Research & reports

Sawsan Salah, Lori A. Francis · Journal of Clinical and Translational Science · United States

This project developed a community garden at a childcare center in Harrisburg, PA, serving a low-income community where 74.6% of residents identified as Black or Hispanic/Latino. A listening session with six community members provided positive feedback and ideas for the garden, which was then installed with four beds. Weekly gardening activities engaged 20-50 children (n=50 total in summer program) for nine weeks, resulting in positive responses from children and staff, demonstrating the feasibility of such an initiative.

Riegel, Cameron · Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium) · United States (Baltimore)

This study investigated the motivations driving voluntary participation in urban community pollinator garden stewardship among residents of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with volunteer gardeners and analyzed using a qualitative case study approach. Analysis revealed that gardeners are primarily motivated by environmental concerns, specifically an interest in and desire to give back to birds, an interest in trees and native plants, and a desire to interact with the urban natural environment. Social factors also shaped motivations but proved less influential than environmental factors in driving participation among most gardeners.

Moses Wanyakha, Nancy Grudens‐Schuck · International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development · United States

This qualitative study reviewed data from 32 counties in Iowa over five years to assess stakeholder participation in Master Gardener community garden donation programs. The analysis found that while these programs engage many stakeholders, the involvement of food pantry patrons in the planning process was low. This low patron involvement limits the programs' ability to effectively serve the community and achieve sustainability and efficacy in providing fresh produce.

Kathryn Chang, Samantha Brink, Annette B. Gadegbeku · Transformative Medicine · United States

A pilot study on implementing an indoor urban gardening cart at Drexel University in the United States. Noting that "food deserts" - areas lacking affordable full-service grocery stores and with a high density of fast-food options - exist not only in communities like Philadelphia but also on college campuses, the student group Microgreens Health Outreach Project (HOP) built and implemented a small, free-standing indoor community garden cart intended for use by Drexel University College of Medicine (DUCOM) students, after consulting DUCOM's Office of Student Affairs and the owners of the Health Sciences Building (HSB) on funding, responsibility, space, and permanence. The cart was installed on the ninth floor of HSB in September 2024. The project found little existing literature on indoor urban gardening and so was unable to effectively compare its construction costs against prior work, instead designing a custom-built cart through internet research and price comparisons; communication, funding, and a supportive DUCOM community were identified as crucial to its success. The study recommends future research into microgreen taste preferences and the effectiveness of shared harvesting and community garden rules.

Aline Oliveira Zoia do Amaral, Regina Yoshie Matsue, Luciana Yuki Tomita · Ambiente & sociedade · Brazil (São Paulo)

This engaged, reflexive case study analyzed the implementation of a community garden in a condominium in Heliópolis, a high social-vulnerability neighborhood in São Paulo, Brazil, and the participants' motivations, drawing on participant observation, a field diary, and semi-structured interviews. The garden was established through crowdfunding (a "vaquinha virtual"). It contributed to the household budget, expanded the variety of vegetables consumed to include unconventional food plants, and improved diet. It also became a space for recovering affective memories, socializing, an activity for elderly women, and bringing the condominium's children closer to the practice of growing food.

Katie Wagner, Kynda R. Curtis, Ruby Ward, Melanie Stock, Sheriden M. Hansen · Applied Economics Teaching Resources · United States

This article describes the Utah Urban and Small Farms Conference (USFC), an annual outreach event for new and existing small and urban agricultural producers in Utah and across the United States facing urbanization and environmental challenges. It reports that themed sessions led by producers, government personnel, and Extension faculty led to information adoption, community partnerships, and effects on participants' professional careers and involvement in urban agriculture governance. The article suggests the USFC model could be adapted by other organizations and communities facing similar challenges.

Samuel Oliveira Cunha, Diógenes José Gusmão Coutinho · Revista fisio&terapia. · Brazil

A qualitative, exploratory study of environmental education in Mato Grosso, Brazil combined literature review, document analysis and study of practices in municipal and state schools. Practices such as school gardens, recycling workshops, selective waste collection and digital tools were found effective for instilling socio-environmental values when integrated into the curriculum with community participation. The study also reports that insufficient teacher training, infrastructure limitations and project discontinuity still undermine the effectiveness of these actions.

Vitória Ângela Paim, Denise Wildner Theves · Quaestio revista de estudos em educação · Brazil

This paper reports on a Final Course Project (TCC) practice in which a group of early-elementary children from a school in Canoas, in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, created a collective experiential map of a neighborhood community garden after visiting it. Aiming to understand how school-geography-mediated didactic proposals mobilize children's experience and authorship, the ethnographic study emphasized children's protagonism and authorship, finding that children's spatiality extends beyond the classroom, giving multiple meanings to geographic knowledge, and that the collective map-making translated their spatial experiences into their own geographic expression.

