Research & reports

José Darío Barragán Romero, Johana Andrea Gutiérrez Rivera · · Colombia (Bogotá)

This document illustrates how urban agriculture is being applied in Bogotá, with the assistance of the Bogotá Botanical Garden (JBB), particularly in educational institutions. The objective is for young people to understand the benefits of urban agriculture through educational processes and replicate this information in their homes. The work consists of three parts: a photographic record of the gardens in educational institutions assisted by the JBB, the creation of a list of plant species suitable for cultivation in Bogotá, and a compilation of research related to the JBB on urban agriculture.

Sue Webb, John Diaz · EDIS · United States

This 3-page publication discusses a statewide study conducted by the author to identify community garden program outcomes. The study was undertaken to address challenges in collecting meaningful data from community garden activities. The publication was issued by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication in January 2018.

Rodrigo Vanderlan do Nascimento, Ajibola Isau Badiru, Luiz Agberto Fragoso De Oliveira · REMEA - Revista Eletrônica do Mestrado em Educação Ambiental · Brazil (Maceió-Alagoas)

This study explored the pedagogical possibilities of using a composter for biofertilizer production as an interdisciplinary teaching resource in the school garden of Monte Sinai College in Maceió-Alagoas, Brazil. Employing a qualitative, exploratory research approach with observational data analysis, it identified educational benefits in environmental projects. The process utilized mango tree residues from the school as primary biomass generators for the composter.

Arlinda Sheqiri, Parna Rastgo · Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering - A · Europe

A study on the use and value of green school grounds in developing countries was conducted across five schools in Podujevo, Kosovo. The findings revealed that the potential of green school grounds in most studied cases has not been utilized. Opportunities provided by the municipality and environmental NGOs are insufficient, suggesting a need to rethink the design and use of green school grounds in developing countries.

Ana Paula da Silva Rodrigues, Marcia Regina R. S. Zago, Nívea Gomes Nascimento de Oliveira, Lidia M. Lima, Eloy Fassi Casagrande, Maclóvia Corrêa da Silva, Alexandre Hüller · Educação Ambiental em Ação · Brazil (Curitiba)

This study identified the origins of urban gardens in Curitiba, Brazil, as a social movement for the appropriation of urban spaces and investigated their contribution to environmental education for urban sustainability through participation mechanisms and environmental education teaching practices.

Katrina Hoch · · Global

Involving children in decisions and preparations for activities, particularly in natural settings, increases their enthusiasm and understanding of the food system. A 2015 systematic review of 13 studies found that participation in school garden programs led to an increased preference for vegetables. School gardens provide individual, interpersonal, and social benefits, engaging children in broader themes such as protecting biodiversity.

Fabiola Mejía, Clara Liliana Montero, Lina Marcela Arango, Emily Johanna Bermúdez · Letras ConCiencia TecnoLógica · Colombia (Bogotá)

At the Escuela Tecnológica Instituto Técnico Central (ETITC) in Bogotá, Colombia, a process for utilizing organic waste through composting was implemented. Following an "Urban Agriculture" workshop, organic waste from the ETITC cafeteria was collected and identified. Different mixtures were created to produce compost, which was then used in seedbeds and for transplanting seedlings. This research aimed to demonstrate the potential of using organic waste for compost production.

Kay Whitehead · Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes · Australia (Adelaide)

The public school at Plympton, although one of the smallest in the suburbs of Adelaide, has a reputation of its own. The headmaster, Mr. J. Greenlees, is an enthusiast in manual training.

Lucas Ricardo Souza Almeida, Hélder Ribeiro Freitas, Ícaro Cardoso Maia, Rita de Cássia Rodrigues Gonçalves Gervásio, José de Alencar Peixoto Filho · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Petrolina)

This study mapped urban community vegetable gardens in Petrolina, Brazil, using GPS and ArcGis software to understand their distribution and socio-spatial occupation. Results showed fewer gardens in the city center, with the majority located in peripheral areas, predominantly on public land, especially in schools. More recent urban and peri-urban agriculture initiatives have been established on private land.

Colleen Roberts · eCommons (Cornell University) · United States (Buffalo)

This document details local regulations for market and community gardens in Buffalo, including rules for selling produce. It provides tips for locating suitable sites for food gardens and outlines educational opportunities for growing and selling. Topics such as plant selection and soil safety are also addressed.

Susan Webb, John Diaz, Catherine Campbell · EDIS · United States

This article presents results from a Delphi study, which is the first step in developing a comprehensive set of indicators for K-12 school garden programs. The study addresses the lack of an outcome-driven framework for support organizations, such as Extension, to evaluate the short, medium, and long-term outcomes of school garden activities.

Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler, Jared T. McGuirt, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Jennifer Garner, Karla L. Hanson, Jane Kolodinsky, Marilyn Sitaker · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · Global

This qualitative study examined nutrition educators' (n=20 in telephone interviews, n=17 in focus groups) experiences, knowledge, and beliefs about local foods. Most educators identified as local food advocates, but few had direct experience with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Variability across seasons, financial issues, and risk of spoilage were identified as challenges of using seasonal, local foods within programming.

A. 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.

Ivana 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.

Rafael 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.

Franco 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.

Elizabet 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.

Rita 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.

Marcos 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.

Huahua 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.

Wanda 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.

Fernanda 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.

I-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.

Hari 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.

김경미 · 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.