Research & reports

Vatsi Meneghel Danilevicz · Psicologia & Sociedade · Brazil (Bahia)

This experience report details the journey of a community garden at a Family Health Unit (USF) in southern Bahia, Brazil, aiming to revive local knowledge and create visibility. Using a cartographic methodology, the study analyzed the garden's effects on participants' health and the bond between health workers and service users. The garden, primarily involving around ten poor, elderly Black women residents, proved to be a powerful tool for therapeutic support, relationship building, cultivation of medicinal plants, reduction in allopathic medication use, and production of vegetables and fruits for participants' consumption.

Neil Cox, Zoe Beynon-MacKinnon · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Canada

This article presents observations and suggestions from the operations of Lettuce Harvest Foundation (LHF), a grassroots urban agriculture nonprofit in Vancouver, Canada, founded in 2019. LHF's programming was designed to address challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest that short-term emergency food relief is insufficient, and propose harnessing pre-existing industry elements as a method for grassroots organizations to mitigate food system strains during crises.

Carolina Ferreira dos Santos, Bruno Hosrt, Daniele Ukan · Brazilian Journal of Development · Brazil

In the Nhapindazal neighborhood of Irati-PR, Brazil, a community garden project was implemented by the PET – Engenharias Group in partnership with "pastoral da criança." The project aimed to supplement food conditions and improve dietary habits for socially vulnerable families. Through a community meeting with representatives, plans for the garden's construction, maintenance, materials, and plant species were discussed. Academic students actively participated in the installation, and the community organized to maintain the garden, resulting in improved and diversified diets for those consuming its produce.

Ada P. Smith · Collaborative anthropologies · Canada

In Canada's Gitxaała Nation, the potential of the Gitxaała community garden and the summer reading program at Lach Klan School as a "food literacy" learning platform for achieving food security and food sovereignty was explored. This research suggests that hands-on learning activities integrating local Indigenous language and knowledge have the potential to contribute to food sovereignty goals by better equipping students to shape their food system.

Ivan Siqueira Barreto, Danilo França Bomfim, Jessica Rayane de Oliveira Melo, Mariane Marques · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil

In Aracaju, Brazil, the "Cultivating Citizenship Urban Agriculture Project" pioneers the establishment of vegetable gardens in community spaces. This initiative aims to generate income and promote financial autonomy for 100 low-income beneficiaries of the Bolsa Familia Program, including persons with disabilities. The project seeks to foster social and productive inclusion for vulnerable populations.

Lydia Maleknia, Vanessa Boshuizen, Deepika Parmar, Mengyou Wu, Catherine Pourdavoud · PEDIATRICS · United States

The REACH program of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California pediatrics residency aimed to develop a school-based gardening program for middle-school students to promote nutritional education. A needs assessment of 278 students revealed 33% experienced food insecurity and 51% consumed more than one sugary drink daily. After only three classes, 12 participating students reported improvements in eating at least five vegetables daily (from 58% to 66%) and in nutrition knowledge (from 20% to 50% accuracy in completing a "healthy plate").

Idaene Socorro da Silva, Alexciane Priscila da Silva, Thayna Karoline Sousa Silva, Delton Manoel dos Santos Silva, Hannah Shiva Ludgero Farias, Cáio Dantas Ribeiro, Jéssica de Oliveira Campos, Camilla Peixoto Santos Rodrigues, Osvaldo Nascimento Pascoal, JacksonGeorge Gomes dos Santos Araújo, Adriana Maria da Silva · Brazilian Journal of Development · Brazil

From August to December 2018, a supported self-care group for chronic disease patients was implemented in the Maués neighborhood of Vitória de Santo Antão/PE, Brazil. The group consisted of 14 in-person meetings with an average participation of 20 community members, utilizing strategies such as community garden construction and maintenance, nutritional education, and physical activity promotion. This experience yielded positive impacts, including the empowerment of participants in their health-disease process and an understanding of the importance of self-care.

Jennifer Garner, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Karla L. Hanson, Alice S. Ammerman, Jane Kolodinsky, Marilyn Sitaker, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Translational Behavioral Medicine · United States

A process evaluation of the Farm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids (F3HK) randomized trial, conducted across 4 states and 12 farms, assessed whether cost-offset community-supported agriculture could improve diet quality among children in low-income families. Intervention households (n=305) purchased a 50% subsidized share of local produce and were invited to nutrition classes. Results showed the mean CSA season was 21 weeks, with a median CSA pickup rate of 88% of the weeks. Most adults (77%) and children (54%) attended at least one class, and 82% of caregivers reported consuming most or all produce.

Jennifer Jettner, Mary Secret · International Journal of Social Welfare · United States

This study examined the relationship between race and racial diversity on social capital in community gardens located in food deserts in the southeastern USA. Cross-level regression models were performed on a sample of 52 gardeners from 10 community gardens, analyzing their “sense of community” and the “number of resources” obtainable from fellow gardeners. Results indicated that community gardens are excellent vehicles for promoting one’s sense of community regardless of race or garden’s racial composition, but they were less likely to increase the number of resources. Accessing a greater number of resources took longer and more effort, and increased perceptions of racial diversity had a negative relationship with the number of resources.

GONZALO MARÍN OVIEDO, OLIVEIRA, ALESSANDRO SILVA DE · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Brazil (Anápolis)

The Federal Institute of Goiás, Anápolis campus, aims to contribute to overcoming socio-environmental problems affecting vulnerable communities in the region through sustainable agriculture in a community garden. This initiative proposes developing critical environmental education, discussing theoretical and practical aspects of the critical approach and its relationship with praxis. Historical-Dialectical Materialism guides the theoretical-methodological aspects, and Action Research is used for practical aspects.

Lucy Diekmann, Marcia Ostrom · · United States

This chapter reviews participatory extension approaches and demonstrates their application to urban agriculture through five US Extension case studies. The selection of these case studies was informed by a 2015 nationwide survey of Extension personnel working on local, community, and regional food systems. These examples illustrate how urban agroecological knowledge and networks are being developed and applied, and suggest directions for future Extension work.

M. Petrie, S. Basu, E. Sayer, R. Bellin, J. O apos Neill, S.A. Berkowitz · UNC Libraries · United States

This study estimated the population-level effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a subsidized community-supported agriculture (CSA) intervention in the United States. A microsimulation model developed in 2019 utilized national demographic, biomedical, and dietary data (NHANES, 2013-2016) and a randomized trial (Massachusetts, 2017-2018). Two interventions were modeled: an unconditional cash transfer ($300/year) and a subsidized CSA ($300/year subsidy), both of which were shown to reduce discounted disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for cardiovascular disease and diabetes complications. Both interventions had negative incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, implying cost savings to society.

Miho Lowan‐Trudeau, Noel Keough, Joshua Wong, Sara Haidey · Canadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes · Canada (Calgary)

This study, examining community gardens in Calgary, aimed to determine the socio-economic demographics of neighborhoods supporting community gardens and their proximity to active transportation and public transit. GIS visualization and quantitative analyses were used to investigate relationships between demographic variables and transportation accessibility. Findings showed that community garden neighborhoods are located in areas with significantly fewer visible minorities, higher levels of educational attainment, and more attached dwellings like apartments and townhomes. This study suggests potential inequities in the proliferation of public community gardens based on socio-economic factors beyond economic capital.

Katie L. Butterfield, A. Susana Ramírez · Health Education & Behavior · United States (Minnesota)

A quantitative content analysis was conducted on descriptions, missions, and goals provided by 411 community garden managers across Minnesota. Six frames were consistently present, including "greater good" and "community orientation," which were the most common. The findings suggest that the prevalent "greater good" frame may inadvertently reproduce inequality by alienating food-insecure populations, similar to other alternative food programs.

Jeanette Gustat, Yu-Zhang Lee, Taylor Johnson, K. O’Malley, Brian Luckett, Leann Myers · Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association · United States (New Orleans)

This cross-sectional survey in two low-income, predominantly African American neighborhoods in New Orleans, Louisiana, interviewed 901 participants to explore factors associated with acquiring food from farmers markets (FMs) and community/home gardens (C/HGs). Daily fresh fruit and vegetable servings were positively associated with acquiring food from FMs and C/HGs in the past three months. African Americans and those living farther from an FM were less likely to acquire food from an FM, while those who cooked at home were more likely to use C/HGs.

Francisco Glauber Peixoto Ferreira, Cácia Aline Costa Santos, Carolina Maria de Lima Carvalho, Vanessa Emille Carvalho de Sousa Freire · Revista Enfermagem Atual In Derme · Brazil (Fortaleza)

An experience report describes the implementation of a community garden in a Long-Term Care Institution for the Elderly in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, in 2018. The activity aimed to promote a welcoming eco-social environment and a recreational activity for the well-being of the elderly. Developed through interdisciplinary integration between Nursing and Agronomy courses, it provided an opportunity to learn about the residents' personalities, stories, and aspirations. The implementation of the community garden significantly contributed to the well-being of the elderly, broke the monotony and feelings of abandonment, and enabled the use of an unused space.

Anderson Nunes de Carvalho Vieira, Alexandro Rodrigues Ribeiro, Silvio Santos Cardoso · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Cuiabá)

This study describes the socioeconomic and productive profile of urban farmers in Cuiabá, Brazil, and their potential contribution to ecological economics. Using a mixed-method descriptive approach with primary data collected via questionnaires, the research found that urban agriculture often emerges as a survival alternative for poorer populations from rural areas. The study concludes that this practice, if adequately supported, can foster a better understanding and practice of ecological economics in the region.

C. K. Cartagena · Southeastern geographer · United States

This paper reviews "Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farms Practical Guide To Liberation on the Land" by Leah Penniman and Karen Washington. The book serves as a step-by-step guide for Black farmers, detailing historical struggles and solutions against oppression and racial discrimination in the farming sector, including cases like Pigford v. Glickman and the over-policing of Ron Finley's property. It offers instruction on obtaining land and resources, farm business plans, land restoration, crop planning, preserving harvests, raising animals, urban farming, and movement building. The book acknowledges obstacles faced by Black farmers and aims to provide a reference for sustaining productive farmland and activism to achieve land autonomy.

Donald A. Rakow, Meghan Z. Gough, Sharon A. Lee · Cornell University Press eBooks · United States

This chapter discusses community gardens that serve as sites for both food production and community education, through case studies in the United States. Initiatives such as the Bronx Green-up by the New York Botanical Garden, the Green Corps by the Cleveland Botanical Garden, the Growing to Green program by the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and the Sankofa Farm at Batram's Garden are highlighted. These initiatives improve access to fresh produce for those living in food deserts, enable low-income residents to feel in control of their diet by growing their own food, and lead to ripple effects like reduced vandalism and petty crime in communities.

Saskia Van Viegen · · Canada

This chapter describes a collaborative action research project involving newcomer and Canadian-born multilingual elementary students in Canada. The project aimed to promote equity and inclusion for children from immigrant and refugee backgrounds, incorporating community and family knowledge to create a school garden and document the process with a short film. From a new materialist perspective, it explains how educators can assemble new materialist and relational pedagogies in and out of school to connect language and literacy teaching with transformations brought about by environmental change and human migration.

Jennifer Sumner, Derya Tarhan, John Justin McMurtry · Working paper/Working paper CIRIEC ... · Canada

This paper explores how Indigenous communities in Canada address chronic food insecurity through the social and solidarity economy. Using a case study of the Northern Manitoba Food, Culture and Community Collaborative, it illustrates how local initiatives such as community gardens, greenhouses, and co-operatives contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals, particularly zero hunger. The paper emphasizes community ownership, control, and benefits as key aspects of these models.

Olivia Lee · Johns Hopkins University eBooks · United States (Chicago)

This study, drawing on affect theory, examines community gardens in Chicago's low-income, primarily Black South Side neighborhoods. It argues that while these gardens offer a spatial break from violence, they appear unable to fully counteract the ongoing marginalization by race and socioeconomic status. The gardens represent a quiet, nascent resistance against neoliberal injustices through intimate human-nature interaction.

Michaela Sossamon, Derek Miketinas · Current Developments in Nutrition · United States

This cross-sectional analysis investigated the relationships between food security, fruit and vegetable availability, and intake in 39 third-grade students and their parents from a Texas elementary school before a school-garden program. Parents and children reporting low food security showed significantly greater total fruit and vegetable intake compared to those with high food security. Home fruit availability positively correlated with fruit intake in parents but not children, and no significant associations were found between vegetable availability and vegetable intake for either group.

Kristen Giombi, Anupama Joshi, Caroline Rains, Jean L. Wiecha · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

To measure the reach of Oregon's farm-to-school grant program, descriptive analyses and t-tests were conducted between the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years. Following the intervention, the number of nonwhite students in participating districts nearly doubled, and average local food purchases, especially fruits and vegetables, increased for low-income districts. These results suggest that the opt-in approach to the grant program facilitated greater participation from low-income districts.

Laura Lucas, Fabiana Li · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada (Winnipeg)

The Rainbow Community Gardens in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a community project supporting immigrant and refugee families in growing their own food. This photo essay examines the role of food and community gardens in expressing cultural identity and their possible benefits for community building, skill learning, and growing culturally appropriate foods for health and food security. These benefits gained new relevance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.