Research & reports

Cassia Silva Santos Góes · Revista Integrativa de Inovações Tecnológicas nas Ciências da Saúde · Brazil

This paper documents the presentation of the “School Garden Project in Bahia” at the International Congress on Technological Innovation in Health Sciences, held from November 15 to 18, 2017, at IFBA SAJ. The presentation highlighted the school's experiences with a social community garden, including resistances, advancements, garden care outside school hours, and the teaching of composting and natural fertilizers using organic compounds.

Ivan Siqueira Barreto, Danilo França Bomfim, Jessica Rayane de Oliveira Melo, Mariane Marques · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil

In Aracaju, Brazil, the "Cultivating Citizenship Urban Agriculture Project" pioneers the establishment of vegetable gardens in community spaces. This initiative aims to generate income and promote financial autonomy for 100 low-income beneficiaries of the Bolsa Familia Program, including persons with disabilities. The project seeks to foster social and productive inclusion for vulnerable populations.

R. Holm Thomas · Lincoln (University of Nebraska) · United States (Lincoln)

This study investigated remediation strategies to reduce heavy metal uptake in soil from a potential community garden lot near a railroad in Lincoln, NE, where elevated concentrations of lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) were detected. In a greenhouse experiment, romaine lettuce was grown. Biochar amendment resulted in the lowest concentrations of Pb and As in lettuce leaves and stems, whereas coffee grounds amendment led to the highest concentrations across all tested plant parts.

Françoise Jarrige, Cyril Mumenthaler, Joëlle Salomon Cavin · IRIS · Switzerland (Lausanne)

This chapter described and analyzed the implementation of a new agricultural project on a domain in Lausanne, Switzerland. The innovative process was built through confrontation between stakeholder strategies, with negotiations and adjustments. It appeared that powerful economic and legal constraints limited some expected innovations, particularly regarding land contracts. Ultimately, the anticipated multifunctional agricultural project was implemented through three coordinated structures: an association, a cooperative, and an agricultural enterprise.

A. V. Silva, Jamerson Fábio Silva Filho, Dalcimar Regina Batista Wangen, M. L. C. Souza, E. L. Silva · Scientific Electronic Archives · Brazil (Urutaí)

This project at Maria Cândida de Jesus Municipal School in Urutaí, Brazil, engaged elementary students and staff in composting and school gardening to raise awareness about waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. Participants learned about environmental issues, practiced composting with Californian worms, and used the resulting compost to fertilize vegetables in a newly built school garden. The initiative successfully demonstrated student enthusiasm for selective waste collection, composting monitoring, and garden implementation.

Cinthia de Oliveira Rodrigues, Maria Lúcia Bahia Lopes, Fabrício Khoury Rebello, Rosália do Socorro da Silva Corrêa · Research Society and Development · Brazil (Irituia, Pará)

A quantitative and qualitative study using 40 semi-structured questionnaires was conducted with urban and peri-urban farmers in Irituia, Pará, Brazil, to identify the socioeconomic profile and productive dynamics of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) systems. The study identified three distinct categories of farmers: 42.5% for whom AUP is the main source of income, 32.5% who are public servants, and 25.0% who are small traders. Although no effective public policies for AUP promotion were evident in Irituia, spontaneous initiatives and significant growth potential were observed due to the municipality's rural nature.

Lydia Maleknia, Vanessa Boshuizen, Deepika Parmar, Mengyou Wu, Catherine Pourdavoud · PEDIATRICS · United States

The REACH program of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California pediatrics residency aimed to develop a school-based gardening program for middle-school students to promote nutritional education. A needs assessment of 278 students revealed 33% experienced food insecurity and 51% consumed more than one sugary drink daily. After only three classes, 12 participating students reported improvements in eating at least five vegetables daily (from 58% to 66%) and in nutrition knowledge (from 20% to 50% accuracy in completing a "healthy plate").

Daniele Eckert Matzembacher, Fábio Bittencourt Meira · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Minas Gerais)

This case study in Minas Gerais, Brazil, examined Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as a countermovement to the commodification of agriculture, using Karl Polanyi's theoretical framework. Analyzing the CSA Alfa case, the study found a coexistence of market exchange and reciprocity, where economic activity is intertwined with social aspects like friendship and commitment. CSA appears to manifest a countermovement by enhancing individuals' relative autonomy and increasing social cohesion among participating groups.

Jeffrey Alan Hoffmann · · United States

Hoffmann examined oral histories and interviews (1995-1996, 2014, 2017) with elders of multiple ethnicities in a working-class urban agricultural neighborhood in the U.S. Southwest. The study found that while ecocultural memory fosters trust in shared water relationships, historical anxieties stemming from urban development violence can impede communities' ability to organize to protect and restore ancestral waterways.

