Community Gardens
Community gardens are dedicated plots of land where residents can grow food or other plants. Community gardens can increase food access for low-income people by increasing their ability to grow their own food. Community gardens are associated with higher food and vegetable intake, as well as positive psychological, social, and community effects.
Most community gardens have predetermined plots available for adoption by residents interested in tending a plot. Garden plots may be funded by private or public funds, and they may be temporary or permanent. Community gardeners may need to meet certain conditions to keep their plot. For example, gardeners might be required to tend to their plot twice a week during the growing season. The operating group, such as the city or nonprofit organization providing the land or funding, may determine the rules of the garden.
Examples of Community Garden Programs
- Grow Appalachia aims to improve food security in the Appalachian region by increasing citizens' abilities to grow more food. Grow Appalachia provides funding, equipment, and training to help create and manage personal gardens. The program started in 2009 with four partner sites and now operates in 31 sites across the region. Each site is operated by a partner organization. The program focuses on reaching as many families as possible with its partners. The program has helped over 6,000 families and grown over 3 million pounds of food. Grow Appalachia also encourages plots to donate food to local emergency food resources and connects growers to farmers markets to help growers build marketing and entrepreneurial skills.
- The Hunger Coalition, a nonprofit organization in Blaine County, Idaho, aims to bring healthy, affordable food to families in their communities. After conducting a Community Food Assessment that found that over a third of residents were near or experiencing food insecurity, the Hunger Coalition developed community gardens to grow fresh fruits and vegetables. In 2022, the gardens produced more than 7,000 pounds of food, much of which was distributed as healthy lunches to children in the county.
- The Huachuca City Community Garden was created in Huachuca, Arizona to address poverty and food insecurity in a rural desert community. Since its inception, the garden has grown and distributed over 9,000 pounds of vegetables to residents in need and provided food literacy education to both children and adults in the community.
Implementation Considerations
Community gardens require planning and coordination between private and public resources and investments in adequate tools and training. This model is often combined with other models, such as food policy groups, to make implementation easier. Food policy groups can create local policies that encourage the use of open land for gardening or food production. Educational components, such as classes that teach people how to cook and preserve produce, can help people effectively use their garden produce.
Resources to Learn More
Community
Food Projects Competitive Grant Program (CFPCGP)
Website
Shares information on the Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program (CFPCGP), a federal funding
opportunity. Includes information on short- and long-term program goals, eligibility requirements, and other
resources to support community food projects specifically in low-income communities geared towards
self-sufficiency and sustainable food security.
Organization(s): National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Gardening for Health: Using Garden Coordinators and
Volunteers to Implement Rural School and Community Gardens
Document
Describes the implementation of a gardening intervention in school and community setting to improve access to
fruits and vegetables across rural and tribal communities in South Dakota.
Author(s): Stluka, S., McCormack, L.A., Burdette, L., et al.
Organization(s): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 16
Date: 11/2019