Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2012 results(51 / 81)
Piloting an observation tool for the Garden to Table Program to assess education of underserved youth in Omaha, Nebraska
2018A. Gargano · Graduate Medical Education Research Journal · United States (Omaha)
A pilot study was conducted in Omaha, Nebraska, to assess the effectiveness of The Big Garden's "Garden to Table" program, which teaches students in five Omaha Public Schools how to grow, harvest, cook, and preserve crops. A direct observation tool was developed and piloted at one site to record children's attitudes, knowledge, and behavior towards fruits and vegetables during lessons.
Food educationCommunityHealthGreening a Food Desert
2018Ivana George · Journal of international women's studies · United States (Miami)
The documentary film "Greening a Food Desert" showcases Cerasee Farm, an inner-city farm in Liberty City, Miami, Florida, a neighborhood designated as a "Food Desert" by the USDA. The film illustrates how community member Roger Horne established this urban farm to provide residents with affordable produce, gardening training, and nutrition and environmental education. It also features stories from other community members about the farm's impact on their lives and the community.
HealthFood educationCommunityWelfareA importância da implantação de hortas escolares para desenvolvimento de estudos e interação da Agroecologia
2018Rafael Rosa Rocha, Elizangela Carniel, Crislaine Borges Raimundo, Kátila Freitas Bento, Willian Marques Duarte, Ana Cássia Silva Possamai · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This report details an agroecological vegetable garden project implemented for educational and food purposes in Nova Mutum - MT, Brazil. The project involved Agronomy students from UNEMAT and students from Jose Aparecido Ribeiro State School, providing a space for experience exchange, environmental discussions, and interaction through workshops on management techniques. The garden served as a sustainable alternative for healthy food production and demonstrated the importance of agroecological practices.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleUrban Gardening in Florence and Prato: How a Science Shop Project Proposed by Citizens Has Grown into a Multi-Disciplinary Research Subject
2018Franco Bagnoli, Ada Baldi, Ugo Bardi, Marina Clauser, Anna Lenzi, Simone Orlandini, Giovanna Pacini · Journal of Sustainable Development · Italy
This project, initiated by a Science Shop proposal in Florence, Italy, explored urban gardening in Florence and Prato. It involved various stakeholders to uncover the multidisciplinary aspects of urban gardening, which extends beyond traditional economic reasons to include educational, nutraceutical, therapeutic, and social relevance. The study identified urban gardening as a subject touching on agriculture, botany, psychology, chemistry, city planning, and politics.
Food educationHealthCommunityPolicyA Cooperative Sustainable School Garden for Peace
2018Elizabet Geijlvoet · Anabaptist Witness · Netherlands
This abstract is a personal reflection by Elizabet Geijlvoet from the Netherlands, describing her work in the Mennonite church ministry. It does not contain information about a cooperative sustainable school garden, nor any research findings, methods, or specific details related to urban farming.
CommunityFood educationHEALTH ACTIVIST EDUCATION FOR BRAZIL
2018Rita de Cássia Gabrielli Souza Lima, Camila Gonçalves Labrêa, Marco Aurélio Da Ros, Adriana Grabner Corrêa, Paula Côrrea Souza, Liana Riveiro, Joelma Feliciano, Marina Goelzer Kieling · International Journal for Innovation Education and Research · Brazil (Itajaí)
This article reports on an extension project experience conducted in 2016 with elderly people from the Community Center for the Elderly in Itaipava, Itajaí city, Brazil, in partnership with a local Health Primary Care Unit and Local Health Council. Testimonies were dialectically analyzed using the category “We want to dance again, and we appreciate plants,” revealing symbolic pain over municipal resource cuts for monthly trips and balls, alongside a willingness to create a community garden. The involved sectors recognized the extension program as an effective class and a locus for developing praxis.
