Research & reports

Cat Buxton · · Global

This record documents a community work day held on May 7, 2015, at Thetford Elementary School Garden. The event involved after-school work by community members.

Faith Rusk · · United States

This resource provides information for UDC students on urban agriculture as a social movement that combines traditional farming with the lifestyle of an urban dweller.

Karinna Vernaza · · United States

This paper describes a semester-long, community-based service learning project at Gannon University's First-Year Seminar in Engineering, utilizing the university's community garden. Projects included designing a rainwater collection system and vertical planters to engage first-year students in the engineering design process. Students' self-reported data indicated increased appreciation for engineering design and understanding of societal engineering solutions.

Emmanuel Yennumi Wandaat, Joseph Xorse Kugbe · Asian Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences · Ghana

A study on vegetable production in Ghana's Tano South District surveyed 132 urban farmers and 5 stakeholders. Farmers relied solely on chemical pesticides for pest control and lacked in-depth knowledge of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Inappropriate handling and non-use of protective clothing led farmers to report health issues like dizziness, skin irritation, and nausea, while indiscriminate spraying resulted in pesticide residues posing serious health risks to consumers and the environment.

Jodi Kushins · OpenSIUC (Southern Illinois University Carbondale) · Global

This paper describes an art educator's experience transforming her backyard into an urban farm with the help of friends and neighbors, combining an autoethnographic account with research. She leveraged her knowledge of artistic and educational initiatives prioritizing collective activity to position her work as participatory environmental art education. The paper is structured around the main steps of planting a garden—siting, amending, seeding, tending, and harvesting—to draw parallels between garden maintenance and designing holistic art education.

R. Alan Wight · Environmental Education Research · Global

This abstract cites a study titled "Community supported agriculture as public education: networked communities of practice building alternative agrifood systems." The study was published in Environmental Education Research, volume 22, issue 3, pages 456–457.

Gabriel Gonçalves Ribeiro Silva, André Maciel da Silva, Antônio Fernandes Nascimento · Periódico Eletrônico Fórum Ambiental da Alta Paulista. · Brazil

This study describes the development of a didactic strategy to approach environmental themes in fundamental teaching II, presenting a teaching sequence involving the construction of a terrarium in a 7th-grade classroom in Brazil for teaching environmental education and ecology concepts. Students built a terrarium, visited the school garden, and deepened discussions through a video. Based on student evaluations, the practice was effective not only for teaching formal concepts but also for the civic formation of students, who perceived themselves as agents of environmental transformation.

Ana Paula Louzada, Ernesto Grillo Rabello, Yan Menezes Oliveira · Revista Interinstitucional Artes de Educar · Brazil

This study documents the collective construction experience of an agroecological garden by psychology students at the Federal University of Espírito Santo. The paper emphasizes the relevance of this practice in producing integral health and critiques the current context of Integrated World Capitalism, which separates humans from nature.

Jenna Banning · ScholarWorks -A service of University of Vermont Libraries (University of Vermont) · United States

This study analyzed three years of student surveys collected before and after one year of participation in the American Heart Association's Teaching Gardens program. While improvements were indicated in preferences, food systems learning, social norms, and gardening skills for the experimental group, none of these changes over time were statistically significant. At post-test, significant differences were found across all five indices by gender (girls more positive) and by school minority concentration and socioeconomic status (SES), with mixed effects for environmental factors.

Karly S. Geller, Margaret J. Melbye, Richard R. Rosenkranz, Candice A. Shoemaker, David A. Dzewaltowski · HortTechnology · Global

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a scale measuring self-efficacy and proxy efficacy for gardening and related health behaviors in elementary-aged children. Data were drawn from Project PLANTS, an after-school randomized controlled trial focused on obesity prevention through garden clubs. Participants included 969 fourth and fifth-grade students from eight elementary schools. The measurement model, comprising five constructs, demonstrated good factorial validity and unbiased generalizability across gender, grade level, and BMI subgroups.

Norman Kwikiriza, Wellington Jogo, Julius Juma Okello, Haile Tesfay, Frezer Asfaw, Kennedy Otieno Pambo, Kwikiriza, Norman, Jogo, Wellington, Okello, Julius J., Tesfay, Haile, Asfaw, Frezer, Pambo, Kennedy · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Ethiopia (Tigray region)

In Ethiopia's Tigray region, a 2-year project by the International Potato Center and partners promoted vitamin A-rich Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) production and consumption. The project piloted school-based nutritional campaigns, including school gardens and feeding programs, in 11 schools. These schools served as centers for disseminating OFSP planting material and information to parents.

Kynda R. Curtis, K. Eileen Allen, Ruby A. Ward, Curtis, Kynda R., Allen, Karin, Ward, Ruby A. · Journal of food distribution research · United States (Utah)

This study examined the impacts of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program participation on consumer attitudes and behaviors related to food consumption and preparation among CSA members in Utah. Data were collected through pre, post, and monthly surveys, food purchase receipts, and CSA basket contents. Results showed shifts in participant dietary intake and food preparation attitudes and behaviors, including increased fresh produce consumption, decreased grain intake, and fewer meals consumed away from home. Participants also became more interested in cooking and canning/preserving, with increased availability of Vitamin C, Vitamin B, and folic acid.

Maria Boștenaru Dan · Open Journal of Ecology · Italy (Pavia)

The Green Revolution Game is employed in teaching at Karlsruhe University in Germany and Ohio University in the US. This game is used not only for simulation but also as a basis for generating data for study projects, analyzing educational approaches, the applicability of game theory for simulating water scarcity hazards in rice cultivation, and its transferability from India to the context of high-yield rice and urban agriculture in Pavia, Italy.

Ellen Barnidge, Elizabeth A. Baker, Mario Schootman, Freda Motton, Marjorie Sawicki, Frank Rose · Health Education Research · United States

This quasi-experimental study in rural Missouri evaluated an intervention providing nutrition education and community garden access to African Americans to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. At mid-intervention, the intervention county showed lower hypertension and BMI. Both nutrition education participation and community garden access were independently associated with perceived fruit and vegetable consumption, with the strongest effect when combined. However, individuals with access but without education had a reduced likelihood of consuming recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.

Ingrid Jahrl, Otto Schmid · Organic Eprints (International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems, and Research Institute of Organic Agriculture) · Switzerland

In Zurich, Switzerland, urban agriculture policies have evolved towards fulfilling multiple functions. This multifunctional approach aims to provide diverse services for city dwellers, fostering biodiversity, offering attractive recreational landscapes, and creating educational opportunities, with food production being a part but not the main goal. The city administration has implemented various support mechanisms to ensure the concept's implementation and maintenance.

Tracy George, Debbie Humphries, Trace Kershaw, Josh Singer · The FASEB Journal · United States (Washington, DC)

This study explored the health and community experiences of gardeners at Wangari Gardens, a community garden in Washington, DC, through 17 semi-structured qualitative interviews. Gardeners chose to garden for improved nutrition, chronic disease management, hobbies, and connection to nature and community. They continued gardening for relationships, physical benefits, harvests, and self-efficacy, indicating community gardens provide multi-faceted individual and community benefits.

José Tobias Marks Machado, Jeferson Tonin, Evandro Pedro Schneider · SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología · Brazil

This study, conducted in two schools in Cerro Largo - RS, Brazil, during 2013, performed a post-implementation analysis of ecologically based school gardens introduced through a university extension program. Positive results included the proliferation of similar projects. However, significant difficulties were emphasized in integrating the school gardens with disciplinary education, attributed to existing conservatism in the educational context.

Abdullah Ambusaidi, Rashid Al‐Yahyai, Neil Taylor · Econstor (Econstor) · Oman

A school gardening project in Oman, funded by the Oman Research Council, aims to improve educational outcomes in the short term and dietary outcomes in the longer term, addressing the country's rising lifestyle diseases. The article reports on the project's rationale, conceptualization, and design, noting its potential for expansion to more schools and long-term economic benefits through local food production.

Ari Novy, Devin Dotson · CSA News · United States

This article argues that botanical and public gardens are well-positioned to connect the public with agriculture, especially in urban centers where interest in food and agriculture is resurging. With over 70 million visitors annually and existing infrastructure, botanical gardens can serve as urban nodes for science-based education. They can perform plant research, offer education, interpret plant uses, and showcase plant beauty.

Joo-Young 심주영Sim, Kyung-Jin 조경진Zoh · · South Korea (Seoul)

This study re-examines urban gardening as an overlooked daily culture in the urbanization process, focusing on the self-forming residential area of Haebangchon in Seoul, South Korea. It found that urban gardens in single-family housing areas function as a medium to improve the physical environment and strengthen relationships among residents. Urban gardening in Haebangchon has evolved across various spaces and attributes, reflecting changes in modern residential history and lifestyles, and contributes to unique local landscapes and community interaction.

Christine Brown-Paul, Sam Ross · Practical Hydroponics and Greenhouses · Australia

A Sydney-based company supplies hydroponics products and services to a diverse range of clients in Australia, including home growers, market gardeners, commercial growers, schools, and community gardens. This broad client base provides a competitive advantage in the current market.

Bongajum Simplice Ngoran, Suinyuy Derrick Ngoran · Journals & Books Hosting (International Knowledge Sharing Platform) · Cameroon (Bamenda)

This article examines the socioeconomic implications of urban agriculture in Bamenda, Cameroon. It found that urban agriculture has improved living conditions, providing employment to about 11% of the working population and reducing food expenses for civil servants. However, urban agriculture in Bamenda lags behind other cities due to rudimentary tools, suggesting a need for advanced technology and improved seedlings.

Alicia S. Landry, Nikki Chittendon, Christine Coker, Caitlin Weiss · Journal of Extension · United States

This article describes the perceived physical and psychological health impacts of community gardening on participants in the Mississippi Delta. Identified themes include gardening as an educational tool, increasing self-efficacy, and fostering responsibility for personal and community health. Additional benefits reported are exposure to new healthy foods, increased physical activity, and legacy building.

Lai Ping Ellie Chung · · China (Hong Kong)

A qualitative case study conducted in a purposive Hong Kong kindergarten investigated the implementation of gardening workshops in school gardens and what children learned during their participation. Information was collected using unstructured observations, semi-structured interviews, documentation, and physical artifacts. The study found that children experienced less experiential learning than expected during the gardening workshops. Reasons identified included fewer choices for children, less free time for exploration and interaction with the garden environment and people, more waiting time, highly structured and controlled interactions through adult regulations, and the influence of adults' varying strategies on children's performance.

Melinda VanDevelder, Kierstyn Johnson, Alicia R. Thompson · · Global

This chapter explores the versatility of school and community gardens, which have historical roots in social justice. It investigates multiple theories embracing critical and ecological pedagogies in urban communities, schools, and neighborhoods. The driving forces behind this work include democratic movements for food security, addressing food deserts, and socioeconomic sustainability through gardening programs.