Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
322 results(5 / 13)
Organization of a Community Garden Program through Utah State University Food $ense and Master Gardener Extension Programs for Low-Income Families in Logan, Utah
2021Jackie Hendrickson · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · United States (Utah)
Utah State University's Food $ense and Master Gardener programs partnered to create the "Create Farm Fresh Gardens" community gardening program, targeting low-income families in Cache Valley, Utah. Piloted during the 2018 growing season, the program aimed to improve food security by increasing access to fresh vegetables and enhancing participants' self-efficacy in gardening and nutrition. Participants provided supportive feedback, and the program was slated for statewide implementation in Utah during the 2019 growing season.
CommunityFood educationWelfareHealthCocoon: a series
2021Mia Arvizu · Ethnic studies review · United States
This paper introduces "Cocoon: a series" by independent artist Mia Arvizu. This initial series challenges white supremacy culture and assimilation, serving as a stepping stone to spark conversations that spread resistance against patriarchy, capitalism, and colonialism. Arvizu is currently working in a fellowship with the National Park Service (NPS) and Groundwork, USA, focusing on communications for community-based projects such as community gardens.
CommunityClimate changePolicyWelfareField Notes:* Evaluation of the impacts of a community garden program for veterans on food security and indicators of healthy diets.
2021Karen Besterman‐Dahan, Nora B. Arriola, Sarah Bradley · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · United States (Tampa)
A community garden program for veterans in mental health programs at a Veterans’ Administration Hospital in Tampa, Florida, was implemented to evaluate veteran outcomes including food security and nutrition. Evidence suggests these programs can provide a safe space for veterans and positively impact their food security and fruit and vegetable intake.
CommunityHealthWelfareStarting Community Non-profit Systems
2021Robert M Schulman · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · United States (Virginia)
This study provides guidance for other institutions to establish community gardens for providing fresh, local, and healthy food to those in need, based on the experiences of a community garden established at a religious congregation in Sterling, Virginia. Entering its fourth year of operation, this case study also addresses the expansion of its mission beyond food to include an educational outreach aspect. Two forms of outreach are envisioned: publishing a newsletter to the congregation to increase interest and volunteerism, and instituting on-site workshops to educate interested members on how to establish a food garden.
CommunityFood educationWelfareRefugee Community Gardens and the Politics of Self-Help
2021Cecilia M. Tsu · Amerasia Journal · United States
This article examines community gardens established for refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in the United States during the 1980s. It argues that refugee gardeners perceived a significant disconnect between their rural lives in Southeast Asia and the role of vegetable growing in the U.S., despite advocates emphasizing continuity with their past. The gardens provided a measure of economic empowerment, but highlighted the disjuncture in their resettlement experience.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceMaking locals through local agriculture: citizenship and urban gardens in Rock Island, Illinois, 1913-2018
2021Brian James Leech, Christopher Strunk · Food Culture & Society · United States (Rock Island)
This research explores the historical evolution of urban gardening in Rock Island, Illinois, a post-industrial city, from 1913 to 2018. It finds that while urban agriculture was prominent during 20th-century crises, it has maintained a constant presence, with initiatives like Victory Gardens and community gardens sharing common goals of addressing poverty and food access. However, gardening programs have often failed to acknowledge the underlying causes of food insecurity.
CommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justicePolicyA tribute to Evan Weissman from Syracuse Grows
2021Jonnell Robinson, Sarah Brown, Rose Tardiff, Dennis Brady, Jen Pauley, Mable Wilson · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Syracuse)
Syracuse Grows is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization in Syracuse, New York, dedicated to food justice. The organization hosts an annual "Resource Drive" event each April, mobilizing community resources to support over 25 community gardens and 3 urban farms. During this event, compost, mulch, and manure are transported across the city, transforming previously vacant lots into spaces for nourishment and camaraderie.
CommunityFood educationWelfareCompostRid-All: green in the ghetto
2021Michele Hunt · · United States (Cleveland)
Rid-All Green Partnership was founded by three childhood friends, Damien Forshe, Keymah Durden, and Randy McShepard, who grew up in Cleveland’s Lee-Miles neighborhood. They provide training in urban farming and environmental stewardship, and Rid-All serves as a regional training center for the Milwaukee-based urban farm “Growing Power.” Alongside its educational programs, Rid-All offers art, entertainment, sports, and community engagement initiatives, and created “The Brink City 'Green in the Ghetto'” comic book to communicate the importance of environmental justice to non-traditional and hard-to-reach audiences, including urban youth.
