Research & reports

Alessandra Pavesi, Denise de Freitas, Bárbara Pacheco Lopes · · Global

This paper reaffirms the importance of community horticulture as a tool for learning scientific and political skills essential for building sustainable and resilient Socioecological Systems (SES). It explores concepts from (Agro)Ecology and Education, reframing community and school gardens from a contextualized perspective to strengthen adaptive capacity and enable systems to respond to disruptions.

Sybil S. Kelley, Dilafruz R. Williams · PDXScholar (Portland State University) · Global

A summer program engaged teachers in hands-on STEM education within learning gardens at four low-income schools in southeast Portland. The program aimed to transform teaching and learning by providing experiences that connect STEM to real life and sustainability. Teacher feedback highlighted the value of learning STEM in gardens and addressing social and environmental justice.

Fabiana Naiman, Juan José Calzetta · V Congreso Internacional de Investigación y Práctica Profesional en Psicología XX Jornadas de Investigación Noveno Encuentro de Investigadores en Psicología del MERCOSUR · Argentina

This study is based on a University Extension Program titled "The Urban Orchard: A Tool for Inclusion of Children and Adolescents," conducted under the UBANEX Programme 2012/2013 by the University of Buenos Aires. The program aimed to develop children's and adolescents' ability to generate and produce a self-managed urban garden. Program implementation showed that the urban orchard produced positive effects at both inter- and intra-subjective levels, fostering curiosity, creativity, responsibility, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-criticism, teamwork, and the quality of links between subjects.

Patricia Paugh, Mary Jane Moran · Language Arts · Global

For four years, Pat Paugh and Mary Moran conducted action research on literacy development linked to a third-grade community gardening and urban farming curriculum. They used Critical Pedagogy of Place and Systemic Functional Linguistics frameworks to integrate explicit language instruction with student-centered curriculum. This article illustrates how functional grammar aspects, genre and register, supported linguistic growth and connected literacy learning to community involvement.

Jeanne McCarty · Journal of Applied Research on Children Informing Policy for Children at Risk · Global

The REAL School Gardens Program builds learning gardens and provides teacher training in 92 low-income elementary schools to enhance student engagement and academic performance. Preliminary findings indicate that 84% of students participating in hands-on lessons in these gardens report high engagement, particularly in math and science. Additionally, partner schools showed, on average, 5.5% higher standardized science test pass rates compared to non-partner schools.

Brett Deverall · Practical Hydroponics and Greenhouses · Australia (Sydney)

The Sydney Cooking School has embraced urban farming by growing their own herbs for use in cooking classes. Chef and owner, Brett Deverall, is passionate about using the freshest produce possible and decided to implement a self-contained growing system from Elevated Gardens.

Ian Hardy, Peter Grootenboer · Journal of Curriculum Studies · Australia (south-east Queensland)

This paper investigated the efforts of teachers and associated school personnel to engage poor and refugee students through a community garden located in a school in a low socio-economic urban area in south-east Queensland, Australia. Drawing on interview data with teachers, other school staff, and community members, it revealed the interrelating actions, discussions, and relationships involved in developing and using the garden for academic and non-academic purposes. By understanding these interrelationships as "practice architectures," the paper shows how teachers facilitate learning practices for marginalized students.

Getting Together Killybegs (MHI) · · Ireland (Donegal Town)

The Donegal Garden G.N.O.M.E.S is a community garden group in Donegal Town, Ireland, that organically grows fruit and vegetables. The group meets weekly on Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Bluestack Foundation building. It is partly funded by Donegal Local Development and partners with Mental Health Ireland.

Max Pearlstein · · Cameroon

Rachel Gilbert, Grace Lange, and Sarah Wright, alumni of Dickinson, founded Cameroonian Roots. This program disseminates microfinance opportunities and education in urban agriculture and women's empowerment.

Jorge Cotter, Maria J. Cotter, Pedro Oliveira, Pedro Cunha, Jorge Polónia · Journal of Hypertension · Portugal

A 6-month study in northern Portugal evaluated the impact of three interventions on salt intake and blood pressure in 155 children aged 10-12. Interventions included a control, theoretical lessons on high salt intake, and theoretical lessons combined with practical school garden activities (planting, collecting herbs for salt substitution). Only the practical group showed a significant reduction in salt intake (1.1 g/day), with 50.9% of children reducing intake by at least 1g/day, suggesting that combined theoretical and practical education is more effective.

Xavier Fontich Vicens, Mariona Espinet Blanch, Germán Llerena del Castillo · · Global

This record concerns writing in a school agroecology project and the recovery of an urban garden. It is based on the publication's abstract, as part of a monograph titled "Teaching and Learning Scientific Discourse."

Shogo Mlozi · International NGO Journal · Tanzania

This paper assesses the knowledge of livestock keepers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, regarding the climate change effects of their activities. Over two-thirds of respondents did not believe solid waste, liquid waste, and pollution from livestock would affect future climate risks. However, they did perceive chemical pollution and land degradation from urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) livestock keeping as having climate change effects.

Krešimir Škuljević · · Croatia

This study addresses the topic of student economy and school gardens in Croatia between 1848 and 1880. With a special focus on the school in Sibinj, the effects of legal changes and problems in their implementation were examined. It is noted that existing literature rarely elaborates on related concepts such as teachers' obligations and rights, characteristics of school gardens, the role of local political administration, and the purpose of gardens.

Ines Vlahović, Ksenija Karlović · Agronomski glasnik ·

A survey conducted from May to August 2011 examined the frequency of poisonous and allergenic plant species at nine educational institutions in the town of Samobor, Croatia — three kindergartens, four elementary schools, one high school and one library. The survey identified 15 poisonous plant species, represented by 182 specimens, and 17 allergenic plant species, represented by 129 specimens.

Ramón Isidro Cieza, Claudia Cecilia Flores, Lía Nora Tamagno, María Margarita Bonicatto, Natalia Agustina Gargoloff, María Luz Blandi, María J. Lermanó · Americanae (AECID Library) · Argentina (Buenos Aires)

The potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture (AUP) is increasingly recognized in cities across Latin America and the Caribbean, according to this 2013 piece on Argentina, because large quantities of food are produced in urban peripheries.

D.G. Williams · Journal of Agricultural & Food Information · Global

A book review of Michael Phillips' "The Holistic Orchard." The reviewer states they grow stone fruit, pears, and small fruit in an urban orchard and have used techniques from the book. The available abstract consists only of this introductory framing; it does not include a substantive assessment of the book's content.

Simon Jorgenson · Australian Journal of Environmental Education · Australia

A phenomenological study interviewed three Australian primary school teachers — Laura, Meredith, and Clare — to investigate the internal processes behind teachers' rationales for incorporating school gardens into their teaching. Analysis showed that teachers form a strong rationale by reading their own, often idealized, childhood memories against their observations of children today, a rationale reinforced by opportunities the garden itself affords for enacting deep beliefs about teaching and learning and resisting external control. The study also provides evidence that school gardens readily evoke nostalgia, and re-theorizes this nostalgia as part of the "cultural logic" of school gardens.

Block K., Gibbs L., Staiger P., Gold L., Johnson B., Macfarlane S., Long C., Townsend M. · Health Education & Behavior, 39(4):419-432 · Australia

A mixed-methods evaluation of Australia's Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program. It reported social and learning benefits including increased student engagement, confidence and willingness to try new foods, plus experiential, integrated learning and stronger school-community connections.

Forrest M. · Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes · Ireland

This historical study documents the government-sponsored urban food production schemes introduced in Ireland between 1917 and 1923 in response to World War I food shortages, tracing how allotment promotion policies were administered by the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction and the Local Government Board.

Rowena Passy · Education 3-13 · Global

This article reports on two projects investigating school gardens, finding that while they can effectively engage primary children in learning, a divide exists among teachers regarding garden use. The article argues that mixed messages in policy concerning outdoor learning act as a barrier to teachers utilizing school gardens.

Eden K Olsen · School for International Training Digital Collections (School for International Training) · Australia

This paper details an internship at the Mullumbimby Community Garden (MCG) in Byron Shire, Australia, focusing on the development of its Children's Garden. The intern spent 152.5 hours over four weeks in late 2012 on tasks including planting, project planning, and designing new structures. The study also examines the broader importance of community gardens and children's spaces, drawing conclusions on environmental education and communication practices based on participant observations and three interviews.

Karen Wistoft · Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning · Denmark

This article presents an evaluation of 'Gardens for Bellies' (Haver til Maver), an organic school garden project at Krogerup farm in Northern Sealand, Denmark. Based on qualitative and quantitative studies, the evaluation found very positive learning benefits, including the development of a desire to learn among participating pupils. The program, which provides first-hand experiences in nature, farming, and food preparation, is seen as a unique supplement to the Danish national curriculum.

Lan Bin · Computer Knowledge and Technology · Global

This paper adhered to the principle that information technology serves agriculture, refining the capacities that computer majors in urban agricultural information technology should possess. Consequently, a curriculum system and an urban agriculture information technology training base, focused on capacity cultivation, were constructed. This achieved the task of cultivating compound and applied talents in agricultural information, satisfying the needs of urban agriculture construction.

Adam Roigart · · Sweden (Uppsala)

A new patio concept was designed for Hotel and Restaurant Villa Anna in Odinslund, Uppsala, Sweden, exploring how urban farming can thrive in a restaurant context. The design, informed by a literature study on urban farming and storytelling and discussions with the restaurateur, aimed to convey the cuisine's core values and strengthen the sense of place through storytelling. The author found storytelling useful in landscape architecture and highlighted urban farming's potential to offer a new perspective on food procurement and eating trends within restaurants.

주은정, 김재근 · · Global

An educational program using soil seed banks was developed to promote ecological literacy among children. A pilot application with 4th-6th grade students found it most effective for 4th graders in ecological knowledge and attitude, but the initial period (late March to early November) was too long. The final program was shortened to 3 months and 2 weeks (late March to early July) and targeted 4th graders, consisting of seven activities including sampling, setting, observing, and identifying seedlings.