CommunityElderlyFood educationProjeto EcoViamão: Canoas e as hortas comunitárias na metrópole
2018Marcos Daniel Schmidt de Aguiar, Cláudio Fioreze, Danielle Grassi · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Porto Alegre)
This research, part of the EcoViamão project in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre, Brazil, identified community gardens in the municipality of Canoas. Through data collection from public and private entities, bibliographic review, field visits, and extension action reports, an alternative form of urban agriculture was revealed, practiced collectively in socially vulnerable areas with a strong agroecological and food security bias. The study also analyzes possibilities for strengthening actions with the community and the mission of IFRS and the EcoViamão project for more sustainable regional development.
CommunityPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationUrban Regeneration : Shifting from Production of Space to Community Empowerment - Case Study of Knowledge and Innovation Community Garden in Shanghai
2018Huahua Zou, Hai Long Yu · Rikkyo University academic repository (Rikko Roots) (Rikkyo University) · China (Shanghai)
The Knowledge and Innovation Community Garden in Shanghai illustrates the shift in urban regeneration from capital-driven space production to community empowerment. By offering natural education and gardening methods to children, this garden brings urban people back to a walking-friendly world, creates a user-centric space, reinstates residents' power to shape and improve their living space, and rebuilds bonds among community members.
CommunityFood educationPolicyHow to grow a city: cultivating an urban agriculture action plan through concept mapping
2018Wanda Martin, Lindsey Wagner · Agriculture & Food Security · Canada
In a Canadian prairie city, 66 participants used concept mapping and group discussions to develop an urban agriculture action plan. The plan consists of six concepts, with increasing food production in public spaces and improving education strategies ranked as both important and feasible. Participants stated that an integrated vision from city administration, along with a paid position to oversee bylaws and consider local food procurement systems, is necessary to advance urban agriculture.
CommunityPolicyFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceComida de Verdade
2018Fernanda Maciel Mendes Costa, Ana Paula Leite Fabrini, Tânia Vital, Aline Neves Costa, Tatiana Perassolo, Rodrigo Borghezan · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This experience report describes the introduction of Unconventional Food Plants (PANC) into a school environment in Campo Grande, Brazil, through culinary workshops for staff and lectures for students. The initiative aimed to promote healthy eating and prevent chronic non-communicable diseases. As a result, Taioba (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) was included in the public call for supply to municipal schools, ensuring frequent PANC consumption for approximately 1100 students.
Food educationHealthA Sustainable Operation Plan for School Gardens - Based on a Survey of Elementary School Gardens in Seoul
2018I-Jin Choi, J.J. Lee, Sang Tae Cho, Yoon Ah Jang, Joo Nyung Heo · Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture · South Korea (Seoul)
This study surveyed 599 elementary schools in Seoul, South Korea, finding that 161 schools operated school gardens with a total area of 65,493m2, averaging 363m2 per school. The primary difficulty in operating these gardens was management (34.2%), and the most needed elements for sustainable operation were physical environment improvement and hiring paid garden staff (each 32%). The main purpose of school gardening was creating educational environments (81.6%), and all schools reported positive educational impacts.
Food educationCommunityPolicyPEMBERDAYAAN SEKOLAH DALAM KEGIATAN URBAN FARMING DALAM RANGKA MENDUKUNG KEMANDIRIAN PANGAN BAGI KOTA MAKASSAR
2018Hari Iswoyo, Katriani Mantja, Nuniek Widiayani, Rahmansyah Dermawan · Jurnal Dinamika Pengabdian (JDP) · Indonesia (Makassar)
This paper describes an urban farming initiative in Makassar, Indonesia, aimed at empowering two schools, SMPN 4 and SMAN 17, to utilize school land for productive cultivation. The project transferred knowledge and skills in urban farming technologies, including those for limited spaces, to support food self-sufficiency. Methods included socialization on land utilization potential and participatory activities involving students in creating urban farming devices and practicing land management.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkage‘전환’을 추구하는 대안학교에 관한 사례연구: 늘푸름학교를 중심으로
2018김경미 · 교육인류학연구 · South Korea
This study investigated the educational implications of Nurpurum School, a 12-year alternative school pursuing the value of "transition," through a case study. Participant observation, interviews, and local data collection revealed that after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, the school restructured its curriculum around the theme of "ecological transition in education," implementing a "Transition Village Project" focused on urban agriculture and appropriate technology. This education was concluded to shift meaning from "made" education to "making" education, from teacher-centered to co-teaching and learning relationships, and from competition to education for coexistence and symbiosis.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeDIYA Cultured Learning Environment: Implementing a Problem- and Service-Based Microbiology Capstone Course to Assess Process- and Skill-Based Learning Objectives
2018Rachel Watson, John Willford, Mariel A. Pfeifer · Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning · United States
A problem-based capstone course at the University of Wyoming Microbiology Program was designed to assess student learning objectives. Students collaborated with a local farm, community garden, and clinic to address partner problems. Instructor assessments and external subject matter experts confirmed students' mastery of learning objectives, and community partners expressed satisfaction with the solutions.
CommunityFood educationPENGGUNAAN MEDIA KOMUNIKASI DALAM SOSIALISASI PROGRAM URBAN FARMING DI KOTA SURABAYA
2018Henny Sri Mulyani, Herlina Agustin · Journal Acta Diurna · Indonesia (Surabaya)
This descriptive qualitative study in Surabaya, Indonesia, investigated the communication media used for socializing urban farming programs to poor families across 31 sub-districts. The research found that the Surabaya City Agriculture Office did not use mass media, instead relying on direct, interpersonal communication and technical guidance from facilitators. Messages focused on cultivating short-harvest vegetables in narrow yard spaces to support household food security and increase green spaces.
CommunityFood educationWelfareMOBILE APPS SEBAGAI PENUNJANG KEGIATAN URBAN AGRICULTURE DI KOTA BANDUNG
2018Vika Adriati Praditriyani · Visualita Jurnal Online Desain Komunikasi Visual · Indonesia (Bandung)
This research designed and tested a mobile application to support urban agriculture activities in Bandung, Indonesia. Targeting community members aged 18-30 with environmental interests, the app provided content on urban agriculture concepts, utilizing narrow land for productive green spaces, and plant care information. Testing showed that most users found a flexible digital medium helpful and necessary for maximizing urban agriculture activities in the city.
Digital agricultureCommunityFood educationCivic Stewardship as a Catalyst for Social-Ecological Change in Detroit, Michigancccccc
2018R. Witt, Erika S. Svendsen, Marianne E. Krasny · Cornell University Press eBooks · United States (Detroit)
This chapter explores how civic stewardship has driven social-ecological transformation in Detroit through the work of the nonprofit Greening of Detroit. The organization expanded its mission from restoring the city's tree canopy to include urban agriculture, environmental education, and workforce development, acting as a bridging organization connecting various stakeholders. Sustained community-based stewardship builds resilience, strengthens social networks, and shapes both local change and broader social movements through inclusive green infrastructure and civic participation.
CommunityPolicyFood educationBiodiversityGreen Green: a Community Gardening Story
2018Cynthia Frazier · ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University) · Global
This story describes the transformation of a garbage-filled empty lot into a beautiful green space through community effort. It illustrates how community gardens and green spaces can spread throughout a neighborhood, from parks to rooftops. The narrative inspires people to create community gardens and highlights the importance of bees and butterflies.