CommunityFood educationWelfareUrban–rural linkagePROMOVENDO SAÚDE E BEM-ESTAR SOCIAL A PARTIR DE UMA ALIMENTAÇÃO SAUDÁVEL
2021Leonardo Negreiros Monteiro, Joelson de Araújo Delfino · · Brazil
The project “Promoting health and social well-being through healthy eating” was implemented at the Lar para Idosos Tia Angelina elderly home in Porto Nacional, Brazil. Its objective was to improve the quality of life for residents through healthy eating, achieved by implementing a vegetable garden. This initiative also provided Agronomy Engineering students from UNITINS with the opportunity to develop competencies in understanding the importance of quality food and contributed to forming healthier eating habits for the elderly residents.
HealthWelfareElderlyFood educationCommunityCultivando relações no Arranjo Local da Penha: A mobilização de mulheres a partir das práticas de agricultura urbana na favela
2021Mariana Portilho, Camila Rodrigues, Annelise Caetano Fraga Fernandez · Cidades, comunidades e território/Cidades comunidades e territórios · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This study describes the formation of Arranjo Local da Penha, a community network created in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro's Penha favela complex, focused on urban agriculture and led by women. Through fieldwork and participant observation, the study analyzed themes of women and agroecology, health, and healthy eating. The network promoted women's empowerment and access to healthy food, but faced limits in the mobilization and development of urban agriculture.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareUrban–rural linkageGardening for Food Well-Being in the COVID-19 Era
2021Esteve Gaelle Giraud, Sara El-Sayed, Adenike Opejin · Sustainability · United States (Arizona)
This paper examines the potential of sustainable gardening to enhance Food Well-Being (FWB). It uses three studies of sustainable food gardeners in Arizona, USA, including children and teachers in school gardens, sustainable gardeners and farmers, and gardeners during the pandemic. Results indicate a connection between sustainable gardening and eudemonic well-being, impacting five FWB dimensions (physical, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social). However, the paper notes that without appropriate policies, funding, and infrastructure, the impact might remain minimal, volatile, and subject to tokenism.
HealthWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityGrowing North Minneapolis: Connecting Youth and Community through Garden-based Experiential Learning
2020Mary Rogers, Illana Livstrom, Brandon Roiger, Amy Smith · HortTechnology · United States (Minneapolis)
Growing North Minneapolis (GNM) is an urban agriculture and youth development summer program in North Minneapolis, MN, run as a partnership between the University of Minnesota and community partners that recruits, trains, and employs youth aged 14–15 facing barriers to employment. Post-program qualitative surveys showed that youth learned across multiple domains of knowledge and valued the social interaction offered by the intergenerational mentorship structure.
Food educationCommunityWelfareEco-gentrification and who benefits from urban green amenities: NYC's high Line
2020· Landscape and Urban Planning · USA (New York City)
Empirical study of NYC's public High Line project showing housing values near the park rose 35% and rents ~68%, with parkgoers overwhelmingly white/tourist—evidence that a flagship public greening investment captured value for the affluent and failed its low-income host neighborhood.
PolicyEconomicsWelfareA Multi-Sectoral Approach Improves Early Child Development in a Disadvantaged Community in Peru: Role of Community Gardens, Nutrition Workshops and Enhanced Caregiver-Child Interaction: Project "Wawa Illari"
2020Doris González-Fernández, Ana Sofía Mazzini Salom, Fermina Herrera Bendezu, Sonia Huamán, Bertha Rojas Hernández, Illène Pevec, Eliana Mariana Galarza Izquierdo, Nicoletta Armstrong, Virginia Thomas, Sonia Vela Gonzáles, Carlos Gonzáles Saravia, Marilyn E. Scott, Kristine G. Koski · Frontiers in Public Health · Peru (Lima)
In peripheral settlements of the Pachacámac district of metropolitan Lima, Peru, community health promoters delivered a sequence of (1) home and community gardens, (2) 'conscious nutrition' and (3) parenting workshops (ICDP), comparing 113 children aged 0–3 in intervention communities with 127 in control communities at baseline, 8 and 12 months. The interventions significantly reduced the risk of food insecurity (adjusted risk ratio 0.20, 95% CI 0.08–0.51) and of language delay (0.39, 0.19–0.82), but did not significantly improve motor or social/cognitive delay. Multiple micronutrient supplement use lowered motor delay risk (0.12), while households with more pets had higher risk of motor delay (3.24), social/cognitive delay (2.72) and food insecurity (1.73). Because gardens were bundled with nutrition and parenting components, the contribution of the gardens alone cannot be isolated.
