Research & reports

Amanda Rees, Bert Melix, Chuck Lawson, Cory Hart · CSU ePress (Columbus State University) · United States (Columbus, Georgia)

During the 2016-2017 academic year, a professor and student from Columbus State University collected data from community garden sites in Columbus/Phenix City. This project involved the creation of a GIS digital map, which was then used to develop a quad-fold map for distribution at Georgia Organics events. Georgia Organics provided a mini-grant for the project.

Júlio Cézar de Almeida Lopes, Hélder Ribeiro Freitas, Eliéser Santurbano Gervásio · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil

This study evaluated the adoption of a drip irrigation kit in an agroecological community garden in Juazeiro, Brazil. The introduction of the system and the social organization of the group led to low adoption of the drip irrigation system, with several farmers returning to manual watering and, to a lesser extent, micro-sprinkler systems.

Sérgio Luiz de Oliveira Vilela, Maria Dione Carvalho de Moraes · Revista Econômica do Nordeste · Brazil (Teresina)

This article discusses the importance of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) and the challenges of its management, particularly the need to institutionalize a Localized Agri-Food System (SAL) in Teresina, Brazil. The concentration of 46 gardens, occupying almost 140 hectares within Teresina, meets the basic requirements for establishing a SAL. Based on bibliographic research and empirical knowledge, the study concluded that adopting a SAL is a fruitful measure for Teresina to address necessary transformations in UPA, making it a significant part of the municipal planning agenda.

Laura Castrejon Violante · Open Collections · Canada (Vancouver)

This paper proposes the concept of an "agricultural road" in Vancouver, reshaping a low-transit street into a multipurpose space for urban agriculture. Defined as a pedestrian-oriented area, it would offer plots for growing food while also achieving sustainable urban development outcomes like social inclusion, recreational space, and greening the urban landscape. The agricultural road aims to reconnect urban life with food by providing a space for growing edible plants and fostering discussion and education.

Edwinna von Baeyer · Great Plains research · Canada (Edmonton)

Kathryn Chase Merrett's book explores the history of horticulture in Edmonton, Canada, through the concept of "horticultural optimism," from pioneers to activists. The work details how governments, academia, commercial interests, media, and individuals contributed to horticultural development and how the late 19th and early 20th-century City Beautiful movement transformed Edmonton into a garden city.

John Dzubak, Angela Shaw, Catherine Strohbehn, Linda Naeve · Journal of Extension · United States

Two 1-hour food safety curricula were developed in the United States to educate K–12 students, university farm researchers, and workers on good agricultural practices for produce grown in school gardens and university farms. The validated curricula included video modules, activities, lesson plans, quizzes, and manuals. Piloting results indicated that participants increased their food safety knowledge after engaging with these curricula.

Rob Moquin, Alan P. Diduck, A. John Sinclair, Iain J. Davidson‐Hunt · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada

This research documented participants' experiences of community-building through community gardening in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, using Photovoice with twelve participants, follow-up interviews, and participant observation. Findings revealed a relational perspective of community gardening and the importance of sharing and learning, but also identified barriers to social capital and ecological citizenship. Future initiatives must address colonial and racial barriers to collaboration and ensure accessible garden locations.

Binod Khanal · Lincoln (University of Nebraska) · United States

A hedonic model was developed to estimate consumer valuations of attributes for 466 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms across seven Midwestern US states: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The most statistically valued CSA attributes were home delivery, commanding an approximately $18 premium, and belonging to the fifth quintile of CSA membership size ($15.00). Increased vegetable variety (between $0.80 and $1.20) and USDA organic certification (about $10) were also valued, but farming practices like integrated pest management and distance to the nearest metropolitan area were not statistically significant.

Subhashni Raj, Samina Raja, Bree-Ana Dukes · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · United States

This study examined the influence of urban agriculture (UA) programming on fruit and vegetable consumption among urban youth in Buffalo, New York. Results indicated that while youth were willing to try new foods, other food behaviors did not change. The study found that UA programming is beneficial but not sufficient to engender healthy eating behavior in youth, with fruit and vegetable consumption also associated with gender and neighborhood median household income.

Diego Maia da [UNIFESP] Costa, Carla Cipolla · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

This article defines the specific characteristics of urban agriculture (UA) through a literature review and identifies key aspects for developing new products and services. It analyzes the activities of the Centro de Educação Multicultural (CEM), which practices urban agriculture in the Penha favela complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Bruce Dvorak, Ahmed K. Ali · InTech eBooks · United States (Texas)

This chapter introduces urban agriculture concepts and case studies in Central Texas, United States. It highlights a modular pavilion type farmers market and urban garden in downtown Bryan, designed and built by students and faculty, and a rooftop crop pilot study at Texas A&M on a four-storey building. Challenges for these projects include crop adaptability to the Central Texas climate, structural and community support, and the presence of a viable market for locally grown produce.

David M. Lowenstein, Maryam Gharehaghaji, David H. Wise · Environmental Entomology · United States

A study at 28 urban food-production sites in the Midwestern United States measured the removal of sentinel eggs and larvae of the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) by predators over a 3-day period. Predators removed 50% of eggs and 25% of larvae, with mortality rates not predicted by landscape factors and similar across residential gardens, community gardens, and farms. Laboratory assays confirmed that lady beetles, spiders, and pirate bugs consumed eggs and larvae at high rates.