CommunityBiodiversityDIYFood educationColhendo e plantando vida nas cidades: extensão ao contrário e ecologia de saberes no Aglomerado da Serra, Belo Horizonte - MG
2018Bruno Martins Dala Paula, Luana do Carmo Araujo de Oliveira, Emmanuel Duarte Almada, Filipe Freitas Chaves, Maura Neves Coutinho · Expressa Extensão · Brazil (Belo Horizonte)
This essay reflects on the relationship between urban agriculture practices and life care, based on a university extension project mobilized between resident groups of the Aglomerado da Serra communities in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and members of Grupo Aroeira, over six years (2008-2013). The project was structured through main activities including surveying urban agriculture initiatives in the community, holding a cycle of 'Cultivating Health' meetings, forming a Medicinal Plants Group, creating a literacy class, and organizing open-air markets with urban agrobiodiversity products. This project aimed to cultivate and promote the care for the lives of the residents, valuing their popular knowledge, while bringing these experiences into the university through the practice of 'reverse extension'.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationBiodiversityTrends of Garden Based Learning Approach: Example of School Garden Applications (2000-2015)
2018Mustafa Ürey · DergiPark (Istanbul University) · Global
A descriptive content analysis of 162 articles published between 2000 and 2015 in 21 journals examined trends in school gardening practices. The analysis found that school garden practices aim to develop academic performance and healthy living skills, primarily involving pre-school and primary school students. These practices were found to positively affect academic performance, healthy living skills, and individual and social skills development.
Food educationCommunityHealthHortas sócioeducativas e o trabalho de ressocialização na cadeia pública de Bananeiras, Paraíba
2018Lucas Bras Barbosa, Sérgio Syddney Borges de Araújo, Evelyn Maria Alexandre da Silva Lima, Erikson Kadoshe de Morais Raimundo, Alexandre Eduardo de Araújo, Carlos Roberto Marinho Silva Filho · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Paraíba)
This study analyzed the resocialization aspects for eight prisoners in the Public Penitentiary of Bananeiras-PB, Brazil, through labor activities in educational community gardens. Using a qualitative approach, it found that remuneration was not a primary factor for prisoners; instead, sentence remission, improved food, and occupation of time and mind were the most important aspects.
Food educationWelfareCommunityHealthLynchburg College Community Garden
2018Kaitlin Hathaway · Digital Showcase Research, Scholarship, & Creative Works (University of Lynchburg) · United States (Lynchburg)
The Lynchburg College Community Garden at Beaver Point, United States, was established in 2016 by students and faculty to teach sustainable agriculture and enrich soil. In spring and summer 2017, projects included donating produce, promoting pollinators, raising chickens, and composting. The abstract also describes a designed rainwater collection and irrigation system.
CommunityFood educationBiodiversityCompostOrganic cycleTeens as Teachers in the Garden: Cultivating a Sustainable Model for Teaching Healthy Living
2018Virginia L. J. Bolshakova, John Gieng, C. Sheena Sidhu, Mary Vollinger, Lorena Gimeno, Jessica Guild · Journal of Youth Development · United States (California)
The "Healthy Living Ambassador" school garden program in low-income communities integrated resources from schools, community programs, and the University of California Cooperative Extension. This program utilized culturally competent teenagers as teachers to educate elementary school youth on healthy living. The successes and challenges of the program development were discussed, revealing that public schools often lack the resources and support to establish sustainable garden-based programming.
Governance failureFood educationHealthCommunityWelfareAgronomy Garden Food Literacy and Community Food System Engagement Strategy
2018Lucas Chan, Lily Han, Lia Monteferrante, Ryah Rondolo · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
The UBC Agronomy Garden was the subject of a research project exploring strategies to increase community engagement. The research team conducted a literature review, in-person interviews, and an online survey to investigate ways to make the garden more attractive. Findings indicated that installing multilingual, informative, and welcoming signage is key to increasing engagement, with 63% of students preferring handmade, creative, simple, and colorful welcoming signs.
CommunityFood educationHealthHealthy Roots: Building capacity through shared stories rooted in Haudenosaunee knowledge to promote Indigenous foodways and well-being
2018Kelly Gordon, Adrianne Lickers Xavier, Hannah Tait Neufeld · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada
The Healthy Roots initiative in the Six Nations community in southern Ontario, Canada, aimed to promote traditional food consumption among First Nation families facing food insecurity. A small number of participants who consumed only locally available foods reported improved blood glucose control, positive weight changes, and increased traditional food knowledge. The program also fostered new relationships and partnerships, including with the community organization Our Sustenance, to further community-based initiatives like developing a Haudenosaunee Food Guide.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthFood education