Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
563 results(21 / 23)
Improving fruit and vegetable consumption: use of farm-to-consumer venues among US adults.
2011Heidi M. Blanck, Olivia M. Thompson, Linda Nebeling, Amy L. Yaroch · PubMed · United States
This study analyzed data from 1,994 US adults from the National Cancer Institute's Food Attitudes and Behaviors Survey to assess the use of farm-to-consumer venues for purchasing fruits and vegetables. It found that 27% of grocery shoppers reported at least weekly use of these venues during summer. Older adults and those in the Northeast were most likely to use them weekly, with no differences observed by sex, race/ethnicity, education, or income.
CSA & TeikeiHealthFood miles & supply chainSegurança alimentar e nutricional, pobreza urbana e suas relações com a Agricultura Urbana: fragmentos de uma discussão
2011Marina de Fátima Brandão Carneiro, Igor Martins de Oliveira, Gabriel Alves Veloso · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Brazil
This article discusses food and nutritional security, urban poverty, and their relationship with urban agriculture, which arises from the urbanization process. It analyzed quantitative data from the Pan-American Health Organization and Pastoral da Criança in two neighborhoods of Montes Claros, Brazil, to map poverty distribution and child malnutrition. It concludes that the search for more effective and continuous alternatives for food insecurity is increasingly urgent, as hunger has only increased globally despite various initiatives.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareHealthCommunity Perspectives on Barriers and Strategies for Promoting Locally Grown Produce From an Urban Agriculture Farm
2011Alice Hu, Ángela Acosta, Abigail McDaniel, Joel Gittelsohn · Health Promotion Practice · United States
This qualitative study identified strategies to promote locally grown produce from an urban agriculture project, Produce From the Park (PFP), among low-income neighborhood residents and community organization representatives (20 interviews, 2 focus groups, 3 participant observations) in a mid-Atlantic city in the United States. Informants identified structural and cultural barriers to purchasing healthy food, including price, location, food culture, and lack of interest, and proposed strategies such as distribution via mobile food carts and farm stands, marketing new foods through taste tests and cooking demonstrations, and youth mentorship. These strategies were inexpensive and incorporated cultural norms and local assets.
CommunityFood educationHealthEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceAn assessment of the barriers to accessing food among food-insecure people in Cobourg, Ontario
2011Siny Tsang, AM Holt, Eduardo Bessa Azevedo · Chronic diseases and injuries in Canada · Canada (Cobourg, Ontario)
This needs assessment in Cobourg, Ontario, interviewed food program clients to identify barriers to food access. Clients reported lack of transportation, insufficient food quantities, and inconvenient operating hours as barriers to using food programs. They also cited lack of available vegetables and fruit at home and income as barriers to consuming more produce.
Equity & displacementWelfareCommunityHealthEconomicsAn analysis of the impacts of health insurance rebate initiatives on community supported agriculture in Southern Wisconsin
2011Greg Jackson, Amanda L. Raster, Will Shattuck · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Southern Wisconsin)
Since 2005, four insurance providers in southern Wisconsin have offered rebates to policyholders who subscribe to a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation, reducing costs by up to 40%. This program, managed by MACSAC, led to increased fruit and vegetable consumption among CSA members and reduced advertising time for growers. Both the number of MACSAC member farms and the total shares offered by these farms have substantially increased, indicating the program's success in reducing grower risk and expanding production.
CSA & TeikeiHealthEconomicsPolicyCaption for Cover of Volume 2 Issue 1
2011A Christian · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · United States (Des Moines)
This abstract provides captions for photos related to urban planning and food systems. It describes a meeting in Des Moines, Washington, on healthy food access, a rapid market survey at a Mississippi Gulf Coast farmers' market, and individuals involved in food system policy drafting in Waterloo Region, Ontario, and urban planning academia.
