommunity Food Production as Food Security: Resource and Economic Valuation in Madison, Wisconsin (USA)
2014Vincent M. Smith, John A. Harrington · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Madison)
This research explored the market value of community food production (CFP) in the Madison, Wisconsin, Urban Area, USA. The study measured and mapped the extent of CFP using a survey of 2,454 addresses and existing garden lists, and determined productive output from 36 test plots tended by citizen scientists. It found that the market value of gardening and garden-based programs, and their correlation to food-insecure communities, are not yet well understood.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsHealthComplexity & Urban Agriculture
2014M. Ubarevicius · · United States (New York City)
An architectural project for urban agriculture was developed on the East River waterfront in Manhattan, New York City. Advanced simulation techniques and computational methods were used to optimize building organization and shape for efficient natural resource use, including greenhouses generating energy from river water and a building shape optimized for wind concentration. The building also integrates food production with storage, processing, distribution, education, preparation, and service functions.
DIYFood educationEconomicsClimate changeGAP Certification Takes a School Garden to the Next Level
2014Ben Hall · The Agricultural education magazine · United States (North Carolina)
The agriculture department at North Stokes High School in Danbury, North Carolina, operates a 3,500-square-foot production garden and a 600-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse. The school aims for commercial production and marketing, supplying its cafeteria, and thus obtained GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certification, developed by the USDA in 1998. GAP prevents microbial contamination of food through recordkeeping, irrigation water testing, documentation of manure and pesticide use, and worker training.
Food educationCommunityEconomicsThe Historical Development of the School Garden Movement in the USA
2014Green Hope, River Edge, New Jersey 07661, USA., Hye Jin Keum · Journal of people, plants, and environment · United States
The philosophical background and historical development of the school garden movement in the USA were examined. The movement demonstrated a process of formation, decline, and revival. It began to diminish after World War I and was pushed to extinction by technological advancements in the 1950s, before resurging from the 1990s to address childhood obesity, nature-deficit, and improve academic achievements.
Limited or null effectFood educationHealthPolicyGrowing Together Separately: An Analysis of the Influence of Individualism in an Alternative Educational Setting
2014Jessica L. Warren · Scholarship @ Claremont (The Claremont Colleges) · United States (California)
This thesis examines the influences of individualism within a school garden program at a Southern California continuation high school during the spring semester of 2014. The program involved high school students, college interns, and co-directors. It found that alternative educational settings, even when challenging individualism, incorporate some aspects of it due to influences from the larger school system.
Food educationCommunityMetodologia desenvolvida pelo Centro de Referência em Agricultura Urbana e Periurbana (Ceraup) no ensino do cultivo de uma horta escolar agroecológica
2014Márcio Aleksandro Daniel, Ednaldo Michellon, Aline Midori Takemura, Jéssica Brasau da Silva, Willian Scanacapra · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
The Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Reference Center (CERAUP) in Brazil implements a school garden project for students aged 6 to 12, funded by MEC/Proext. This project teaches vegetable cultivation and the importance of agroecological foods, fostering teamwork and learning in subjects like mathematics, chemistry, and geography. The project has been ongoing for over a year, with agronomy and pedagogy interns participating under the guidance of agronomists.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cyclePeri-urban agricultureExploring Extension Involvement in Farm to School Program Activities
2014Matthew Benson · Journal of Extension · United States
An online survey of Extension professionals in eight US state Extension systems examined their involvement in farm-to-school program activities. On average, professionals were involved in one activity, primarily supporting school or community garden programs, but expressed interest in participating in an average of four activities. The study found that all Extension program areas are currently involved and interested in supporting farm-to-school initiatives through various activities.
Food educationCommunityFostering healthy diets in children through vibrant school gardens
2014Ann Y. Robinson, Hannah C. Lewis · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · United States (Des Moines)
Six schools in Des Moines, United States, served as testing grounds for using school gardens as an educational, community-building, and health-enhancing tool. FoodCorps members collaborated with teachers, staff, students, and parents to demonstrate how school gardens could enrich their lives.
Food educationHealthCommunityGrowing an Urban Oasis: A Qualitative Study of the Perceived Benefits of Community Gardening inBaltimore,Maryland
2014Melissa N. Poulsen, Kristyna R. S. Hulland, Carolyn A. Gulas, Hieu M. Pham, Sarah L Dalglish, Rebecca K. Wilkinson, Peter J. Winch · Culture Agriculture Food and Environment · United States (Baltimore)
This qualitative study explored the perceived benefits of community gardening in Baltimore, Maryland, through in-depth and focus group interviews with community gardeners. Gardeners reported benefits at multiple levels, including psychological benefits and a connection with nature individually, trusting relationships and shared learning at the neighborhood level, and reclaiming city space and improving the food environment at the community level.
CommunityHealthFood educationBiodiversityCritical Food Forest Scan & Ideas for a Food Forest in Peterborough: Includes Final Report
2014Melissa Johnston, Andre Knight-Lira, Zoë Mager, Nadine Mulrooney, Matthew Poppleton, Samantha Shaw, Matthew Wilkinson · · Canada (Peterborough)
This document compiles research reports written by students in the Environmental Resource Studies/Science (ERTS) 3160H class at Trent University in the winter of 2014. The students critically examined urban food forests around the world and made suggestions for designing a food forest in Peterborough. Urban food forests have the potential to provide the same services as current urban forests, but also produce food and perhaps increase biodiversity in the process.
CommunityFood educationBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageSustaining Sustainability: a Management Plan for ACRES Student Farm
2014Sarah Legg · Figshare · United States (Wyoming)
ACRES Student Farm, a University of Wyoming organization, has grown significantly over six years, providing local produce, CSA shares, composting, and educational opportunities. However, the farm suffers from continuous losses in efficiency and acquired knowledge due to the transient nature of its student management and workforce, leading to unsustainable internal functioning. This project aims to develop a management plan and handbook to address these issues and improve the farm's operational efficiency.
Governance failureCSA & TeikeiCompostFood educationCommunityBuilding a Better Office of Sustainability: Promoting Sustainable Change and Educational Outreach at WKU
2014Andrew Salman · TopSCHOLAR (Western Kentucky University) · United States (Bowling Green)
This research documented the transformation of a house in Bowling Green, KY, into a model sustainability home by the WKU Office of Sustainability as a case study. Using LEED Core Concepts, the study assessed the benefits of weatherization, solar energy array installation, and the conversion of the backyard into an edible landscape and community garden to mitigate stormwater flooding. Procedural and institutional barriers to sustainability initiatives were analyzed, and exceptional results, such as the collaborative community gardening organization Project Grow, were described as a model for other institutions.
CommunityClimate changeFood educationEnvironmental Challenges Threatening the Growth of Urban Agriculture in the United States
2013Sam E. Wortman, Sarah Taylor Lovell · Journal of Environmental Quality · United States
This review paper characterized the limited state of scientific knowledge regarding abiotic environmental factors threatening the growth of urban agriculture in the United States. It identified challenges influencing urban cropping systems, including soil contamination and remediation, atmospheric pollutants and altered climatic conditions, and water management, sources, and safety. The development of a science-based approach in these areas is noted as essential for the economic and environmental sustainability of urban agriculture.
Contamination & food safetyClimate changeEconomicsCommunityFood educationElementary School Gardens and the Community
2013Christine Moon, Rachel Spinelli · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (California)
This project proposes to examine the relationship between school garden initiatives and the socioeconomic status of the community in California, United States. It plans to compare five elementary schools, using Pacheco Elementary School as a model, to explore how socioeconomic factors affect the success of garden projects and their community contributions. The study aims to address these research questions through comparative analysis.
Food educationCommunityHealth