Research & reports

Klaire Elise Freeman · OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) · United States (Cleveland)

A study in Cleveland, Ohio, examined the role of wasps in urban gardens and vacant lots, collecting 13,339 arthropods, including 5,165 wasps across 24 families and 369 morphospecies. The findings showed higher wasp abundance, species richness, and number of families in vacant lots compared to urban gardens. Specifically, vacant lots had 2,703 individuals and 288 morphospecies, while gardens had 2,462 individuals and 231 morphospecies.

Evan Weissman · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (New York City)

This essay refutes the claims by Hallsworth and Wong (2013) that the benefits of urban food gardening are exaggerated and that it cannot deliver fresher or lower-cost foods. It states that Hallsworth and Wong's assumptions are incorrect and that urban gardening plays a significant role as public space, an economic development strategy, and a community-organizing tool, contributing to household food security. For example, a 0.2-hectare urban farm project in Brooklyn, New York, "East New York Farms!", produces over USD20,000 of fresh produce annually, with over 70% of transactions made through SNAP, reaching high-need community members.

Samuel Henrique Damas Marinelo, Sandra María Fonseca da Costa, Leonardo Freire de Mello · Anais ENANPUR · Brazil (São Paulo)

In São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil, residents of the Altos de Santana neighborhood maintain traditional peasant characteristics by cultivating urban gardens within a Permanent Protection Area of the Paraíba do Sul River. However, the current municipal administration plans to implement an urban park in this area, which will remove the gardens cultivated by these resident farmers. This intervention is expected to alter proposals for improving the quality of life for nearby residents concerning urban agriculture, potentially generating conflicts between stakeholders regarding land use.

Marisa DeCandido · Syracuse University Libraries (Syracuse University) · United States (New York City)

This project describes the "green sisters" movement and its presence at Homecoming Farm, a Community-Supported Agriculture project in Amityville, New York. The green sisters movement involves Catholic nuns dedicated to environmental education and sustainability, exemplified by Homecoming Farm, an organic farm created in 1992 by the Sisters of Saint Dominic. The story is presented through a five-part news series, based on six visits and interviews with eleven individuals at Homecoming Farm in the summer and fall of 2012.

Alison M. Meadow · Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) · United States (Fairbanks)

This paper presents data on the Fairbanks Community Garden, an alternative food system initiative, focusing on its current and potential contributions to food security and social integration. The most successful aspects of the community garden include providing space and equipment to those lacking resources and creating opportunities for diverse community members to develop personal relationships.

Lauren M Bitter · Scholarship @ Claremont (The Claremont Colleges) · United States (California)

This autoethnographic thesis centers on the People and Their Plants garden in Upland, California, which represents the ecological changes caused by colonization in Southern California. The study critiques research and ethnography by examining the politics of knowledge, language, history, and ecology, and interrogates colonial/capitalist food systems that render Indigenous ways of knowing invisible. The People and Their Plants garden is presented as an act of resistance, creating space for alternative economic and decolonial food practices.

Camila Tavares Ferreira, Silvia Coelho do Nascimento, Marlene Evangelista Vieira, R. F. de M. Tavares, Lucélia Rosa de Jesus · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Marituba)

This study evaluated the socioeconomic aspects of agriculture in the Uriboca community of Marituba, Pará, Brazil, by applying questionnaires to 13 local producers. The main commercial products were foliage, medicinal plants, and flowers, sold primarily in Belém and Marituba, while cassava, beans, and small animals were produced for consumption. Most producers had production costs between R$250.00 and R$500.00, with variable net incomes mostly ranging from R$250.00 to R$500.00 and R$500.00 to R$1000.00. Leafy greens were the main commercialized crops due to their ease of adaptation, management, and demand.

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

Teri Burgess-Champoux received a $1,000 grant to explore perceptions, barriers, and strategies for intergenerational community garden experiences involving preschool-aged children and their families. The goal is to enhance vegetable liking, increase intake, and improve home availability, guiding future research in this area.

Maxine J. Levin · Soil Horizons · United States

This commentary highlights a growing demand for soil information for green economy initiatives and climate change adaptation over the last 25 years. Despite this, USDA's funding and technical support for soil surveys in urban and nonfarm areas have been inconsistent and, in some places, nonexistent. The author argues for the vital role of modern soil surveys in addressing current needs.

Elizabeth Appleby, Charles Darnell, Chelsey Geralda Armstrong, David Daview-Deis · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · United States

This report, titled "North St Paul Community Gardens Proposal," was completed by students enrolled in the PA 5253: Planning Participation Processes course at the University of Minnesota in fall 2013. It presents a proposal related to community gardens in North St Paul.

Charles E. Hess · HortScience · United States

Reflecting on horticultural science over the past 60 years, it is evident that it is in a period of great opportunity. Recognition of the role of fruits and vegetables in a healthful diet has led to food for health initiatives that encourage diets rich in horticultural crops. The 'locavore movement' fosters the popularity of purchasing locally, spurring increased interest in farmers' markets and urban gardening. Internationally, the idea of peri-urban gardening recognizes the value of horticultural crops in improving nutrition and income on relatively small areas of land in developing nations.

Rudy Dunlap, Justin Harmon, Gerard T. Kyle · Leisure/Loisir · United States (Austin)

This study explored the interplay of meanings and sentiments ascribed to place by participants of an urban garden project in Austin, Texas. It investigated how participants' feelings toward a given garden plot, neighborhood, city, and the Central Texas region were shaped or affected by their participation. Findings showed that participation shaped place meanings and sentiment through two principal processes: a sense of connection to garden plots via produce and physical transformation, and a sense of connection and identification with the community via links to other participants in Urban Patchwork activities.

Leslie Gray, Patricia Guzmán, K. Michelle Glowa, Ann Drevno · Local Environment · United States (California)

This article examines La Mesa Verde, a home-gardening program in San Jose, California, to assess if home gardens offer similar financial, health, and community benefits as community gardens. The research explores the potential of home gardens to foster broader social change, cultural preservation, and self-determination, especially for recent immigrants.

José Luis Yagüe Blanco, Agustín Montes, Francisco J. Morales · · Peru (Lima)

This article examines the evaluation of an urban agriculture project in the outskirts of Lima, Peru, using a process-centered approach. The results show that this approach, which combines different evaluation tools, allows for the identification and analysis of processes with involved members, providing a better understanding of the real sustainability of the results.

Freda G. Sampson, Thomas G. Costello, Stacey Stevens, Desiree Squire · Journal of Law and Society · United States (Detroit)

This paper examines Detroit, United States, as a city in crisis, analyzing redevelopment conflicts between gentrification and revitalization. It applies a "Litmus Test for Equity and Opportunity" to current redevelopment efforts, including the Detroit Future City Plan and projects by Michael Ilitch & Company and Dan Gilbert. The analysis suggests that despite efforts, the complexities of this post-industrial city, particularly regarding its predominantly African-American population, are only superficially addressed, indicating ongoing equity challenges.

Kassey Steele · ˜The œAgricultural education magazine · United States

This paper discusses the increasing relevance of urban agriculture in the United States, where the urban population was almost 80% in 2010 and continues to grow. It argues that as urban dwellers increasingly influence food consumption decisions, understanding agriculture becomes crucial. The paper suggests that university agricultural education programs should prepare pre-service teachers to address the needs of a predominantly urban population, making urban agriculture a less contradictory concept.

Caitlin E. Burkman · OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) · United States (Cleveland)

A two-year study investigated the influence of habitat management and landscape on spider assemblages within urban greenspaces in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. This research was set against the backdrop of thousands of acres of vacant land resulting from economic decline and population loss, which are being reutilized for strategies like urban agriculture and small native planting parks. Spiders were used as a model throughout this process, but the abstract does not state specific research findings.

José Luis Yagüe Blanco, Agustín Montes, Francisco J. Morales · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Peru (Lima)

This article examines the evaluation of an urban agriculture project in Lima, Peru, using a process-centered approach. The approach combines different evaluation tools to identify and analyze processes with involved members. Results indicate that this method provides a better understanding of the real sustainability of project outcomes.

Maritza Bautista · Digital Commons - CSUMB (California State University, Monterey Bay) · United States (California)

This research highlighted the lack of agricultural education in elementary schools in California's Salinas Valley and implemented an action project to build a garden at Alisal Community Elementary School. The project presented students with concepts related to agriculture, food production, and nutrition, linking them to science. These efforts helped students make conscious decisions about their diet, how they treat the earth, and potential future agricultural careers.

Mark Apel, Ayman Mostafa, Bill Brandau, Gregg M. Garfin · Journal of Extension · United States (Arizona)

In 2011, Arizona Cooperative Extension implemented the Externships in Sustainability program, where undergraduate students conducted community-based sustainability projects. This program, distinct from internships, allowed students to apply skills to community outreach, benefiting agents, students, and communities through improved university-community relationships and projects like community gardens. Other states' Extension programs could adopt this model.

Douglas E. Ponticos · Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) · United States (Florida)

A thesis on the cultural history of Florida's Brooksville Ridge in the United States traced the changing cultural landscapes of west-central Florida, from pre-Columbian and Seminole landscapes to the rise of the Ridge. Using primary and secondary documents, including local primary sources such as photographs of locals replanting forests and accounts of community gardens and canning, the study traced how a uniquely settled Floridian culture emerged from unsettled landscapes during the early 20th century, amidst war and depression.

Leah A. Walker · · United States (Detroit)

This comment discusses the history, benefits, and laws relevant to urban farming in the United States, with a specific focus on Detroit. It highlights the essential role of urban agriculture for Detroit's survival and potential revival. The comment also examines the laws with the most immediate impact on urban farming in Detroit and the significance of timing due to impending changes in zoning ordinances.

Gael Blackhall · · Canada (Calgary)

This video features an interview with Gael Blackhall of the Calgary Horticultural Society. The interview discusses how different organizations interact in community gardening issues.

Kevin J. Holohan · Language arts journal of Michigan · United States

This paper is based on an empirical study conducted at a charter high school in a Midwestern US metropolitan area. The study investigated how social ecology, with urban agriculture as a hands-on practice, fosters an ideal of citizenship through a program where students collect traditional Puerto Rican recipes from elders and grow the necessary produce within their community.

Jenna Campbell, Phyllis Hejl, Caroline Miller, William Risse · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · United States

This record is a report and poster titled "Community Garden Policy Participation Proposal." It was completed by students enrolled in PA 5253: Planning Participation Processes, taught by Dr. Carissa Schively Slotterback in fall 2013 at the University of Minnesota.