Research & reports

James R. Hollyer · PubMed Central · United States

This article discusses the potential risk of rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) in Hawai‘i's local food supply, which can cause eosinophilic meningitis if ingested by humans. While the statistical risk is extremely low compared to other foodborne agents, two individuals in Hawai‘i developed serious eosinophilic meningitis in late 2008 after consuming insufficiently washed local produce. The article highlights the challenge of informing the public about this rare but potentially serious disease, especially amidst efforts to promote local produce and school gardens.

Angela Shaw, Catherine Strohbehn, Linda Naeve · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · United States

This project addressed the need for food safety training for staff at publicly accessed fruit and vegetable growing venues, such as university farms and school gardens. It developed various media options to educate workers on proper handling of fruits and vegetables to ensure food safety.

Jacqueline Ann Luke · OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) · United States (Cleveland)

This study surveyed three urban community gardens in Cleveland, Ohio, to assess if garden participation increased feelings of community, ties to place, and safety. Survey results indicate that urban community gardens, similar to other urban greenspaces, increase feelings of community, create ties to place through neighborhood satisfaction, and enhance feelings of safety. This research suggests that urban gardens are a positive way to repurpose vacant land in residential neighborhoods by offering greenspace and strengthening the community.

Teri Burgess‐Champoux · SOPHIA (St. Catherine University) · United States

Teri Burgess-Champoux received a $1,000 grant to explore perceptions, barriers, and strategies for intergenerational community garden experiences involving preschool-aged children and their families. The goal is to enhance vegetable liking, increase intake, and improve home availability, guiding future research in this area.

Charles E. Hess · HortScience · United States

Reflecting on horticultural science over the past 60 years, it is evident that it is in a period of great opportunity. Recognition of the role of fruits and vegetables in a healthful diet has led to food for health initiatives that encourage diets rich in horticultural crops. The 'locavore movement' fosters the popularity of purchasing locally, spurring increased interest in farmers' markets and urban gardening. Internationally, the idea of peri-urban gardening recognizes the value of horticultural crops in improving nutrition and income on relatively small areas of land in developing nations.

Rudy Dunlap, Justin Harmon, Gerard T. Kyle · Leisure/Loisir · United States (Austin)

This study explored the interplay of meanings and sentiments ascribed to place by participants of an urban garden project in Austin, Texas. It investigated how participants' feelings toward a given garden plot, neighborhood, city, and the Central Texas region were shaped or affected by their participation. Findings showed that participation shaped place meanings and sentiment through two principal processes: a sense of connection to garden plots via produce and physical transformation, and a sense of connection and identification with the community via links to other participants in Urban Patchwork activities.

Leslie Gray, Patricia Guzmán, K. Michelle Glowa, Ann Drevno · Local Environment · United States (California)

This article examines La Mesa Verde, a home-gardening program in San Jose, California, to assess if home gardens offer similar financial, health, and community benefits as community gardens. The research explores the potential of home gardens to foster broader social change, cultural preservation, and self-determination, especially for recent immigrants.

Cathleen D. Zick, Ken R. Smith, Lori Kowaleski‐Jones, Claire Uno, Brittany J. Merrill · American Journal of Public Health · United States

This study in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, examined the association between community gardening and healthy body weight, comparing BMI data from 198 gardeners to control groups of neighbors, siblings, and spouses. Both women and men community gardeners had significantly lower BMIs than their neighbors, with estimated reductions of -1.84 for women and -2.36 for men. Gardeners also showed lower odds of being overweight or obese compared to their neighbors.

Catalina Freixas, Pablo Moyano Fernandez · Suburban Sustainability · United States (St. Louis)

This paper examines the role of eco-urbanism in St. Louis, a shrinking city experiencing population loss and economic decline since the 1950s. It reviews the implementation and benefits of three eco-urbanism strategies: community gardens, greenways, and urban forests. The study identifies social, ecological, and economic benefits, and suggests further adoption of eco-urbanism ideology and improved implementation strategies by the municipal government.

Terry B DelValle, Lisa B Gaskalla, Joan B Kyle · · United States (Duval County)

Duval County Extension, in collaboration with partners, offered "Gardening for Grades" workshops to 71 teachers and school volunteers in Duval County, USA, to support school garden initiatives. Participants engaged in activities linking science, math, and literature to gardening, and received materials to start school gardens. Follow-up surveys indicated 12,214 sq ft of garden area was added, benefiting 2,292 students, with 92.9% of students exposed to new foods and 64.3% showing improved eating habits and increased physical activity.

Lauren Workman · Scholar Commons (University of South Carolina) · United States

This qualitative ethnographic study, conducted over eighteen months, explored the social processes of community engagement in an urban community garden. Data from field notes and in-depth interviews identified neighborhood leadership, a community-academic partnership, and the physical garden space as facilitators of engagement. The garden fostered social interactions, provided a safe gathering space, and served as a tool for neighborhood leaders to advocate for social and economic development.

Laura Knapp, Jodi L. Sangster, Shannon L. Bartelt‐Hunt · International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship · United States (Omaha NE)

This study investigated the influence of lead hyperaccumulating plants on lead uptake by vegetables in an urban community garden in Omaha, NE, a region with significant lead contamination. Tomatoes, carrots, and amaranth were grown alongside sunflowers and mustard greens (hyperaccumulators) in lead-contaminated soil. Data showed higher lead concentrations in the hyperaccumulators and suggested that their presence might have impacted the amount of lead available to surrounding vegetation. Previous work at the garden detected lead in produce, indicating a potential exposure pathway for humans.

Sara A. Quandt, Janae Dupuis, Caitlin A. Fish, Ralph B. D’Agostino · Preventing Chronic Disease · United States

This randomized, controlled feasibility study evaluated the feasibility of a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) intervention in an underresourced urban community in the United States. Fifty low-income women with children participated, with the intervention group (25 participants) receiving fresh produce and educational sessions for 16 weeks. A significant increase in household fruit and vegetable inventory was observed in the intervention group, but increases in consumption were not significant. Challenges included transportation and work schedules, yet most participants expressed interest in continued participation.

Laura Lavid · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

This article discusses the impact of urban gardening on a city's food system, noting that while it is not the sole solution, it offers significant benefits beyond economics. It cites historical data from World War II, where 20 million victory gardeners produced 44% of fresh vegetables in the United States. Recent studies estimate community gardens can yield $500 to $2,000 worth of produce per family annually, and a Denver study found community gardeners ate significantly more fruits and vegetables than non-gardeners.

Kyle Kessler, Seth Umbenhauer, Alison R. Noble · Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science · United States (Harrisburg)

Eight soil samples were collected from an urban land plot in Harrisburg, PA, to determine concentrations of copper, nickel, zinc, and lead and assess suitability for an urban garden. While copper, nickel, and zinc concentrations were below EPA recommended limits, lead concentrations ranged from 26 ± 1 mg/kg to 402+ mg/kg, with some samples exceeding EPA standards for heavy metals in home and vegetable gardens. This indicates potential lead contamination in the soil.

Bruno Henrique Comassetto, Gabriela P. Solalinde Z., João Vicente Rosa de Souza, Marcelo Trevisan, Paulo Ricardo Zilio Abdala, Carlos Alberto Vargas Rossi · Revista de Administração de Empresas · Brazil

A qualitative study with in-depth interviews of urban agriculture specialists and practitioners in nine neighborhoods of a large Brazilian capital explored the meaning of urban agriculture as a consumption phenomenon. The findings indicate a dual motivation for practicing urban agriculture: an extrinsic motivation (example) and an intrinsic motivation (well-being). The practice is linked to concerns for the environment, health, and personal well-being, as well as nostalgic respect and pride for cultural heritage.

Rachel E. Scherr, Rachel Cox, Gail Feenstra, Sheri Zidenberg‐Cherr · California Agriculture · United States (California)

Research indicates that garden-based nutrition education increases fruit and vegetable preferences and consumption in children, and Farm to School programs promote increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and participation in the National School Lunch Program. A survey of UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) advisors and directors in California reported that all respondents implemented garden-based nutrition education and Farm to School programs, but evaluation occurred much less frequently.