Suleiman Osman · Journal of Planning History · United States (New York City)

The origins of public-private parks in New York City trace back to the 1970s fiscal crisis. Due to severe budget cuts at the Parks and Recreation Department, thousands of volunteers in block associations and community groups began maintaining parks through "do-it-yourself" urbanism, including guerrilla horticulture and community gardens. These self-help efforts evolved into new public-private parks by the early 1980s, reflecting antistatist impulses from both the left and right in the 1970s.

Alyssa Fico, Douglas Sathler · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · United States (New York City)

Dr. Dickson D. Despommier, a Columbia University professor and urban agriculture expert, was interviewed by Revista Espinhaço in New York on November 19-20, 2015. The informal interview, conducted during the "Geography 2050" event, featured his reflections on the field of urban agriculture.

Savanna M. Lyons, Alice Topaloff · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · United States (Iowa)

This directory lists 79 community supported agriculture (CSA) enterprises serving Iowa. These enterprises are shown by county and the 20 regions within ISU Extension and Outreach.

Rosicléia Silva, Mauricio Ricardo De Paula Dias, Flávio Sampaio Mendes, Hevelyn Soares das Chagas, Roberta de Fátima Rodrigues Coelho · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil

This study evaluated the contribution of urban agriculture to the socioeconomic development of the Areia Branca community in Santa Izabel do Pará, Brazil, by profiling families and understanding the influence of agricultural activity. Through on-site observations and socioeconomic questionnaires, it was found that agriculture is the main source of income for most families, primarily involving leafy vegetable cultivation with family labor. Despite being low-tech, the agriculture is not organic due to the recurrent use of chemical fertilizers.

Dra. Ana Maria Girotti Sperandio, Mg. Arq.Adriana Aparecida Carneiro Rosa, Carolina Guida Cardoso do Carmo, rq. Danielle Pereira Montrezor · ARQUISUR Revista · Brazil (Conchal)

A Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) was conducted on a community garden project in Conchal, São Paulo, Brazil, implemented through a public-community alliance. The study, involving residents with plots in the garden, observed positive impacts such as improved quality of life for participants, enhanced social integration and participation, and an increased sense of belonging to the neighborhood. This type of urban intervention was concluded to have the potential for positive reverberations on directly involved users, the urban territory, and their relationship.

Dennis W. Duncan, Ashley Collins, Nicholas E. Fuhrman, D. A. Knauft, David Berle · Journal of Agricultural Education · United States

This study used a quantitative questionnaire to assess the impacts of an urban school garden program on 31 middle school students enrolled in an agriscience connections course in the United States. Data analysis revealed that the cultivation aspect of the program had the greatest positive outcome on urban middle school youth. Students with a family garden showed greater interest in participating, and culinary activities were highly enjoyed, with over 60% agreement on all related items.

Annika Voltan · International Journal of Work Innovation · Canada (Nova Scotia)

This paper develops a conceptual network-based model for scaling grassroots social innovations. It reviews existing theoretical work on social innovation and entrepreneurship, constructing a model with four main elements: the role of agency, relationship density, relationship diversity, and network structure. The model is applied to a case study of nine community-supported agriculture (CSA) food producers in Nova Scotia, Canada, with findings supporting the particular importance of relationship diversity and network structures for scaling social innovations.

Natalie McGill · ˜The œNation's health · United States

In 2016, in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States, where some residents lived in areas with limited access to grocery stores offering fresh produce, staff at DeKalb County Community Gardens initiated an effort to bring food directly to the people. This initiative aimed to improve residents' health.

Christie Elise Liebig · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (California)

This graduate internship involved developing a school and community garden at Joseph Kerr Middle School in California, United States. The garden provides hands-on learning for students, who harvest fresh produce and distribute it to families lacking access to fresh produce. Some produce was also donated to a local food bank, emphasizing the program's focus on teaching sustainable practices.

Daniel Orlins Trigg · ScholarWorks -A service of University of Vermont Libraries (University of Vermont) · United States

This study investigated food insecurity screening among clinicians in Vermont, where 76% of residents experience some level of food insecurity. It found that physicians and physician assistants prefer using an established two-item screen for food insecurity. However, these clinicians tend to underestimate the actual prevalence of food insecurity in their practice communities.

Alesia Montgomery · International Journal of Urban and Regional Research · United States (Detroit)

A case study of downtown Detroit theorizes that the history of clashes between racial capitalism and social movements in public space reappears in the contradictory design of market-driven placemaking. This placemaking subordinates the black urban poor, even while incorporating black entrepreneurs and culture. Consequently, it suppresses the ability of African Americans to shape public space, despite the return of the white middle class to central cities.

Sandy Smith‐Nonini · Anthropology in Action · United States

This article discusses lessons learned from Eco-Cycle, a social enterprise supporting sustainability education in central North Carolina, U.S.A., since 2011. Eco-Cycle faced the challenge that many social justice-oriented green initiatives emulating urban agriculture models are grant-dependent in early years and achieve economic sustainability with difficulty. However, this non-profit co-op of upcycler crafters and vintage vendors grew from the production and marketing of upcycled rain barrels, pursuing economic sustainability through a social enterprise approach.

Lorelei L. Hanson, Deborah Schrader · Interdisciplinary Environmental Review · Canada (Edmonton)

This case study critically examined the development of a food and urban agriculture strategy in Edmonton, Canada, using survey data and semi-structured interviews with citizens and stakeholders. It explored the transformative potential of local urban food initiatives and identified hurdles in moving beyond maintaining the status quo. The study aimed to identify leverage points for long-term local food system transformation within conceptualizations of sustainability.