Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2066 results(59 / 83)
Resource needs for a socially just and sustainable urban agriculture system: Lessons from New York City
2014Nevin Cohen, Kristin Reynolds · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (New York)
Drawing on the two-year "Five Borough Farm" study of urban agriculture projects in New York City, this paper examines the resource needs of urban farms and gardens in terms of viability and equity. It documents that resource needs extend beyond land, soil and money to include government support and networks of practitioners, nonprofits and philanthropies, and that significant disparities in access to resources make the city's urban agriculture system unequal. The paper concludes with strategies to align resource needs with urban agriculture goals in New York and other cities.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsAn evaluation of conventional and subirrigated planters for urban agriculture: Supporting evidence
2014Clare Sullivan, Thomas Hallaran, Gregory Sogorka, Kallie Weinkle · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States
This study compared crop yields, quality and labor input for subirrigated planters (SIPs), a sack-garden variant, and two conventional raised beds over one season at one location, growing cayenne pepper, cherry tomatoes and kale. Both the SIP beds and conventional beds with a soilless growing medium were more productive than conventional beds with a topsoil-and-compost mix, and tomato yield in the SIP without a root barrier exceeded both conventional beds. Most of the higher-cost beds generated a positive revenue stream in the first season, suggesting that investing in SIPs or in soil suitable for raised beds is worth the higher initial cost.
DIYEconomicsWorld Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) in the United States: locations and motivations of volunteer tourism host farms
2014· Journal of Sustainable Tourism · United States
Analyzes the locations and motivations of WWOOF volunteer-tourism host farms in the US, finding host distributions are spatially skewed toward the west coast and Appalachia.
EconomicsOrganic cycleCommunityGreening the urban frontier: Race, property, and resettlement in Detroit
2014Safransky S. · Geoforum · Detroit, USA
Analyzing plans to repurpose Detroit's vacant lots as urban farms and green infrastructure, the article argues that framing this land as 'empty' and 'wasted' legitimizes the racialized dispossession of nonwhite residents, distributing the costs and benefits of 'green' redevelopment unevenly.
PolicyCommunityRadical, reformist, and garden-variety neoliberal: coming to terms with urban agriculture's contradictions
2014McClintock N. · Local Environment · USA
Argues that urban agriculture, by filling the void left by the 'rolling back' of the social safety net, underwrites neoliberalization; its discourse of entrepreneurialism and self-help shifts responsibility onto individuals, exposing the movement's contradictions.
WelfarePolicyEconomicsInnovation in urban agricultural practices: Responding to diverse production environments
2014Anne Pfeiffer, Erin Silva, Jed B. Colquhoun · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States
A project centered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison gathered data through site visits and interviews with urban agricultural organizations in seven US cities. It examined how structural and strategic food system factors shape urban agricultural efforts, considering diverse business and production models. The study discusses unique innovations in space-intensive agricultural production and assesses significant challenges facing urban agriculture.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageConceptualizing Community Buy-in and Its Application to Urban Farming
2014Melissa N. Poulsen, Marie L. Spiker, Peter J. Winch · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Baltimore)
This study explored the perceived importance of community buy-in for urban farming, along with its barriers, facilitators, and strategies, through participant observation at urban farms and interviews with urban farmers, neighborhood leaders, residents, and key stakeholders in Baltimore, Maryland. Findings revealed that residents' unfamiliarity with urban farming, concerns about negative neighborhood impacts, and perceptions of urban farms as "outsider projects" were barriers to buy-in. Strategies for gaining buy-in were shown to follow three main phases: gaining entry into a neighborhood, introducing the urban farm idea, and engaging the neighborhood.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsPolicyUrban Community Gardeners' Knowledge and Perceptions of Soil Contaminant Risks
2014Brent F. Kim, Melissa N. Poulsen, Jared D. Margulies, Katie L. Dix, Anne Palmer, Keeve E. Nachman · PLoS ONE · United States (Baltimore, Maryland)
This study characterized urban community gardeners' knowledge and perceptions of soil contaminant risks in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, through surveys with 70 gardeners from 15 gardens and interviews with 18 key informants. It found low levels of concern and inconsistent knowledge regarding heavy metal and organic chemical contaminants among gardeners. Furthermore, barriers to investigating garden site history and conducting soil tests, along with limited knowledge of best practices for reducing exposure, were identified.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthPolicyStudy protocol: effects of school gardens on children’s physical activity
2014Nancy M. Wells, Beth M. Myers, Charles Henderson · Archives of Public Health · United States (New York State)
This study is a protocol for a randomized controlled trial involving 12 schools in New York State. It aims to examine the effect of school gardens on children's overall physical activity, sedentary behavior, and physical activity during the school day. Data will be collected at baseline and at three post-intervention follow-up waves at 6, 12, and 18 months using surveys and accelerometry.
Food educationHealthCommunityGrowing Everyday Multiculturalism
2014Hongxia Shan, Pierre Walter · Adult Education Quarterly · Canada
Based on a qualitative study of the learning experiences of six Chinese immigrants in community gardens on a university campus in Canada, this article identifies three ways of learning that foster knowing, connecting, and hybrid knowledge production across cultures. These include learning through communities of conviviality, learning mediated through nonhuman things like land, waste, and free-floating seeds, and learning through assemblages that integrate culture, place, and space.
CommunityFood education미국 학교정원운동(School Garden Movement)의 발전과정
2014금혜진 · · United States
This study examined the philosophical background and historical development of the school garden movement in the USA to derive implications for Korean school gardening programs. The movement emerged from late 19th-century educational ideas, showing a process of formation (1891-1914), decline (post-WWI, 1950s), and revival (from 1990s). The revival was driven by efforts to address childhood obesity, nature-deficit, and improve academic achievements.
Food educationHealthCommunityKnowing “Good Food”: Immigrant Knowledge and the Racial Politics of Farmworker Food Insecurity
2014Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern · Antipode · United States
Research on farmworker food insecurity in the USA points out that food assistance providers often treat farmworkers' inability to afford healthy food as a lack of knowledge, reinforcing racialized assumptions that people of color do not know "good" food. This study argues that food security and healthy eating are not a matter of consumers making healthy "choices," but rather a matter of class-based and racial differences within the food system.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareMonitoreo e identificación de algunos insectos plagas asociados a la agricultura urbana en Veracruz centro
2014Mabel Hernández Osorio, Ana Lid del Ángel Pérez, Carlos Nahin Castro José · Revista Biológico Agropecuaria Tuxpan · Mexico
This study in Veracruz, Mexico, identified insect pests associated with urban cultivation of vegetables and aromatic species in two types of recycled containers. Daily ethological monitoring revealed five insect pests: whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum), red spider mite (Tetranychus urticae C.L.Koch), leaf miner (Liriomyza sp), thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), and aphids (Myzus persicae). The findings aim to inform preventive actions and biological control strategies to reduce pest presence in urban container vegetable production.
BiodiversityDIYCommunityGearing up to support urban farming in California: Preliminary results of a needs assessment
2014Rachel Surls, Gail Feenstra, Sheila Golden, Ryan E. Galt, Shermain Hardesty, Claire Napawan, Cheryl Wilen · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (California)
Urban agriculture (UA) in California has been slower to gain momentum compared to other urban states, partly due to limited availability of relevant information and technical assistance for urban farmers and municipal decision-makers. A University of California Cooperative Extension project is developing web-based educational resources based on a needs assessment, which includes a literature review, an internal survey of personnel, and community interviews. Preliminary findings indicate challenges in supporting urban farming due to resource constraints and information gaps.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityQuel(s) rôle(s) pour l'agriculture urbaine à Montréal-Nord : perceptions et vision des résidents.
2014Marie-Ève Voghel Robert · · Canada (Montréal)
This research internship, conducted in Montreal-Nord, Canada, during winter and spring 2013, aimed to understand the potential of urban agriculture from the perspective of both gardeners and non-gardeners. Through five group interviews, participants emphasized the essential role of human and social relationships in collective gardening projects, beyond just food production. They also proposed integrating collective gardening with other projects to create a comprehensive food system in Montreal-Nord, enhancing project longevity and food accessibility.
CommunityFood educationHealthCity of Rosemount Community Gardens Evaluation Proposal
2014Elizabeth McNamara, Danielle Proulx, Luke Hanson, Yue Zhang, T.H. Stephan · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · United States
This report was completed by students enrolled in PA 5311: Program Evaluation, taught by Hanife Cakici and Jodi Sandfort in fall 2014.
CommunityPolicyDemonstrating fence options for community, school and home vegetable and ornamental gardens in areas with high deer and woodchuck pressure
2014Annie Christian · eCommons (Cornell University) · United States
This project tested two fencing methods—heavy woven wire with chicken wire, and heavy black plastic with hex mesh—to exclude deer and woodchucks from gardens. Master Gardener volunteers and CCE staff recorded material costs, participated in installation, and monitored effectiveness weekly. The project also provided IPM education to the public and schools through tours, workshops, and an instructional video.