PolicyHealthCommunityThe Integration of School Garden Programs into Educational Curriculum
2011Annie Lowry · Digital Commons - Olivet Distinctive Heritage, Scholarship, & Creativity (Olivet Nazarene University) · United States (Illinois)
This project aimed to evaluate how gardening is integrated into classroom curriculum in several schools in Illinois and the factors leading to this integration. Qualitative data was collected from interviews with educational professionals from seven different sites, confirming previous research on the benefits of gardening and providing new insights into current and future integration of gardens into the classroom.
Food educationHealthCommunityDisparities and access to healthy food in the United States: A review of food deserts literature
2010Walker R. E., Keane C. R., Burke J. G. · Health & Place 16(5):876-884 · United States
Systematic review of 31 US food access and food desert studies using nine distinct measures, documenting disparities in access to healthy food across low-income and minority neighborhoods.
WelfareHealthPolicyAmy Courtney: Freewheelin' Farm - eScholarship
2010Sarah Rabkin · · United States
Amy Courtney, founder of Freewheelin’ Farm, a community supported agriculture (CSA) program, delivers shares by bicycle-drawn trailer. Courtney, a 1997 graduate of UCSC’s Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture, started the farm in 2002 with minimal motorized vehicles, utilizing used equipment and recycled materials. She and her partners continue to haul all CSA shares six miles into Santa Cruz by bicycle. Courtney's work is driven by a commitment to social justice, community health, and cultural vitality. The farm collaborates with "Food, What?!"—a youth empowerment program, and hosts cultural and educational initiatives.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood miles & supply chainHealthWelfareOrganic cycleBaltimore Urban Gardening
2010A. Morton, Betty Franky, Emily Fisher, Erin Doran, Heather Sites · Digital Commons at University of Maryland Carey Law (University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law) · United States (Baltimore)
The student film “Baltimore Urban Gardening” highlights the benefits of creating spaces for and using locally grown produce.
CommunityFood educationHealthProfiling Community Gardeners
2010Thomas W. Blaine, Parwinder S. Grewal, Ashley Dawes, Darrin Snider · Journal of Extension · United States
A profile of participants in an Extension urban community gardening program in the United States showed success in attracting diverse income and age groups. Community gardening contributed to dietary changes for three-quarters of both new and continuing gardeners. The time spent in the garden weekly was influenced by factors such as years in the program, income, diet, and charitable produce donations.
CommunityHealthFood educationArmstrong Place Senior Housing
2010David Baker Architects · · United States (San Francisco)
Armstrong Place Senior Housing is located in San Francisco's Bayview District, providing 116 affordable apartments for seniors. The complex includes a community garden space in the central courtyard, 9,000 square feet of commercial space, community services, and retail shops. Additionally, twenty-three apartments are reserved for formerly homeless seniors participating in San Francisco's Direct Access to Housing Program.
CommunityElderlyHealthEngagement, Ecology, and Design Education: Outreach Work of the Tulane City Center
2010Scott Bernhard · Innovations Technology Governance Globalization · United States (New Orleans)
The Tulane City Center (TCC) in New Orleans supports architecture faculty and students who collaborate with local nonprofits to provide design and "visioning" assistance to underserved neighborhoods. Since its establishment after Hurricane Katrina, TCC has worked on dozens of projects, including six ecologically sound single-family houses, several green markets with urban agriculture facilities, and over 50 other initiatives. These projects incorporate extensive community input and are often constructed by students, providing them with hands-on experience in progressive design and new construction technologies.
CommunityFood educationHealthEconomicsGrowing What You Eat: Developing Community Gardens and Improving Food Security
2010Michelle P. Corrigan · OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) · United States (Baltimore, Athens)
Food insecurity and food-related health concerns are growing in the United States, leading to increased engagement with food systems through community food security approaches like community gardening. In-depth interviews and field observations in Baltimore, Maryland, and Athens, Ohio, examined the challenges of community gardening and the extent of people's involvement in the food system. While community gardens contribute to engagement, additional assistance such as education, policy, and funding is needed to enhance food security.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthPolicyEconomics@CSUN - August 2010 Archive
2010Shante Morgan · · United States (California)
This record is an archive of blog articles from August 2010 for @CSUN, Volume XV, No. 1. Topics include a dedication ceremony, the online debut of a newspaper, campus events, faculty and staff features, and an article on Community Supported Agriculture providing a healthy alternative for CSUN.
CSA & TeikeiHealthCommunityFood For Thought: The Social Impact of Community Gardens in the Greater Cleveland Area - eScholarship
2010Andrew 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.
Methodological critiqueCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthCommunity Gardens: An Exploration of Urban Agriculture in the Bronx, New York City.
2010Michelle M Althaus Ottman, Juliana Maantay, Kristen Grady, Nério Cardoso, Nilce Nazareno da Fonte · PubMed · United States (New York City)
This project explores urban agriculture and productive landscaping in the Bronx, New York City, focusing on community gardens as an alternative to address urban problems. The study aims to describe the multiple roles of these gardens, including health-promoting, economic, environmental, and cultural benefits, and to reveal gardeners' perceptions of quality-of-life improvements. The Bronx currently hosts approximately 175 community gardens administered by Operation Green Thumb, alongside others managed by non-profits and on private property.
CommunityHealthEconomicsPolicyA farmers' market in a food desert: Evaluating impacts on the price and availability of healthy food
2009Larsen K., Gilliland J. · Health & Place 15(4):1158-1162 · Canada
Evaluates a farmers' market established in a London, Ontario food desert, analyzing its effect on the price and availability of fresh, healthy food and its potential to improve local food access.
WelfareEconomicsHealthThe Impact of Community Gardens on Numbers of Property Crimes in Urban Houston
2009M.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.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthCharacterization and Low-Cost Remediation of Soils Contaminated by Timbers in Community Gardens.
2009Wendy 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.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthUrban agriculture: multi-dimensional tools for social development in poor neibourghoods
2009Éric Duchemin, Fabien Wegmuller, Anne-Marie Legault · Field Actions Science Reports · Canada (Montreal)
This article discusses urban agriculture (UA) initiatives undertaken in Montreal, Canada, for over 30 years, specifically the City-managed Community Gardening Program and six collective gardens managed by community organizations. These UA initiatives have fostered vegetable production and a socialization and education environment, contributing to individual and collective social development in economically disadvantaged districts. The various approaches achieve their established objectives and serve as multi-dimensional tools for the social development of disadvantaged populations.
CommunityFood educationWelfareHealthThe impact of a school garden on nutrition knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of urban youth
2009Erica Rose Menkel Mintzer · · United States
This study evaluated a garden-based curriculum and school lunch program at Common Ground High School in the United States using mixed quantitative and qualitative methods. It found that Common Ground students had more food system knowledge but not more basic nutrition knowledge than comparison schools. While Common Ground students increased fruit and vegetable intake at school over the year, comparison school students ate more familiar vegetables, and Common Ground students ate more unfamiliar vegetables. BMI data showed varied averages between schools and grades, with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.0622).
Food educationHealthClosing the Loop: Community Gardening in Boulder, Colorado
2009Colleen O’Holleran · School for International Training Digital Collections (School for International Training) · United States (Boulder, Colorado)
A study in Boulder, Colorado, interviewed thirteen community gardeners to understand their motivations for participation. Gardeners were found to come from diverse backgrounds and participate for various reasons, including the desire to be outdoors, curiosity, resource sharing, a closer connection with food, self-reliance, health commitment, and pride. Despite challenges, gardeners overcome them due to their commitment to cultivating their plots.
CommunityHealthFood educationCollective efficacy in Denver, Colorado: strengthening neighborhoods and health through community gardens
2009Louise Joly · Primary Health Care · United States
This research focus describes three studies exploring the health benefits of gardening as a social activity. The studies investigate how community gardens in Denver, Colorado, contribute to strengthening neighborhoods and health.
CommunityHealthFruit and Vegetable Intake among Urban Community Gardeners
2008Alaimo K., Packnett E., Miles R. A., Kruger D. J. · Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 40(2):94-101 · United States
Cross-sectional phone survey of 766 adults in Flint, Michigan. Households participating in community gardens were far more likely (32% vs 18%) to consume fruits and vegetables at least five times daily.
HealthCommunity