Graham Ambrose, Kirti Das, Yingling Fan, Anu Ramaswami · Landscape and Urban Planning · United States (Minneapolis-St. Paul Area)

Emotional well-being (EWB) during household gardening and other activities was measured in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Area, USA, using an app-based Day Reconstruction Method. Among 370 participants, 118 (32%) reported engaging in household gardening. Gardening EWB ranked among the top 5 out of 15 activities for three average EWB measures and was not statistically different from biking, walking, and eating out. Average net affect of gardening was significantly higher for vegetable gardeners, low-income gardeners, and women, while companionship, race/ethnicity, and urban versus suburban location showed no significant difference.

Stéfanny da Cruz Nóbrega, Lara Cristine Gomes Ferreira · OKARA Geografia em debate · Brazil (Goiânia)

This article presents results from a university extension project between the Federal University of Goiás and elementary school students in Goiânia, Brazil. The project focused on socio-environmental education through an agroecological school garden, integrating theory and practice with didactic sequences on agrarian geography topics like food consumption awareness, socio-biodiversity, traditional knowledge, and soil management. Activities included workshops on vertical gardens and composting, a soil workshop, and field trips, aiming to exchange knowledge on agricultural production forms, agroecology, and food sovereignty, valuing family farming.

Cleusa Fernandes Ramos, Andréia Assunção Soares, Isabela Carvalho dos Santos, F. Ramos, Odair Alberton, Luciana Kazue Otutumi, Lidiane Nunes Barbosa, Ricardo de Melo Germano, Daniela Dib Gonçalves, Luiz Sérgio Merlini · Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology · Brazil

This 2020 study in Brazil evaluated the bacteriological quality of six medicinal plants from community gardens, including Cymbopogon citratus and Aloysia citriodora. Analysis of cold extracts revealed bacterial contamination, with Plectranthus barbalus showing the highest aerobic mesophile count and Aloysia citriodora the highest coliform count at 45°C. However, the study concluded that heat treatment (boiling for teas) can significantly reduce or eliminate this bacteriological contamination, making the plants safe for consumption.

Idaene Socorro da Silva, Alexciane Priscila da Silva, Thayna Karoline Sousa Silva, Delton Manoel dos Santos Silva, Hannah Shiva Ludgero Farias, Cáio Dantas Ribeiro, Jéssica de Oliveira Campos, Camilla Peixoto Santos Rodrigues, Osvaldo Nascimento Pascoal, JacksonGeorge Gomes dos Santos Araújo, Adriana Maria da Silva · Brazilian Journal of Development · Brazil

From August to December 2018, a supported self-care group for chronic disease patients was implemented in the Maués neighborhood of Vitória de Santo Antão/PE, Brazil. The group consisted of 14 in-person meetings with an average participation of 20 community members, utilizing strategies such as community garden construction and maintenance, nutritional education, and physical activity promotion. This experience yielded positive impacts, including the empowerment of participants in their health-disease process and an understanding of the importance of self-care.

Jennifer Garner, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Karla L. Hanson, Alice S. Ammerman, Jane Kolodinsky, Marilyn Sitaker, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Translational Behavioral Medicine · United States

A process evaluation of the Farm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids (F3HK) randomized trial, conducted across 4 states and 12 farms, assessed whether cost-offset community-supported agriculture could improve diet quality among children in low-income families. Intervention households (n=305) purchased a 50% subsidized share of local produce and were invited to nutrition classes. Results showed the mean CSA season was 21 weeks, with a median CSA pickup rate of 88% of the weeks. Most adults (77%) and children (54%) attended at least one class, and 82% of caregivers reported consuming most or all produce.

Sérgio Murilo de Souza Filho, Vanessa Aparecida Alves de Lima · · Brazil (Joinvile-SC)

A participant research on teacher education using a project-based learning model was conducted with three teachers from a municipal school in Joinvile-SC, Brazil. The study involved seven meetings with the teachers and three diagnostic tools, including a semi-open questionnaire and a focus group. The experience demonstrated that garden pedagogy can dynamize content within the school curriculum, and a pedagogical garden was constructed with the help of students throughout the process.

Ana Rosa Domingues dos Santos, Nádia Lúcia Almeida Nunes, Alessandra Santos dos Santos, Camila Neves Soares Oliveira, Lídio Coradin, Daniela Moura de Oliveira, Neio Campos · · Brazil

This paper described the integration of food biodiversity into school curricula through school gardens and gastronomy activities in Brazil. School gardens were utilized as rich pedagogical tools in various classes, including arts, math, and languages, beyond the initially expected biology and geography. The gastronomy area focused on cultural and regional food habits and the technical and sensorial features of food, also serving as a pedagogical tool in classes from history and sociology to math and geography.