Hellen Chrystianne Lucio Barros, Danielle Fernandes de Araújo Oliveira, Iris Alves Feitoza Albuquerque · Ambiente & Educação · Brazil

A study, based on interviews with six teachers at a state school in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, that has a community school garden project among its open spaces, examining possible relationships between green environments at school and the promotion of learning, well-being, and environmental care. The analysis found that teachers perceive the school garden as a pedagogical resource that facilitates learning, promotes well-being associated with students' mental health, and allows for discussion of environmental care and healthy eating, viewing it as a potential resource for learning in the field of socio-environmental education.

Mecca Howe, Jennifer Meta Robinson · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

This case study examined psychosocial impacts among 13-to-17-year-old participants in the Felege Hiywot Center's 2023 STEAM Farm Camp in an underserved urban US neighborhood with limited access to affordable, nutritious food, where teens designed and maintained garden plots, prepared shared meals, and did science projects. Using survey and facilitated-journaling data, the study found that gardening produced positive feelings and was experienced as stress relief and a source of accomplishment, that teens built friendships and mentorships, and that participation was associated with metacognitive skill development including self-awareness and reflection.

João Manoel da Silva, Maria Celia de Paula Rocha, Mariana de Aquino Freitas, Érika Sabrina Felix Azevedo, Rafael Balbino Cardoso, Vitória R. R. de A. R. Ramalho · Revista de Gestão e Secretariado (Management and Administrative Professional Review) · Brazil

This project diagnosed the socioeducational profile, prior knowledge, and training needs of residents in several municipalities of the Alagoas semi-arid region (sertão alagoano) of Brazil, using an electronic questionnaire and a quali-quantitative analysis of responses, followed by thematic training cycles on "Cultivation in Small Spaces," "What to Plant," and "Ecological Management" to spread agroecological practices in urban, peri-urban, and backyard-garden settings. Results showed most participants already had some cultivation space and strong interest in sustainable practices such as composting and organic fertilization, though some showed technical limitations; women and young people predominated among respondents, and all participants expressed interest in further training, prioritizing digital materials such as explanatory videos and educational booklets.

William D. Schanbacher, Joe Bohn, Erica Hall · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

A reflective essay (2025) recounts a pilot, public-facing virtual course, "Introduction to Food Policy," delivered in summer 2022 by the University of South Florida Food Sovereignty Initiative and the Florida Food Policy Council, building on prior Florida work in urban agriculture, agroecology, and food sovereignty. Over six weeks, the course featured weekly presentations from food-system specialists on: understanding food policy, researching food policy, environmental food policy, food policy advocacy, civic engagement in food policy formulation, and regional food policy, and was open to students, community members, and policymakers. The authors, drawn from Florida Food Policy Council leadership and Food Sovereignty Initiative faculty, share observations on developing and delivering the course along with participant comments from a post-course survey and an outside evaluation by the North American Food Systems Network.

Sarah Corcoran, Rachael Condley, Rachel A Liebe, Tuba Khan, Jillian Joyce, Deana Hildebrand, Ashlea Braun · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · United States (California)

At a hybrid food and resource center with an attached community garden in California, USA, a longitudinal, sequential explanatory mixed-methods study of 30 patrons (mean age 45.9, 73.3% women) combined quantitative measures (survey and skin carotenoids) with qualitative semi-structured interviews to examine barriers to and facilitators of fruit and vegetable intake. Skin carotenoid levels, a biomarker of fruit and vegetable intake, were largely unchanged before and after (P = .51); among the 26 participants interviewed, facilitators cited included perceptions of quality and alignment with health goals, while barriers included mental health and competing priorities, leading to the conclusion that programs aiming to improve fruit and vegetable intake should prioritize non-diet determinants.

Daniel Sgrancio Uliana, Rhaiza Marcia Passos Leal, Sara Jarske Gering, Érica Aguiar Moraes, Jackline Freitas Brilhante de São José · Revista Guará · Brazil

This experience report covers activities of the Brazilian university extension project "PANCCult: Cultivating Knowledge and Flavors of Unconventional Edible Plants," carried out from November 2021 to January 2024, which conducted social media outreach, organized and participated in events sharing nutritional and culinary information, carried out activities in an urban community garden, and produced scientific materials on unconventional edible plants (PANC) and urban community gardens. The report concludes the project contributed to disseminating knowledge about PANC and provided professional-training opportunities for extension students while encouraging sustainable use of plant biodiversity.

Monsur M., Mansur M., Trina N.A., Cosco N. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(11):1485 · United States (Texas)

A randomized trial in eight Lubbock County childcare centers (149 children) testing standardized raised-bed garden intervention on preschoolers' fruit and vegetable knowledge and liking. Shows that collaborative childcare-garden programs can improve vegetable preferences even in semi-arid climates.

