Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1540 results(59 / 62)
Agricultura urbana e peri-urbana em Campinas/SP : analise do Programa de Hortas Comunitarias como subsidio para politicas publicas
2006Juliana Arruda, Nilson Antonio Modesto Arraes · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Campinas)
A 2005 study in Campinas, Brazil, analyzed the city's Community Garden Program (PHC) to support the formulation of new urban and peri-urban agriculture policies. Analysis of PHC management revealed an almost total disengagement between the program and sectoral policies such as education, health, and social action. However, individual actions were found to be important for project implementation and success, and the projects were significant in the lives of beneficiaries.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood educationHealthStudent and New Farmer Education to Support the Growth of Organic Farming
2006John A. Biernbaum · Crop Management · United States
This presentation was part of a USDA conference session exploring the expansion of education infrastructure in organic agriculture. The student-oriented presentation described target student audiences, outlined example curricular content for organic farming, identified K-12 education programs benefiting from organic farming content, listed sources of organic farming information, and detailed university student farming programs, specifically the Michigan State University Student Organic Farm (MSU-SOF) CSA program.
Food educationCSA & TeikeiCommunityOrganic cycleDevelopment, Power and Movements: A Comparative Case Study of Communities and Empowerment
2006Lisa Patterson · Scholarly Commons (University of Pennsylvania) · United States
This comparative case study uses ethnographic fieldwork to analyze the Urban Nutrition Initiative and a community-supported agricultural garden in the United States. It describes the organizational foundations of development agencies within a public policy framework and discusses power relationships between advocates and clientele in social service networks. The study demonstrates that power transitions in development schemes indicate social movements, which are defined as markers of successful strategies through a community empowerment model.
CommunityCSA & TeikeiPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceIntegration and Coordination: Keys to Success in California Farm to School Programs
2006Rainbow A. Vogt, Lucía Kaiser, Robert B. Rucker · The FASEB Journal · United States (California)
A study involving 28 school food service directors and 20 stakeholders in California explored interest in purchasing local produce. Directors were motivated by fresher food, supporting the local economy, and aiding California farms, but faced barriers such as lack of producers, seasonal availability, budget, convenience, facilities, and transportation. The study concluded that program expansion and long-term viability depend on a coordinated produce distribution network between farms and schools, and the integration of nutrition education and school gardens into the core curriculum.
Food educationCommunityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsDiabetes on the Navajo nation: what role can gardening and agriculture extension play to reduce it?
2006Kevin Lombard, Sue Forster-Cox, Dan Smeal, M. K. O’Neill · Rural and Remote Health · United States
This article reviews the development of diabetes on the Navajo Nation, a serious health problem correlated with income, poor diet, and limited physical exercise. It explores the potential role of home and community gardening in diabetes reduction, building on the Navajo tradition of farming. The benefits identified include locally grown nutritious food, physical activity from gardening, income savings or sales, and positive mental outlook. The article proposes a multidisciplinary approach involving public health officials, nutritionists, and horticultural extension agents.
HealthCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceGrowing a Garden of Access, Opportunity and Healing: The Voices of Eugene’s Community Gardens
2006Eleanor Gordon · · United States (Eugene)
This abstract poetically describes the Willamette River as central to the community of Eugene, defining its development and serving as a place for people to gather, reflect, and connect with nature. It emphasizes the importance of oral history and community engagement, including working in community gardens, as a common good. The river is portrayed as a collective memory, reflecting its historical and current significance to people.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justicePROMOTING COMMUNITY GARDENING TO LOW-INCOME URBAN PARTICIPANTS IN THE WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN PROGRAMME (WIC) IN NEW MEXICO
2006Shawn Teresa Flanigan, Roli Varma · Community Work & Family · United States (New Mexico)
This study investigated the effectiveness of methods used by nutrition educators to promote the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) community garden project in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. A survey of 257 clients from five clinics found that less than 30% of clients had been exposed to the project, and caseload was unrelated to the promotion methods used. However, clients exposed to any method of promotion were more likely to garden than those not exposed, and importantly, clients reported eating more vegetables after being exposed to the project.
CommunityWelfareHealthFood educationMetromorphosis: Documenting Change
2006Mark Tranel, Larry Handlin · Journal of Urban Affairs · United States (St. Louis)
This study investigated the impact of community gardens on revitalization in urban neighborhoods in St. Louis, United States. The research used GIS software to collect 1990 and 2000 Census data for 3-block radii around the study gardens, focusing on indicators of resident quality of life and neighborhood conditions. Using difference of differences to measure change, the findings indicated that Garden Impact Areas improved in these indicators.