Sarah E. Cramer, Mercedes Tichenor · · United States

The Garden-Based Learning Project, a collaboration between Stetson University and a local elementary school, was developed to address the gap in teachers' comfort and skills with integrating garden-based learning into their pedagogy. This article describes the first year of the project, which aims to leverage the known benefits of school gardens, such as increased physical activity and improved student attitudes, while highlighting its accomplishments and future sustainability plans.

Erin Ingram, Jenny Keshwani · Journal of Extension · United States (Nebraska)

A survey of Nebraska schools characterized existing school-based growing spaces and identified challenges limiting garden-based STEM learning. The study confirmed the use of these spaces for K-12 STEM instruction, particularly in sciences. However, opportunities for technology and engineering experiences were found to be limited, indicating a need for additional professional development support to expand garden-based STEM learning.

Megan Shearer, Amy Dabbs, Zack Snipes, Vicky Bertagnolli, Joshua Weaver · TigerPrints (Clemson University) · United States (South Carolina)

The South Carolina Statewide School Gardening program has established over 150 school gardens, but teachers report that fire ants are overrunning the gardens and negatively impacting student experience. This FAQ addresses how to safely manage fire ants in school gardens.

John Taylor · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States (Rhode Island)

This long-term replicated trial in Rhode Island evaluated the yield performance and soil quality impacts of four small-scale food production systems over three summer growing seasons. While total marketable food yields (2.22 to 2.96 kg m-2) were modest compared to biointensive agriculture (4.64 kg m-2), individual crop yields often exceeded regional and national averages without soil quality loss. The study addresses a lack of experimental research on urban agriculture and provides a framework for normative research, offering more reliable yield estimates for modeling urban production potential.

Catherine Dobbins, Casandra Cox, Leslie D. Edgar, D. L. Graham, Amanda Philyaw Perez · The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension · United States

This study aimed to define urban agriculture for Arkansas, a rural state, by conducting 16 qualitative interviews using snowball sampling. It found that the Arkansas-specific definition evolved to small-scale, diversified, and sustainable farming within city limits, engaging with the market or community, and fewer than 10 acres. Participants also expressed hesitation to be defined solely as 'urban farmer'.

Jennifer Jettner, Mary Secret · International Journal of Social Welfare · United States

This study examined the relationship between race and racial diversity on social capital in community gardens located in food deserts in the southeastern USA. Cross-level regression models were performed on a sample of 52 gardeners from 10 community gardens, analyzing their “sense of community” and the “number of resources” obtainable from fellow gardeners. Results indicated that community gardens are excellent vehicles for promoting one’s sense of community regardless of race or garden’s racial composition, but they were less likely to increase the number of resources. Accessing a greater number of resources took longer and more effort, and increased perceptions of racial diversity had a negative relationship with the number of resources.

Stacy M. Philpott, Azucena Lucatero, Peter Bichier, Monika Egerer, Shalene Jha, Brenda B. Lin, Heidi Liere · Ecological Applications · United States (California)

This study investigated natural-enemy-herbivore co-occurrence networks associated with Brassica oleracea in 24 urban vegetable gardens in the California, USA central coast region. Increased floral richness and B. oleracea abundance were associated with increased parasitoid and non-aphid herbivore abundance, and increased network vulnerability. Increased vegetation complexity suppressed parasitoid abundance but boosted network vulnerability. High agricultural land-use cover around urban gardens was associated with lower predator, parasitoid, and non-aphid herbivore abundance, lower natural-enemy:herbivore ratios, lower interaction richness, and higher trophic complementarity.

Teresa Irene Gonzales · · United States (Chicago)

This 30-month ethnographic case study in La Villita, Chicago, based on 14 interviews, examines how Chicana activists challenge environmental racism and transform blighted spaces. The study highlights their use of "Chicana environmentalism," an asset-based framework, to cultivate local knowledge and create community assets, including a community garden and the transformation of a superfund site into a public park. These efforts have increased resident land ownership and civic activity, demonstrating the organizations' ability to address city-level racist development policies.

Fernando Marcelo Cardozo, Ramiro Bastos · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil

An experiment conducted in Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil, between 2016 and 2019, involved over 40 events focused on constructing spiral herb beds in various city neighborhoods. These events, structured as permacultural workshops, aimed to transmit knowledge and stimulate knowledge exchange among participants. Lectures covered topics such as agroecology, urban agriculture, ancestral peoples, and community gardens, using technical, popular, and artistic languages to engage diverse audiences.