Limited or null effectHealthFood educationCommunityWelfareSEMEADURAS: UMA CARTOGRAFIA NA ATENÇÃO PRIMÁRIA EM SAÚDE
2020Vatsi Meneghel Danilevicz · Psicologia & Sociedade · Brazil (Bahia)
This experience report details the journey of a community garden at a Family Health Unit (USF) in southern Bahia, Brazil, aiming to revive local knowledge and create visibility. Using a cartographic methodology, the study analyzed the garden's effects on participants' health and the bond between health workers and service users. The garden, primarily involving around ten poor, elderly Black women residents, proved to be a powerful tool for therapeutic support, relationship building, cultivation of medicinal plants, reduction in allopathic medication use, and production of vegetables and fruits for participants' consumption.
CommunityHealthElderlyWelfareObservations and suggestions during COVID-19: Harnessing pre-existing elements to increase food security
2020Neil Cox, Zoe Beynon-MacKinnon · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Canada
This article presents observations and suggestions from the operations of Lettuce Harvest Foundation (LHF), a grassroots urban agriculture nonprofit in Vancouver, Canada, founded in 2019. LHF's programming was designed to address challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest that short-term emergency food relief is insufficient, and propose harnessing pre-existing industry elements as a method for grassroots organizations to mitigate food system strains during crises.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareClimate changePROJETO HORTA COMUNITÁRIA NO BAIRRO NHAPINDAZAL IRATI-PR
2020Carolina Ferreira dos Santos, Bruno Hosrt, Daniele Ukan · Brazilian Journal of Development · Brazil
In the Nhapindazal neighborhood of Irati-PR, Brazil, a community garden project was implemented by the PET – Engenharias Group in partnership with "pastoral da criança." The project aimed to supplement food conditions and improve dietary habits for socially vulnerable families. Through a community meeting with representatives, plans for the garden's construction, maintenance, materials, and plant species were discussed. Academic students actively participated in the installation, and the community organized to maintain the garden, resulting in improved and diversified diets for those consuming its produce.
CommunityWelfareFood educationHealthLand, Language, and Food Literacy: Co-Creating a Curriculum at Lach Klan School with Gitxaała Nation
2020Ada P. Smith · Collaborative anthropologies · Canada
In Canada's Gitxaała Nation, the potential of the Gitxaała community garden and the summer reading program at Lach Klan School as a "food literacy" learning platform for achieving food security and food sovereignty was explored. This research suggests that hands-on learning activities integrating local Indigenous language and knowledge have the potential to contribute to food sovereignty goals by better equipping students to shape their food system.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationHealthWelfareUma experiência com pessoas com deficiência através do Projeto Cultivando Cidadania de Agricultura Urbana em Aracaju-SE
2020Ivan 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.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsPolicyDevelopment and Implementation of a Longitudinal School-Based Community Garden Curriculum by Pediatric Residents
2020Lydia 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").
Food educationCommunityHealthWelfareGRUPO DE AUTOCUIDADO APOIADO PARA PORTADORES DE DOENÇAS CRÔNICAS NA ATENÇÃO PRIMÁRIA À SAÚDE: UM RELATO DE EXPERIÊNCIA
2020Idaene 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.
CommunityHealthWelfareMaking community-supported agriculture accessible to low-income families: findings from the Farm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids process evaluation
2020Jennifer 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.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityHealthWelfareBuilding racial bridges? Social capital among community gardeners in US food deserts
2020Jennifer 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.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareA Práxis da Agricultura Sustentável Urbana: possível caminho por percorrer na horta comunitária do IFG
2020GONZALO MARÍN OVIEDO, OLIVEIRA, ALESSANDRO SILVA DE · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Brazil (Anápolis)
The Federal Institute of Goiás, Anápolis campus, aims to contribute to overcoming socio-environmental problems affecting vulnerable communities in the region through sustainable agriculture in a community garden. This initiative proposes developing critical environmental education, discussing theoretical and practical aspects of the critical approach and its relationship with praxis. Historical-Dialectical Materialism guides the theoretical-methodological aspects, and Action Research is used for practical aspects.
CommunityFood educationWelfareGrowing Together: Participatory Approaches in Urban Agriculture Extension
2020Lucy Diekmann, Marcia Ostrom · · United States
This chapter reviews participatory extension approaches and demonstrates their application to urban agriculture through five US Extension case studies. The selection of these case studies was informed by a 2015 nationwide survey of Extension personnel working on local, community, and regional food systems. These examples illustrate how urban agroecological knowledge and networks are being developed and applied, and suggest directions for future Extension work.
CommunityFood educationPolicyWelfare