CommunityHealthEconomicsAGRICULTURA URBANA- EXPERIÊNCIA DA UFRRJ
2006Edilene Lagedo Teixeira, Janailton Coutinho, Adriano Costa da Silva, Andréa Soares, Camila Silva de Oliveira, Carla Gomes dos Santos, Beatriz Ribeiro Guimarães · REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE AGROECOLOGIA · Brazil
This study, conducted in 2003 by UNISOL REGIONAL and UFRRJ, aimed to develop an organic, condiment, and medicinal garden through social education activities. A socioeconomic survey of the community revealed urgent problems with water scarcity, mosquitoes, and rodents. While two garden beds and 12 planters were built to encourage self-sustaining urban agriculture, the abstract does not explicitly state the success or failure of achieving self-sustainability or addressing the identified community problems beyond the construction itself.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood educationOrganic cycleEconomicsGrounded Visualization: Integrating the Analysis of Qualitative and Quantitative Data through Grounded Theory and Visualization
2006LaDona Knigge, Meghan Cope · Environment and Planning A Economy and Space · United States
This paper conceptualizes and demonstrates an integrated analytical method for using qualitative and quantitative data through geographic information systems (GIS) and ethnography. It proposes that visualization, approached from the analytical base of grounded theory, can construct an iterative, reflexive, contextual, and conceptual analysis strategy. Knigge's work on community gardens in Buffalo, New York, is used as a substantive example of these proposed methods.
CommunityCommunity Seeds: Building Community through Gardening
2006Kristin McGee · Deep Blue (University of Michigan) · United States
"Community Seeds" is a handbook providing basic information on gardening and starting community garden projects for community members, church members, young people, and schools. It covers definitions, getting started with community gardening, basic gardening skills like design, composting, and vegetable gardening, and how gardening can build community through farm-to-school programs, community supported agriculture, and marketing produce. The handbook also lists Internet and reading resources.
CommunityFood educationCSA & TeikeiDIYTesting the recommendations of the Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan: the Moses Lake case study.
2006Donna B. Johnson, Lynne T. Smith · PubMed · United States (Washington)
The city of Moses Lake, Washington, a town of about 15,000 people, was chosen as a pilot site to test the conceptual approaches and recommendations of the state's Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan. An advisory committee used local policy and environment inventory data to develop a Healthy Communities plan, launching three initiatives: a trail system, breastfeeding facilities, and a community garden. Records of cumulative actions demonstrated the project's continued activity and productivity, with environmental changes and long-term health outcomes to be monitored.
CommunityHealthUpdating a fresh food access guide for a low literacy audience
2005Goldsmith, Leah · Occidental College Scholar (Occidental College) · United States (Los Angeles)
Low-income neighborhoods, communities of color, and immigrant communities in Los Angeles often experience unjust access to fresh, healthy foods. Project CAFE published the "Los Angeles Fresh Food Access Guide" in 2002 to inform residents of fresh food resources like farmers' markets and community gardens. This study conducted research on language and formatting to make information easy to understand, aiming to revise the guide for a lower literacy audience. The revised guide will include updated food resource information and new content focusing on the linkages between food and health.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceGale Woods Farm Curriculum Directory
2005Courtney Tchida · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · United States (Minnesota)
This report develops an educational curriculum for teachers to use at Gale Woods Farm and in classrooms. Gale Woods Farm, a 410-acre educational farm in Minnetrista, Minnesota, aims to connect people to their food source through sustainable farming methods. The curriculum focuses on creating awareness of farming, food production, and agricultural practices emphasizing environmental stewardship.
Food educationCommunityCSA & TeikeiSchool garden : senior capstone project
2005Christela Castro · Digital Commons - CSUMB (California State University, Monterey Bay) · United States (California)
The School Garden Project in Monterey County, California, was designed to address childhood obesity, which affected 21.3% of children in the county, with 50.6% of those being Hispanic. The project specifically targeted Hispanic children to tackle this issue.
Food educationHealthCommunityGLOBAL FRAMING
2005Sidney Tarrow · Cambridge University Press eBooks · United States (New York City)
During New York City's fiscal crisis, abandoned lots led to urban decay. A community garden movement emerged in the late 1970s, with groups like "Green Oasis" and "Green Guerillas" transforming derelict lots into gardens. This movement gained support from city, state, and federal governments, including financial aid and assistance from Cornell University's Cooperative Extension Service.
CommunityUBC Food Systems Project : development at UBC
2005Amanda Brown, Antonin van der Lely, Camilo Cortes, Eileen Leung, Fung Lam, Liz Overton, Muneera Hussain · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
The UBC Food Systems Project evaluated the effects of campus development on creating a sustainable food system at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Researchers identified barriers and opportunities in UBC's Official Community Plan (OCP) and Comprehensive Community Plan (CCP), then proposed "The Edible Campus" urban agricultural strategy. This strategy included six actions like demonstration gardens and food production on buildings, with recommendations for future viability studies.
Food educationCommunityPolicyThe Effect of Community Gardens on Property Crime Rates in Inner City Houston
2005M.R. Gorham, Tina M. Waliczek · HortScience · United States (Houston)
This study aimed to determine if a relationship existed between reported property crimes and the presence of inner city community gardens in Houston, Texas. Property crime data from 1995 through 2004 were obtained from the Houston Police Department, and crime rates within a 1/8-mile radius surrounding community gardens were compared to the property crime rate for the entire police beat. The abstract does not state the study's results.
CommunityHealthPolicyExpanding Our Understanding of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): An Examination of Member Satisfaction
2005K. Brandon Lang · Journal of Sustainable Agriculture · United States
This study tested eleven hypotheses on member satisfaction in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) using survey data from 204 members of 5 mid-Atlantic CSAs during the 2000 growing season. Results indicated that satisfaction positively correlated with supporting alternative agricultural practices, frequency of CSA visits, years of membership, and the likelihood of shares meeting produce needs. Being vegetarian, female, older, or a working member were additional predictors of satisfaction.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsTending Cultural Landscapes and Food Citizenship in Toronto's Community Gardens
2004Lauren Baker · Geographical Review · Canada (Toronto)
Toronto's community gardens, numbering over 100, are sites of place-based politics linked to the community food-security movement. These gardens reflect the city's cultural landscape and serve as a strategy to regenerate the local food system and provide access to healthy, affordable food. Three case studies illustrate the complexities of "food citizenship" and the role gardeners play in transforming urban spaces.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyLeisure Spaces as Potential Sites for Interracial Interaction: Community Gardens in Urban Areas
2004Kimberly J. Shinew, Troy D. Glover, Diana C. Parry · Journal of Leisure Research · United States (St. Louis)
A study focusing on African American and White gardeners in St. Louis, United States, examined whether urban community gardens are perceived as spaces where people of different races can successfully integrate. The study also sought to examine race and its relationship to perceptions, motivations, and benefits of community gardening.
CommunityHealthFood educationThe Planner in the Garden: A Historical View into the Relationship between Planning and Community Gardens
2004Laura Lawson · Journal of Planning History · United States
This historical review of US community garden programs since the 1890s reveals an ambivalent relationship between community gardens and the planning profession. While praised for serving environmental, social, and individual objectives, community gardens are largely ignored in long-range planning due to being perceived as opportunistic and temporary. This highlights unresolved tensions between professional planning and civic concerns, and between comprehensive planning and local interventions.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsOASIS: Organic Vegetable Production Teaching Endeavor and Community Supported Agriculture Venture
2004Constance L. Falk, Pauline Pao, Christopher S. Cramer · HortScience · United States (New Mexico)
In January 2002, the OASIS organic vegetable garden was initiated on the New Mexico State University campus as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) venture. The project aims to provide students with experiential education in organic production and business management, investigate the feasibility of small-scale organic drip irrigation in the Chihuahuan desert, and demonstrate the CSA model. In its first two years, the 2/3-acre project grew about 230 varieties and generated $32,000 in revenue, with 32 members in the first year and 69 in 2003.
Food educationCommunityCSA & TeikeiOrganic cycleViolência Escolar e Horta Comunitária: A Educação Ambiental Enquanto Agente de Socialização
2004Juliana Munaretti de Oliveira, Janaína F. F. Cintrão · Revista Brasileira Multidisciplinar · Brazil (Araraquara)
This research in Araraquara, Brazil, investigated behavioral problems among high school students at a state school in Vila Xavier. A questionnaire was used to understand behaviors conflicting with social norms. The study observed changes in student behavior related to food, specifically increased appreciation for the cafeteria and respect for lunch staff. These observations led to the creation of a community garden, which contributed to students' socialization, offered possibilities for new skills, and generated value for citizenship, in addition to supplementing family nutrition.
CommunityFood educationHealthBox 2.3 Air pollution and urban and peri-urban agriculture in South Asia
2004Kenny Lynch · · United States
A 1992 survey by Bryant and Johnston in the US examined farming in the 'city's countryside'. The survey found that key concerns among farmers included changes in the local community, excessive traffic, issues of trespassing and vandalism, and complaints from non-farm neighbors. These findings indicate challenges in governance and community relations for peri-urban farmers.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureCommunityPolicy