Research & reports

Allison Oulton · · United States

This study tested social capital as a measurable indicator for community garden planning in Akron, Ohio, by identifying vacant parcels in areas with fewer civic engagement hubs. Using an adapted methodology that introduced spatial components to social capital at the neighborhood scale, it identified sites with a greater need for social capital. A limitation was that the principal hubs of civic engagement identified were churches, suggesting further fieldwork is needed to identify site-specific social hubs.

Sjsu ScholarWorks, Gabriel R. Valle · · United States

This paper explores the self-valorization of work in community gardens as a path to environmental justice, arguing that community gardens disrupt capital's system by removing food as a commodity and revaluing time outside market-driven speed. The Chicano community, being susceptible to workplace inequalities, has a particular stake in this self-valorization, as these inequalities are reflected in unhealthy communities, economies, and environments. The study suggests that self-valorization through work creates natural wealth, reconstructing time, oppression, and communities.

Joël Thibert · Journal of Planning Education and Research · North America

A literature review and an analysis of urban agriculture (UA) in Detroit, Toronto, and Montreal, based on interviews with practitioners, were conducted in North America. The study suggests that UA practices vary significantly and face cultural, legal, and technical challenges. These findings support the view that UA belongs within planning and that municipalities have an important role in facilitating its development.

Annie L Stoller-Patterson · Scholarship @ Claremont (The Claremont Colleges) · United States

This paper explores how education for environmental literacy can be integrated into America's public school system. It investigates the benefits of environmental education and how green school buildings, sustainable cafeterias, school gardens, and environmental education curriculum can be used to teach for environmental literacy at all grade levels. A sample lesson plan is included.

Luciano Deiques Minozzo · · Brazil

This study characterized urban and peri-urban agriculture practiced by nine producers belonging to the Associação Pedritense dos Produtores de Hortifrutigranjeiros (APPH) in Dom Pedrito/RS, Brazil, between September 2011 and March 2012. Findings showed that 67% of producers practiced peri-urban agriculture (10-26 km from the city), while three practiced urban agriculture. Producers had low schooling (78% incomplete elementary education) and 55% earned 2.5 to 4 minimum wages. Family labor accounted for 88% of the workforce, and personal satisfaction was the main motivation. Water availability and quality were identified as limiting factors for production.

Adriana Franklin de Souza da Silva, M. M. da Silva, L. M. de Santana, A. N. Moreira, J. R. B. Pereira, S. A. S. Amorim, C. R. R. S. França, A. P. G. Santos, Rooselvelt Izel Pereira de Melo · infoteca-e (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) · Brazil

This study describes multiple participatory research and technological learning fields concerning alternative control of banana weevils and the management of agroecological gardens in communities of the Brazilian Northeast Semi-arid region. These include projects on the Maria Tereza Project, Senator Nilo Coelho Irrigation Project, community agroecological gardens in Nova Descoberta, Petrolina, PE, chemical characteristics of biofertilizer, adaptation of lettuce varieties, and cultivation of different species using well water.

Dan Stafford · · United States

This record describes the 2013 Kutztown University School Garden Workshop, an event designed as a learning opportunity for educators and parents. The workshop featured speakers and demonstrations focused on fostering sustainable community partnerships through school gardens.

Michelle Melissa Althaus Ottmann, Juliana Maantay, Kristen Grady, Nilce Nazareno da Fonte · Cities and the Environment · United States (New York City)

This study investigated urban agricultural practices and gardeners' perceptions in community gardens in the Bronx, New York City, United States, using semi-structured interviews, garden observations, and GIS spatial analysis of socio-demographic characteristics. GIS analysis revealed a significantly higher rate of poverty and Hispanic population in block groups within a quarter mile of the community gardens. The gardens were characterized as places for socialization, fresh produce, neighborhood beautification, and education, and gardeners valued family/community time, nature, and therapeutic benefits, but expressed fears of losing the gardens due to lack of city protection and developer take-over.

Toni Y. Sims-Muhammad · · United States (South Louisiana)

This project examined the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on existing food systems in Lafayette, Acadia, Evangeline, St Martin, and St Landry parishes, with a focus on home and community gardens. The researcher interviewed 57 home/community gardeners and farmers and conducted a survey on pre- and post-Katrina/Rita food sustainability problems, challenges, and perspectives on future food systems.

D. Z. Phillips, Heather I. Sullivan · ISLE Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment · United States

This collection of essays for ISLE assesses the material aspects of healthy economies, environments, and bodies, arguing that the traditional economic-ecological "health" dichotomy is insufficient. It finds that the determination of "healthy" is complex, as artificial environments can be benign, and even a flourishing community garden can have neglected produce going to waste. The essays explore how a large number of healthy human bodies can be detrimental to healthy environments.

Amber Fessler · ScholarWorks@BGSU (Bowling Green State University) · United States (Ohio)

This project explored service-learning in middle school math in Findlay, Ohio, during the 2010-2011 school year, focusing on a pre-service teacher's experience. It addressed challenges and possibilities for pre-service teachers implementing service-learning as part of their educational preparation. The project involved engagement in a math classroom, design and implementation of a service-learning project, and reflection.

Evan Weissman · Syracuse University Libraries (Syracuse University) · United States (New York City)

This dissertation explores urban agriculture in Brooklyn, New York, using a mixed-methods analysis to investigate its historical changes, motivations for engagement, and outcomes. The study argues that Brooklyn's urban agriculture is limited by its neoliberal characteristics, which undermine its potential to build a radical political movement around food issues. While urban agriculture tends to reproduce neoliberalism, it simultaneously creates political possibilities through the assertion of public rights to cultivate the city and the potential of food to serve as a tool for building solidarities towards food justice.

Andrew Schlesinger · ScholarWorks -A service of University of Vermont Libraries (University of Vermont) · United States (Cherry Hill)

This paper highlights the high dependency of U.S. suburban communities on fossil fuels, particularly oil. It states that while global oil supply is projected to decline, few suburban communities are currently planning for "life after oil." Presented as a proposal for the Willowdale Community Garden, the abstract does not state specific research or its findings, nor an analysis of how community gardening addresses this challenge.

· Lincoln (University of Nebraska) · United States

The May 2012 issue of NEBLINE features Lincoln's Biosolids Land Application Program, which is 20 years old. It also covers topics such as urban agriculture, food and fitness, home and family living, horticulture, environmental focus, 4-H and youth, community focus, and extension news and events.

Elizabete Cristina Ribeiro Silva, Alexandre Brasil Carvalho da Fonseca · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

This study discusses the multidimensionality of agriculture and its interfaces with environmental and health education, based on perceptions from social actors in a school and an extension unit belonging to the Municipal Network of Rio de Janeiro. Agricultural activities are suggested as a pedagogical tool to facilitate complex thinking and transdisciplinarity, and to perceive food and environment as interconnected transversal themes. School gardens are re-qualified for urban spaces based on agroecological urban agriculture principles.

Nevin Cohen · · United States

This chapter discusses the nature of urban agriculture planning and policymaking in the US and the conditions necessary for policy implementation, using John Kingdon's multiple streams policy framework. Case studies of five US cities illustrate how problem recognition and policy formation, in the presence of supportive political conditions, create a window of opportunity for implementing urban agriculture policy.

Kevin F. Welzel · Berkeley Scientific Journal · United States (California)

This study examined native bee pollination at two urban agricultural sites in Berkeley, California: the Oxford Tract and Berkeley Youth Alternative garden. It observed squash, tomato, strawberry, and sunflower plants, collecting data on distance from natural habitat, native bee pollinator diversity, and visitation rates. The study found mixed results for genus richness and evenness, and a t-test indicated no significant difference in visitation rates for each plant type between the two sites.

Erika S. Svendsen, Lindsay K. Campbell, Nancy Falxa-Raymound, Jessica Northridge, Edie Stone, Carolin Mees · Cities and the Environment · United States (New York City)

This study introduces a longitudinal examination of community gardens in New York City, building on data collected since 2003 by the GreenThumb program. In summer 2011, structured phone interviews were conducted with representatives from a sample of 102 community gardens to examine membership, programming, partnerships, and motivations for gardening from 2003-2011. The research aims to understand the evolving role of community gardens and how they have changed over time.

Arvazena E. Clardy, Brian R. Copeland · ˜The œAgricultural education magazine · United States (Nashville)

This article advocates for implementing sustainable school gardens in agriscience education programs, drawing on the author's experience as a former educator and current work with middle and secondary schools in Nashville, Tennessee. It suggests that school gardens can cement learning for students and address issues like food deserts and childhood obesity in inner-city areas.

Rebecca Mize · eCommons (Cornell University) · United States

The Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP) aims to create a more local and inclusive food system by growing fresh produce on its urban farm on the West Side of Buffalo. Annually, MAP employs approximately 50 at-risk youth to support the transformation of the community's food system.

Katherine Johns-Galvin · · United States

This research examined the cycle of poor nutrition in the Frog Hollow neighborhood, Hartford, Connecticut, an urban food desert characterized by limited access to affordable, healthy foods. It argues that the growth of farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture, and community gardens has reintroduced affordable, attainable healthy foods to the neighborhood. This introduction of locally grown produce at affordable prices has enabled the Frog Hollow neighborhood to begin addressing food insecurity.

Teri Burgess‐Champoux · SOPHIA (St. Catherine University) · United States

This systematic review aims to summarize scientific literature on community gardens as a means to increase fruit and vegetable intake in preschool-aged children (2-5 years) in childcare settings in the United States. The review, limited to peer-reviewed journals published within the past five years, seeks to identify research gaps. Data analysis is ongoing, and future research is needed to address the benefits, effectiveness, sustainability, and policy impacts of community gardens.

Ryan E. Galt, Libby O'Sullivan, Jessica Beckett, Colleen C. Hiner · California Agriculture · United States (California)

This study investigated Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operations in California's Central Valley and surrounding foothills, United States. Surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted with 54 CSA farmers and two CSA organizers, focusing on CSA type, economic viability, farmer characteristics, and farm attributes. Findings revealed that 54% of CSAs reported profitability, farmers were generally younger, better educated, and more likely to be women, and farms were small, utilizing agroecological methods.

Rafael Ângelo Fortunato, Elza Neffa, Maria Geralda de Miranda · · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

This qualitative study investigated the potential of technical visits to the Morro da Coroa Community Garden in Santa Teresa/RJ, Brazil, for competence development. The research analyzed the experiences of visitors and visited individuals, with students replicating activities in another Rio de Janeiro community (Morro do Salgueiro) and producing a documentary. The findings highlight the importance of technical visits for developing new competencies in areas such as educommunication, action research, and social technology.

Alisson Amorim da Silva Aguiar, Sammy Sidney Rocha Matías, Ribeiro Sousa, Rafaela, Roberto Lustosa Silva, Júlio César Azevedo Nóbrega · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Brazil (Corrente)

This study evaluated the development of pearl millet on soils with different levels of manure in Corrente, Piauí, Brazil. Conducted in a greenhouse, the experiment used a completely randomized design with four manure percentages (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%) and three replications. Cattle manure significantly affected the number of leaves, plant height, shoot dry mass, and main root length, with the 40% manure dose showing nutrient levels closest to ideal for maximum efficiency.