Melvin Delgado · Columbia University Press eBooks · United States

This chapter focuses on community gardening as an intervention aimed at addressing obesity, tracing its history in the United States back to the late nineteenth century as a response to social and economic crises. While community gardens can achieve various social, economic, political, educational, and health-related goals, the chapter also discusses potential pitfalls of community gardening. It emphasizes a social justice perspective for community gardens, particularly regarding community inclusion and participatory democracy.

Chris Zimmerman · Soil Horizons · United States

A narrative article profiling the work of soil scientist Samantha Langley-Turnbaugh of the University of Southern Maine, investigating lead contamination in urban soils in Portland, Maine. It traces the concern to the Great Fire of 1866, whose lead paint ash was spread across the city and used as landfill to extend the Portland peninsula, compounded by the city's historical ties to lead-producing industries. The article states that, across US cities generally, lead paint and leaded gasoline are the primary sources of soil lead contamination, and that this contamination is becoming a concern as urban gardening expands.

David DyckFehderau, Nicholas L. Holt, Geoff D.C. Ball, Noreen D. Willows · PubMed · Canada

A study in Alexander First Nation, central Alberta, Canada, used asset mapping with children to understand how community factors shape the lifestyle behaviors of First Nations children living on reserve, who are estimated to be 4.5 times more likely to be obese than Canadian children generally. Participants were a convenience sample of two high school students working at the local health centre and seven grade six children, who used maps, photographs and a town tour to identify 25 activity- or food-related places and spaces. Breakfast, lunch and snack foods (such as chocolate bars and potato crisps) were obtained at school, food and snacks at cultural gatherings, and snacks at the local store, with healthy food choices found to be limited; only two locations beyond the town site were identified for physical activity, and youth recommended building a leisure centre, selling healthier food at the local store, and developing a community garden and berry farm.

Ashley S. Harms, DeAnn Presley, Ganga M. Hettiarachchi, Stephen Thien · Journal of Extension · United States

As participation in urban agriculture grows across the United States, potential soil contaminants in urban environments present challenges. A study assessed the educational needs of urban gardeners and farmers throughout the US regarding soil contamination. The results indicate that urban gardeners and farmers need and want information and guidance on best management practices for safely growing food crops on mildly contaminated urban soils.

Renee Raiden Boyer, Ben Chapman · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · United States

This practical guide outlines recommended agricultural practices for food safety in school and community gardens, covering topics such as food safety, site selection, pesticides and fertilizers, handwashing, water and irrigation, composting, garden design and animals, sanitation and tools, a sample community garden layout, an FAQ, and a glossary.

Susan L. Johnson · Planning for higher education · United States

This article discusses urban agriculture on the campus of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in the United States, centered on the MUSC Urban Farm. Against a backdrop of rising chronic disease and obesity, it describes community gardens as improving nutritional status and increasing physical activity, community engagement, safety and local economic strength while providing environmental benefits, citing a study by Zick et al. (2013) in the American Journal of Public Health that found community garden participants had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) than non-participants. The MUSC Urban Farm is presented as a living classroom where students, faculty, staff and the community explore the connection between food and health.

Jacqueline M. Swank, David E. Swank · Journal of school counseling · United States

Addressing the challenge school counselors face in delivering a comprehensive, developmental school counseling program to large numbers of students, this paper (2013, United States) presents a creative use of a garden program to foster student development through integration with the natural environment. It describes activities and metaphors tied to five garden stages within the program — planning, preparing, planting, maintaining, and harvesting — identifies which American School Counselor Association (ASCA, 2004) student standards each garden activity addresses, and discusses the implications and practical considerations for school counselors.

Michael Dubnewick, Karen M. Fox, D. Jean Clandinin · Leisure/Loisir · Canada

This autobiographical narrative inquiry follows one author's (Michael's) lived experience of gardening with his family's gardens and two community gardens, Heritage and Eco, in Edmonton, Canada. Using narrative inquiry methodology, the authors present institutional, community and personal narratives from Michael's gardening experience to illustrate gardening as a leisure practice shaped by multiple, sometimes paradoxical, contexts of people, cultures and communities.