Abriana Segal, Niya Khanjar, Julie Yang, Kelsey Brooks, Marcus Williams, Neith Little, Andrew Lazar, Rachel E. Rosenberg Goldstein · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Baltimore)

This study surveyed urban farms and community gardens in Baltimore, Maryland, to document irrigation practices, water sources, and interest in rainwater harvesting. Most sites were concerned about water availability yet all had access to city water; 27% were already harvesting rainwater and 54% were interested, and the authors suggest rainwater harvesting, food safety, and education programs could increase safe use of this water source.

· Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences · USA

A study examining how school gardens can promote positive youth development and social justice values among participating youth.

· The Professional Geographer · North America

Explores how home gardens in low-income communities unlock potential for urban sustainability. Analyzes interconnections between food access and environmental sustainability.

Abbey Palmer, Phillip Warsaw, Aaron J. McKim, R. Bud McKendree, Marion Nettleton, Tiffany Marzolino, Haley Brasier · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

This study evaluated a land-based learning program in northern Michigan, involving two schools, two teachers, their students, food-service directors, local farmers, and a university extension educator. The program delivered farm-to-school content through 20 instructional sessions, leading students to identify and implement interventions to increase local food in school lunches. Findings indicate that this framework offers similar benefits to traditional farm-to-school programs, with added flexibility and educational advantages.

Evandro dos Santos Taborda, Vera Lúcia Simão, Joel Cezar Bonin · Cadernos Cajuína · Brazil

This descriptive and qualitative literature review, conducted from April 8 to May 10, 2023, analyzed 20 theses and dissertations from databases like Periódicos Capes, Google Scholar, and Scielo Brasil. It is part of a master's research investigating transdisciplinary and eco-formative pedagogical practices with high school students using a community garden in Santa Catarina, Brazil. The study suggests that continuing such practices in high school can strengthen the connection between education and society, offering integrated learning opportunities.

Eduardo Torres, Orientadora: MSc, Ana Maria Ferreira de Gomes, Efraim Lagos · Revista fisio&terapia. · Brazil

This research implemented Environmental Accounting as an educational tool at Pedro Aguirre high school in Manicoré, Brazil, to raise awareness about ecological issues and promote sustainable practices. Sustainable practices introduced included selective waste collection, educational signs, and the creation of a community garden. The methodology included exploratory and descriptive research with qualitative and quantitative analysis of students’ environmental education knowledge and the effectiveness of implemented practices.

Beatriz Barbosa da Silva, Caroline Senatore, Manueli Monciozo Domingos, Jackline Freitas Brilhante de São José · Ensaios e Ciência C Biológicas Agrárias e da Saúde · Brazil (Vitória)

From March to May 2023, the microbiological quality of food and medicinal plants, soil, and irrigation water was evaluated in an urban garden at an educational institution in Vitória, Brazil. 16.6% (n=2) of the analyzed plants exceeded legal limits for total coliforms at 35ºC, and Salmonella spp. was detected in 41.6% (n=5) of plants. Salmonella spp. was also found in 80.0% (n=4) of soil samples, suggesting a potential source of plant contamination.

Pierric Calenge, Maie Gérardot · Métropolitiques · United States (Cleveland)

The work by Max Rousseau and Vincent Béal illuminates the ambiguities of a policy that organizes urban decline and racial segregation in Cleveland. This policy promotes urban degrowth and racial segregation, balancing algorithmic management and urban greening. The study focuses on the Rust Belt region, which experiences de-urbanization marked by the subprime crisis, racism, and segregation.

Lindsay K. Campbell, Chris Fremantle, David Maddox, Erika S. Svendsen, Sarah Hines, Mary Mattingly, Matthew López-Jensen, Nikki Lindt, Liza Paqueo, Michelle Johnson · Landscape Research · United States (New York City)

This paper explores four case studies from the Urban Field Station Collaborative Arts Program (UFS Arts) in New York City, United States, from 2016 to the present. It examines how artists collaborating with scientists and land managers foster new relationships with urban nature and inform landscape decisions. The examples include projects using image, sound, a floating food forest, and an exhibition mapping civic environmental practices, demonstrating how transdisciplinary approaches can transform management practices and landscape decisions.

Sandra Cadore Peixoto, Suzane Dubou Serafim, Thaís Scotti do Canto-Dorow · Revista Eletrônica em Gestão Educação e Tecnologia Ambiental · Brazil (Santa Maria)

This study, conducted with fifth-grade students at an Elementary School in Santa Maria, Brazil, aimed to present the contributions of a school vegetable garden to interdisciplinary teaching. The garden, planned and built collaboratively by teachers and students, served as a practical environment, allowing students to connect theory and practice and approach concepts in an interdisciplinary manner across various subjects.