Food educationCommunityDIYMission San Jose Well Initiative
2014Mary Foran, Nonda Kozas, Daniel Lafranchi · Scholar Commons (Santa Clara University) · United States (California)
The Mission San Jose Well Initiative is a community-based project in Fremont, California, aiming to develop a sustainable irrigation system for a community garden. The system will utilize one of three wells on the Dominican Sisters' Convent property, employing a submersible solar-powered pump to deliver water to a storage tank, which then supplies the garden and other areas via a timer. The project focuses on environmental and water resource design, balancing budget, functionality, and location.
CommunityClimate changeOrganic cycleManagement models : AMS SUB Roof-Top Garden for productivity and community
2014Brittany Buchanan, Toby Lam, Bonnie Lee, Aldhyan Randy, Natasha Tymo · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This student project, part of the UBC Food Systems Project, researched human resource management strategies for the new Student Union Building (SUB) Rooftop Garden at the University of British Columbia. Through literature review and interviews, four management models were discussed. The group identified a student club model with incentives, potentially led by a directed studies or paid position, as a fitting starting point for motivating students to contribute to food production for campus outlets.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsImproving Participation of Non-Traditional Extension Audiences: The Empower Ocala Garden Project
2014Austen Moore, Norma Samuel, Glenn D. Israel · Journal of Extension · United States
The Empower Ocala Garden project in Marion County aimed to increase participation among low-income minority populations and address food desert conditions. It created a community garden for 12 households and provided bi-weekly trainings. Evaluation using pre- and post-project questionnaires showed participants attended 53.4% of sessions, attitudes improved by 9.82% across four indicators, and knowledge increased by 19.57% across eight indicators.
CommunityFood educationWelfareHealthPracticing urban agriculture on campus : integrating the LFS Garden with the Faculty of Land and Food Systems community
2014Jessica Chen, Shawn DiPardo, Yuliana Hermanto, Amy Jennermann, Lyviana Mananta, Sharon Lee, Alanna Jean Schroeder · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This student project at the University of British Columbia focused on expanding the LFS Garden to enhance organic production, provide food, and offer interdisciplinary learning opportunities. The group reviewed literature and consulted stakeholders to devise a business proposal for the garden's development, covering aspects like management, layout, and educational integration. The project also designed a garden layout and established a garden management committee.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleDIYReversing food desertification: examining urban farming in Louisville, Chicago and Detroit
2014Nadra Hashim · Local Environment · United States
This study examines the early stages of the urban farming movement in Louisville, Kentucky, considering its relation to land use, segregation policies, obesity, and food security. While the urban farm movement is largely a success in New York, it is suggested that in Louisville, Chicago, and Detroit, where trans-fat bans did not succeed, the urban farm movement may be the primary means of addressing malnutrition in the form of obesity.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthPolicyCommunityAn investigation into waste heat recovery for usage by a rooftop greenhouse
2014Rohit Kumar Singla, Jeremy Lord, Jorden Hetherington · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This report conducted a triple-bottom line assessment of the environmental, economic, and social feasibility of using waste heat from a microbrewery at the University of British Columbia as an energy source for a rooftop greenhouse. The investigation was based on academic research and ongoing communication with the primary stakeholder. The project was found to be economically viable, with social benefits outweighing drawbacks, and environmentally feasible.
DIYEconomicsFood educationCommunityA growing opportunity: Community gardens affiliated with US hospitals and academic health centers
2014Daniel R. George, Liza S. Rovniak, Jennifer L. Kraschnewski, Ryan Hanson, Christopher Sciamanna · Preventive Medicine Reports · United States
This 2013 study identified 110 community gardens affiliated with US healthcare institutions using national databases and search engines. The gardens were distributed across US regions, with 39 in the Midwest, 25 in the South, 24 in the Northeast, and 22 in the West. Communities served by these gardens had similar demographic characteristics to the US population average but significantly lower obesity rates (27% vs. 34%, p < .001).
CommunityHealthFood educationSetting the Table for Urban Agriculture
2014Margot J. Pollans · Pace Digital Repository (Pace University) · United States
This article examines the various roles law plays in the cultivation of urban agriculture. It argues that despite growing enthusiasm for urban agriculture, serious equity and ecological concerns exist within the forms of modern urban agriculture, recommending that careful strategic planning should align the implementation of available legal tools to address these concerns.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityEconomics