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Created page with "=====Community Gardening Increases Vegetable Intake and Seasonal Eating===== [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10196338/ | K. Alaimo et al. | PMC | 2023] This study connects community gardening with higher vegetable intake, stronger seasonal food habits, and greater access to fresh produce, showing why gardens can be practical nutrition tools in neighborhoods with limited healthy food options. =====Impact of a Community Gardening Project on Vegetable Intake, Fo..."
 
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=====Community Gardening Increases Vegetable Intake and Seasonal Eating=====
{{#seo:
[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10196338/ | K. Alaimo et al. | PMC | 2023]
|title=Community Gardens & Nutrition: Practical Health Infrastructure - WikiDemocracy
This study connects community gardening with higher vegetable intake, stronger seasonal food habits, and greater access to fresh produce, showing why gardens can be practical nutrition tools in neighborhoods with limited healthy food options.
|description=Explore research and evidence on how community gardens improve nutrition, increase fruit and vegetable intake, and serve as vital infrastructure for food security and community well-being.
|keywords=community gardens, nutrition security, food access, public health infrastructure, fruit and vegetable intake, urban agriculture, SNAP-Ed, school gardens, food equity
|image=Benefits of Community Gardens.png
}}


=====Impact of a Community Gardening Project on Vegetable Intake, Food Security and Family Relationships=====
'''Subpages'''
[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3661291/ | Patricia A. Carney et al. | PMC | 2012]
This community garden project found that gardening can improve vegetable intake, reduce food insecurity, and strengthen family relationships by giving households both food and shared activity around healthy meals.


=====Community Gardens and Their Effects on Diet, Health, Psychosocial and Community Outcomes=====
[[Summary Community Gardens and Nutrition]]
[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9229094/ | C. Hume et al. | PMC | 2022]
This systematic review found that community gardening is associated with higher fruit and vegetable intake, stronger community connection, and positive psychosocial outcomes, while also noting the need for stronger evidence.
 
=====Community Garden Initiatives Addressing Health and Well-Being Outcomes=====
[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7922762/ | A. Gregis et al. | PMC | 2021]
This review examines community gardens as public health interventions, including their role in nutrition, physical activity, mental health, social connection, and community well-being.


=====Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Urban Community Gardeners=====
[https://youtu.be/StXe1rEVkF0 Youtube]
[https://www.jneb.org/article/S1499-4046(06)00854-2/abstract | K. Alaimo et al. | Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior | 2008]
This article reports that adults in households with community garden participation ate fruits and vegetables more often, suggesting that shared gardens can shift daily food habits.


=====Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Urban Community Gardeners=====
[https://wikidemocracy.us/images/c/ca/Community_Gardens_Are_Serious_Health_Infrastructure.m4a Onsite Audio]
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18314085/ | K. Alaimo et al. | PubMed | 2008]
This PubMed record summarizes evidence that community garden participation may improve fruit and vegetable intake among urban adults, especially when household members are involved in growing food.


=====Association Between Community Garden Participation and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Rural Missouri=====
[https://wikidemocracy.us/images/a/a0/Power_of_Community_Gardens.mp4 Onsite Video]
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/32129 | Ellen K. Barnidge et al. | CDC Stacks | 2013]
This rural Missouri study links community garden participation with improved access to produce and greater fruit and vegetable consumption, showing that gardens can matter outside large cities too.


=====Using Garden Coordinators and Volunteers to Implement Rural Community Gardens=====
[https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2019/19_0117.htm | S. Stluka et al. | Preventing Chronic Disease | 2019]
This article explains how coordinators, volunteers, and wellness coalitions used community gardens to improve access to healthy food, nutrition education, and physical activity opportunities.


=====Gardening for Health: Using Garden Coordinators and Volunteers=====
<div style="position: absolute; top:160px; right: 0; width: 150px; z-index: 10;">
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/83608 | S. Stluka et al. | CDC Stacks | 2019]
[[File:Benefits of Community Gardens.png|thumb|none|150px|Benefits of Community Gardens]]
This CDC record describes gardens as focal points for healthy food access, nutrition education, physical activity, and local wellness work.
</div>


=====Framing Food Access: Do Community Gardens Appeal to Diverse Populations?=====
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/103145 | K.L. Butterfield | CDC Stacks | 2021]
This article analyzes how community garden programs describe food access, food donation, self-empowerment, and community orientation, raising useful questions about inclusion and nutrition equity.


=====Framing Food Access: Do Community Gardens Appeal to Diverse Populations? PDF=====
==Research and Evidence==
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/103145/cdc_103145_DS1.pdf | K.L. Butterfield | CDC Stacks | 2021]
This PDF version highlights how garden language can either welcome or limit participation, especially for communities facing food insecurity and unequal access to healthy food.


=====The Impact of Urban Gardens on Adequate and Healthy Food=====
=====Research and Benefits of Community Gardens=====
[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10260856/ | M.T. Garcia et al. | PMC | 2017]
[https://nccommunitygardens.ces.ncsu.edu/resources-3/nccommunitygardens-research/ | NC State Extension | North Carolina Community Gardens | 2025]
  This systematic review examines how urban gardens affect healthy food access, nutrition knowledge, food beliefs, and food practices among participants.
  This research summary gathers evidence that community gardeners consume fruits and vegetables more often than non-gardeners and may be more likely to meet intake recommendations.


=====Community and Home Gardens Increase Vegetable Intake and Food Security=====
=====A Systematic Review of Community Gardens and Food Access=====
[https://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?article=ca.v070n02p77&type=pdf | S. Algert et al. | California Agriculture | 2016]
[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43621-025-01628-5 | F.F. Huq et al. | Springer | 2025]
  This San Jose study found that garden participants increased vegetable intake and improved food security, showing how small plots can support healthier household diets.
  This review finds that community gardens can improve food access, urban resilience, and community well-being while warning that policy support and equitable access are essential.
 
=====Community and Home Gardens Increase Vegetable Intake and Food Security PDF=====
[https://californiaagriculture.org/article/108832-community-and-home-gardens-increase-vegetable-intake-and-food-security-of-residents-in-san-jose-california/attachment/213767.pdf | S. Algert et al. | California Agriculture | 2016]
This PDF reports that gardening helped residents double vegetable intake and meet daily serving recommendations, making gardens a direct nutrition intervention.


=====Community Gardens Support High Levels of Food Production=====
=====Community Gardens Support High Levels of Food Production=====
[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11625-024-01558-7 | B.B. Lin et al. | Sustainability Science | 2024]
[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11625-024-01558-7 | B.B. Lin et al. | Sustainability Science | 2024]
  This study documents that community gardens can produce substantial amounts of fresh food and offset high produce costs, especially when gardeners receive enough support.
  This study documents that community gardens can produce substantial amounts of fresh food and offset high produce costs, especially when gardeners receive enough support.
=====A Systematic Review of Community Gardens and Food Access=====
[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43621-025-01628-5 | F.F. Huq et al. | Springer | 2025]
This review finds that community gardens can improve food access, urban resilience, and community well-being while warning that policy support and equitable access are essential.
=====Community Gardens and Their Effects on Diet and Health=====
[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-022-13591-1 | C. Hume et al. | BMC Public Health | 2022]
This open-access review concludes that community gardens are linked with better fruit and vegetable intake, but also calls for better-designed studies to measure nutrition impacts.


=====Identifying Key Benefits and Characteristics of Community Gardening=====
=====Identifying Key Benefits and Characteristics of Community Gardening=====
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  This study finds higher fruit and vegetable intake among regular and occasional garden participants compared with nonparticipants, supporting gardens as healthy eating spaces.
  This study finds higher fruit and vegetable intake among regular and occasional garden participants compared with nonparticipants, supporting gardens as healthy eating spaces.


=====Gardening Interventions Increase Vegetable Consumption Among Children=====
=====Community Gardening Increases Vegetable Intake and Seasonal Eating=====
[https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/nutrition-gardening-interventions-increase-vegetable-consumption-among-children.html | Community Preventive Services Task Force | The Community Guide | n.d.]
[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10196338/ | K. Alaimo et al. | PMC | 2023]
  This evidence review finds that gardening interventions increase children’s vegetable consumption, especially when gardening is paired with nutrition education.
This study connects community gardening with higher vegetable intake, stronger seasonal food habits, and greater access to fresh produce, showing why gardens can be practical nutrition tools in neighborhoods with limited healthy food options.
 
=====Community Gardens and Their Effects on Diet, Health, Psychosocial and Community Outcomes=====
[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9229094/ | C. Hume et al. | PMC | 2022]
  This systematic review found that community gardening is associated with higher fruit and vegetable intake, stronger community connection, and positive psychosocial outcomes, while also noting the need for stronger evidence.


=====Gardening SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Materials=====
=====Community Gardens and Their Effects on Diet and Health=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/resources/nutrition-education-materials/gardening | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | n.d.]
[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-022-13591-1 | C. Hume et al. | BMC Public Health | 2022]
  This USDA resource collection shows how SNAP-Ed programs use gardening to teach nutrition, increase access to fruits and vegetables, and support healthier household food choices.
  This open-access review concludes that community gardens are linked with better fruit and vegetable intake, but also calls for better-designed studies to measure nutrition impacts.


=====Urban SNAP-Ed Community Gardening Project=====
=====Assessing the Affordability of Nutrient-Adequate Diets=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/urban-snap-ed-community-gardening-project | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2017]
[https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.07240 | Kate R. Schneider et al. | arXiv | 2022]
  This Alabama success story describes a community gardening project that improved access to fresh produce and involved residents directly in growing food.
  This study shows why affordability matters for nutrition security, adding context for community gardens that lower the cost barrier to fresh produce.


=====SNAP-Ed Spearheads Community Gardens in Page County, Virginia=====
=====Understanding Benefits of a Community Garden on Those Impacted by Food Insecurity=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/snap-ed-spearheads-community-gardens-page-county-virginia | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2023]
[https://riches.cabarruscollege.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1127&context=mot-student-capstones | T. Boone | Cabarrus College | 2021]
  This story shows how community gardens can combine growing food with tastings, cooking demonstrations, and nutrition lessons using garden produce.
  This capstone paper reviews how community gardens can support people affected by food insecurity through vegetable access, nutrition, social connection, and meaningful activity.


=====Community Garden Increases Access to Fresh Produce in Houma, Louisiana=====
=====Community Garden Initiatives Addressing Health and Well-Being Outcomes=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/community-garden-increases-access-fresh-produce-houma-louisiana | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2020]
[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7922762/ | A. Gregis et al. | PMC | 2021]
  This Louisiana project used a community garden as a learning site for children and adults, connecting fresh produce access with hands-on nutrition education.
  This review examines community gardens as public health interventions, including their role in nutrition, physical activity, mental health, social connection, and community well-being.


=====Green Island Gardens=====
=====Social Capital Contributions to Food Security=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/green-island-gardens | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2018]
[https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.03606 | Saeed Nosratabadi et al. | arXiv | 2020]
  This SNAP-Ed garden program taught youth how garden foods fit into a healthy diet, using lessons on edible plant parts and vegetable-based snacks.
  This literature review explains how social capital can improve food security through knowledge sharing and food sharing, mechanisms often found in community garden networks.


=====Adapting Garden Leadership Trainings to a Virtual Setting=====
=====Healthy Access for Healthy Places=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/adapting-garden-leadership-trainings-virtual-setting | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2022]
[https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.11351 | Irena Gao and Marynia Kolak | arXiv | 2019]
  This article describes community garden leadership training as a way to strengthen food security, nutrition education, and garden sustainability during changing conditions.
  This paper argues that food access is multidimensional, helping explain why gardens alone are not enough but can be part of broader healthy food access planning.


=====Fun With Seeds: CalFresh Expands Nutrition and Gardening Education=====
=====Community Gardens and Obesity Intervention=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/fun-seeds-calfresh-catholic-charities-expands-nutrition-and-gardening | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2023]
[https://www.foodandnutritionjournal.org/volume6number3/benefits-of-community-gardening-activity-in-obesity-intervention-findings-from-f-e-a-t-programme/ | Researchers | Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science | 2018]
  This school garden program brought weekly gardening and nutrition education to students, encouraging children to learn where food comes from and try healthy foods.
  This article discusses community gardening as part of obesity intervention, linking gardening with access to good food, physical activity, and mental health benefits.


=====Growing Healthy Kids Garden-Enhanced Nutrition Curriculum=====
=====The Impact of Urban Gardens on Adequate and Healthy Food=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/intervention/growing-healthy-kids-garden-enhanced-nutrition-curriculum | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | n.d.]
[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10260856/ | M.T. Garcia et al. | PMC | 2017]
  This curriculum integrates gardening with nutrition education for children, using hands-on food growing to promote healthier eating choices.
  This systematic review examines how urban gardens affect healthy food access, nutrition knowledge, food beliefs, and food practices among participants.


=====Community Gardens Grow Strong Bodies and Minds=====
=====Community and Home Gardens Increase Vegetable Intake and Food Security=====
[https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/community-gardens-grow-strong-bodies-and-minds | USDA | USDA Blog | 2009]
[https://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?article=ca.v070n02p77&type=pdf | S. Algert et al. | California Agriculture | 2016]
  This USDA article highlights how community gardens can teach children about local food, gardening, nutrition, and healthy eating while building community skills.
  This San Jose study found that garden participants increased vegetable intake and improved food security, showing how small plots can support healthier household diets.


=====South LA Youth Use Neighborhood Gardens to Educate Better Community Health=====
=====Association Between Community Garden Participation and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Rural Missouri=====
[https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/feed-thy-neighbor-south-la-youth-use-neighborhood-gardens-educate-better-community-health | USDA | USDA Blog | 2015]
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/32129 | Ellen K. Barnidge et al. | CDC Stacks | 2013]
  This story shows young people using gardens, vegetables, cooking tools, and nutrition education to improve community health in South Los Angeles.
  This rural Missouri study links community garden participation with improved access to produce and greater fruit and vegetable consumption, showing that gardens can matter outside large cities too.


=====School Gardens: Using Gardens to Grow Healthy Habits=====
=====Impact of a Community Gardening Project on Vegetable Intake, Food Security and Family Relationships=====
[https://www.fns.usda.gov/f2s/school-gardens | USDA Food and Nutrition Service | USDA | 2024]
[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3661291/ | Patricia A. Carney et al. | PMC | 2012]
  This USDA resource explains how school gardens can connect cafeterias, classrooms, and communities while encouraging children to accept and eat more fruits and vegetables.
  This community garden project found that gardening can improve vegetable intake, reduce food insecurity, and strengthen family relationships by giving households both food and shared activity around healthy meals.


=====Food Safety Tips for School Gardens=====
=====Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Urban Community Gardeners=====
[https://www.fns.usda.gov/fs/produce-safety/gardens | USDA Food and Nutrition Service | USDA | 2025]
[https://www.jneb.org/article/S1499-4046(06)00854-2/abstract | K. Alaimo et al. | Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior | 2008]
  This article explains how school gardens can help children develop healthy eating habits while also requiring safe handling of garden-grown produce.
  This article reports that adults in households with community garden participation ate fruits and vegetables more often, suggesting that shared gardens can shift daily food habits.


=====Farm to School at USDA=====
=====Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Urban Community Gardeners=====
[https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/documents/ezd1567396_usda_fns_programs_initiatives.pdf | USDA Food and Nutrition Service | USDA | 2020]
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18314085/ | K. Alaimo et al. | PubMed | 2008]
  This USDA presentation connects farm-to-school programs, school gardens, and local food purchasing with improved access to fruits and vegetables for students.
  This PubMed record summarizes evidence that community garden participation may improve fruit and vegetable intake among urban adults, especially when household members are involved in growing food.


=====Nutrition: Communities Putting Prevention to Work=====
[https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/nccdphp/dch/programs/communitiesputtingpreventiontowork/action/nutrition.htm | CDC | CDC Archive | n.d.]
This CDC archive describes community gardens supplying fresh fruits and vegetables to food pantries, including gardens producing tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, greens, and root vegetables.


=====Considerations for Outdoor Learning Gardens and Community Gardens=====
==Public Health, Policy and Institutional Support==
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/94060 | CDC | CDC Stacks | 2020]
This guidance explains that outdoor learning and community gardens can help fill nutrition gaps where healthy food access is limited, while also supporting outdoor education.


=====State and Local Strategies for Nutrition=====
=====Public Health Benefits of Community Gardens=====
[https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/state-and-local-strategies/index.html | CDC | CDC | n.d.]
[https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/benefits-of-community-gardens/ | Tulane University | Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine | 2024]
  This CDC page places garden-based and farm-to-early-care strategies within broader community nutrition efforts to improve children’s access to healthy food.
  This article explains how community gardens can increase fruit and vegetable access, especially in neighborhoods with limited affordable healthy food options.


=====Community Gardens=====
=====Community Gardens Plant Seeds for Healthy Nutrition=====
[https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/strategies-and-solutions/what-works-for-health/strategies/community-gardens | County Health Rankings & Roadmaps | What Works for Health | 2023]
[https://odh.ohio.gov/media-center/feature-stories/march-is-national-nutrition-month | Ohio Department of Health | Ohio Department of Health | 2024]
  This evidence summary says community gardens may improve food security, increase fruit and vegetable availability, and support healthy eating in food deserts.
  This article connects community gardens with affordable healthy food, movement, friendship, and social connection during National Nutrition Month.


=====Community Gardens Evidence Assessment=====
=====Community Gardens Evidence Assessment=====
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  This assessment frames community gardens as interventions that provide space, tools, skills, and nutrition-related support for people facing food insecurity.
  This assessment frames community gardens as interventions that provide space, tools, skills, and nutrition-related support for people facing food insecurity.


=====Program: Community Gardens and Farms=====
=====Framing Food Access: Do Community Gardens Appeal to Diverse Populations? PDF=====
[https://foodcommunitybenefit.noharm.org/resources/implementation-strategy/program-community-gardens-and-farms | Health Care Without Harm | Food Community Benefit | n.d.]
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/103145/cdc_103145_DS1.pdf | K.L. Butterfield | CDC Stacks | 2021]
  This implementation guide explains how hospitals and health systems can support community gardens, cooking classes, tastings, produce donations, and food-security programs.
  This PDF version highlights how garden language can either welcome or limit participation, especially for communities facing food insecurity and unequal access to healthy food.


=====Community Gardens: An Effective Approach to Food Equity=====
=====Framing Food Access: Do Community Gardens Appeal to Diverse Populations?=====
[https://ihpl.llu.edu/blog/community-gardens-effective-approach-food-equity | L. Manzanete | Loma Linda University Institute for Health Policy and Leadership | n.d.]
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/103145 | K.L. Butterfield | CDC Stacks | 2021]
  This article reviews research linking community gardens with fruit and vegetable intake, food equity, and policy supports that make gardens easier to sustain.
  This article analyzes how community garden programs describe food access, food donation, self-empowerment, and community orientation, raising useful questions about inclusion and nutrition equity.


=====Public Health Benefits of Community Gardens=====
=====NALT: Community Gardens=====
[https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/benefits-of-community-gardens/ | Tulane University | Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine | 2024]
[https://lod.nal.usda.gov/nalt/68415 | USDA National Agricultural Library | USDA | 2020]
  This article explains how community gardens can increase fruit and vegetable access, especially in neighborhoods with limited affordable healthy food options.
  This USDA thesaurus entry defines community gardens as shared spaces where participants maintain and share products including affordable fresh fruits and vegetables.


=====Community Gardens: Enhancing Nutrition, Physical Activity and Social Connection=====
=====Considerations for Outdoor Learning Gardens and Community Gardens=====
[https://acsm.org/community-gardens/ | American College of Sports Medicine | ACSM | n.d.]
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/94060 | CDC | CDC Stacks | 2020]
  This article presents community gardens as places that can support nutrition, reduce seasonal food insecurity, increase physical activity, and strengthen social ties.
  This guidance explains that outdoor learning and community gardens can help fill nutrition gaps where healthy food access is limited, while also supporting outdoor education.


=====Research and Benefits of Community Gardens=====
=====Strategies for Enhancing the Built Environment to Support Healthy Eating=====
[https://nccommunitygardens.ces.ncsu.edu/resources-3/nccommunitygardens-research/ | NC State Extension | North Carolina Community Gardens | 2025]
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/5846/cdc_5846_DS1.pdf | L. Cohen et al. | CDC Stacks | 2008]
  This research summary gathers evidence that community gardeners consume fruits and vegetables more often than non-gardeners and may be more likely to meet intake recommendations.
  This report argues that environments must be structured so people can access healthy foods and physical activity, a framework that supports community gardens as health infrastructure.


=====One Vegetable, One Community=====
=====Urban Agriculture and Climate Change in the Northwest=====
[https://extension.umn.edu/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/one-vegetable-one-community | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d.]
[https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/northwest/topic/urban-agriculture-and-climate-change-northwest | USDA Climate Hubs | USDA | n.d.]
  This program encourages communities to grow, cook, and share one featured vegetable, linking gardens, nutrition education, and community participation.
  This article explains that urban farms and gardens can provide education about food security, nutrition, biodiversity, and climate change while increasing food access.


=====Nutrition to Grow On=====
=====Nutrition: Communities Putting Prevention to Work=====
[https://extension.umn.edu/snap-ed-educational-offerings/nutrition-grow | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d.]
[https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/nccdphp/dch/programs/communitiesputtingpreventiontowork/action/nutrition.htm | CDC | CDC Archive | n.d.]
  This curriculum links gardening with nutrition lessons for upper elementary students, encouraging children to try healthy foods and share lessons with families.
  This CDC archive describes community gardens supplying fresh fruits and vegetables to food pantries, including gardens producing tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, greens, and root vegetables.


=====Gardening for Change=====
=====Community Gardens: Enhancing Nutrition, Physical Activity and Social Connection=====
[https://extension.umn.edu/source-magazine/gardening-change | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2023]
[https://acsm.org/community-gardens/ | American College of Sports Medicine | ACSM | n.d.]
  This article describes vacant lots transformed into community gardens that improve food access, teach youth, and build neighborhood power around growing food.
  This article presents community gardens as places that can support nutrition, reduce seasonal food insecurity, increase physical activity, and strengthen social ties.


=====Giving Gardens=====
=====Community Gardens: An Effective Approach to Food Equity=====
[https://extension.umn.edu/source-magazine/giving-gardens | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2024]
[https://ihpl.llu.edu/blog/community-gardens-effective-approach-food-equity | L. Manzanete | Loma Linda University Institute for Health Policy and Leadership | n.d.]
This article explains how giving gardens donate harvests to food shelves, adding fresh produce to emergency food systems that often lack vegetables and fruit.
  This article reviews research linking community gardens with fruit and vegetable intake, food equity, and policy supports that make gardens easier to sustain.
 
=====Early Care and School Gardens=====
[https://extension.umn.edu/farm-school/early-care-and-school-gardens | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d.]
  This guide shows how gardens can provide taste tests, fresh produce for meals, and outdoor learning that helps children become more familiar with healthy foods.


=====Pilgrim Community Garden and Healthy Eating=====
[https://extension.umn.edu/farm-families-year/ramsey-county-farm-family | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d.]
This profile describes a community garden where neighbors share vegetables, swap recipes, and encourage healthy eating through shared growing space.


=====Understanding Soil Health With Twin Cities Metro Growers=====
==SNAP-Ed and Federal Nutrition Programs==
[https://extension.umn.edu/news/understanding-soil-health-twin-cities-metro-growers | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2025]
This article highlights Karamu Community Gardens as a food source for residents living far from grocery stores, showing how soil health supports nutrition access.


=====Garden Gro and Community Food Systems=====
=====SNAP-Ed Spearheads Community Gardens in Page County, Virginia=====
[https://extension.umn.edu/cottage-food-connection/cottage-baker-community-food-systems-leader | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2026]
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/snap-ed-spearheads-community-gardens-page-county-virginia | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2023]
  This article describes a program that maintains school and community gardens so harvests do not go to waste and can support local hunger relief.
  This story shows how community gardens can combine growing food with tastings, cooking demonstrations, and nutrition lessons using garden produce.


=====Community Gardens Change Lives and Communities=====
=====Urban SNAP-Ed Community Gardening Project=====
[https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/community-gardens-change-lives-communities | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2021]
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/urban-snap-ed-community-gardening-project | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2017]
  This article describes gardens in food deserts as tools for improving nutrition, teaching young people, and helping families access affordable fresh produce.
  This Alabama success story describes a community gardening project that improved access to fresh produce and involved residents directly in growing food.


=====Community Gardens Fight Food Insecurity Close to Home=====
=====Gardening SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Materials=====
[https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/community-gardens-fight-food-insecurity-close-home | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2022]
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/resources/nutrition-education-materials/gardening | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | n.d.]
  This article reports that Extension-supported gardens grew and donated produce while helping communities grow nutritious food for themselves and neighbors.
  This USDA resource collection shows how SNAP-Ed programs use gardening to teach nutrition, increase access to fruits and vegetables, and support healthier household food choices.


=====Sustainable Community Gardens Benefit Local Growers, Ecosystems and Communities=====
=====Community Gardens and Rural Alabama=====
[https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/sustainable-community-gardens-benefit-local-growers-ecosystems-communities | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2023]
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/materials?keywords=gardening&page=1&sort_by=title | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | n.d.]
This article explains that sustainable community gardens meet local food needs while protecting ecosystems needed for future food production.
  This SNAP-Ed library entry describes rural Alabama gardens increasing access to healthy and affordable fresh vegetables for communities at higher chronic disease risk.
 
=====Extension Master Gardeners Partner to Promote Food Access=====
[https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/extension-master-gardeners-partner-phoenix-community-development-promote-food-access | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2023]
  This article describes a garden that teaches families and youth about healthy, nutritious food while involving them in planting and growing produce.


=====Plant Positivity: Learn How to Grow a School or Community Garden=====
[https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/plant-positivity-learn-how-grow-school-or-community-garden | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2024]
This article explains that students who garden are more likely to eat vegetables and gain hands-on learning experiences around food and health.


=====School and Community Gardens=====
==School, Youth and Garden-Based Nutrition Education==
[https://extension.illinois.edu/youth-gardening/school-and-community-gardens | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | n.d.]
This guide explains how growing fruits and vegetables can improve children’s food attitudes, increase willingness to eat vegetables, and add physical activity.
 
=====Community Garden Toolkit=====
[https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/community_garden_toolkit_rev10-19.pdf | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2019]
This toolkit frames community gardens as responses to poor nutrition, food pantry needs, physical health, environmental concerns, and neighborhood cooperation.
 
=====Community Garden Locations=====
[https://extension.illinois.edu/bdo/community-garden-locations | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | n.d.]
This page lists Extension-supported gardens that grow produce for donation to food banks and pantries, showing how garden networks can support emergency food nutrition.


=====Revitalizing a Community Garden in Lebanon County=====
=====Revitalizing a Community Garden in Lebanon County=====
Line 239: Line 181:
  This article describes a community garden planned as a source of healthy food, physical activity, mental health support, and youth engagement.
  This article describes a community garden planned as a source of healthy food, physical activity, mental health support, and youth engagement.


=====Planning for Community Food Access=====
=====Food Safety Tips for School Gardens=====
[https://extension.psu.edu/planning-for-community-food-access/ | Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2026]
[https://www.fns.usda.gov/fs/produce-safety/gardens | USDA Food and Nutrition Service | USDA | 2025]
  This article includes community gardens among local food access strategies that help rural and urban communities improve healthy food availability.
  This article explains how school gardens can help children develop healthy eating habits while also requiring safe handling of garden-grown produce.


=====Plant Your Garden Every Hue of Health=====
=====School Gardens: Using Gardens to Grow Healthy Habits=====
[https://extension.psu.edu/plant-your-garden-every-hue-of-health/ | Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2024]
[https://www.fns.usda.gov/f2s/school-gardens | USDA Food and Nutrition Service | USDA | 2024]
  This article connects colorful garden crops with nutrients such as vitamin A, encouraging gardeners to plan for variety and nutrition.
  This USDA resource explains how school gardens can connect cafeterias, classrooms, and communities while encouraging children to accept and eat more fruits and vegetables.


=====Home Garden Food Safety: Protecting Produce From Contamination=====
=====Plant Positivity: Learn How to Grow a School or Community Garden=====
[https://extension.psu.edu/home-garden-food-safety-protecting-produce-from-contamination/ | Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2026]
[https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/plant-positivity-learn-how-grow-school-or-community-garden | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2024]
This article explains how gardeners can protect fresh produce from contamination, an important step when garden harvests are eaten by families or shared with communities.
  This article explains that students who garden are more likely to eat vegetables and gain hands-on learning experiences around food and health.
 
=====Wise Use of Manure in Home Vegetable Gardens=====
[https://extension.psu.edu/wise-use-of-manure-in-home-vegetable-gardens/ | Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2024]
This article explains safe manure use in vegetable gardens so fresh food grown in home and community settings remains safe to eat.
 
=====Growing Strong Community Gardens=====
[https://site.extension.uga.edu/mgevp/2017/01/growing-strong-community-gardens/ | UGA Extension | Trellis Blog | 2017]
This article explains how Master Gardener volunteers can help community gardens fight hunger and poor nutrition by making fresh produce more accessible.
 
=====Healthy Life Community Garden=====
[https://extension.uga.edu/about/our-impact/impact-stories/impact-brief/4619/healthy-life-community-garden.html | UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d.]
This impact brief describes a garden producing tomatoes, peppers, beans, greens, herbs, and other fresh foods for community members.
 
=====Serving Seniors=====
[https://site.extension.uga.edu/mgevp/2017/07/serving-seniors/ | UGA Extension | Trellis Blog | 2017]
  This article describes a senior-focused garden that helps volunteers understand barriers older adults face in accessing healthy, nutritious foods.
 
=====Cultivating Community=====
[https://site.extension.uga.edu/mgevp/2017/08/cultivating-community/ | UGA Extension | Trellis Blog | 2017]
This article describes a community garden designed to build a healthier lifelong community and create a shared space around growing food.
 
=====Community Garden in Griffin Relocates and Expands=====
[https://extension.uga.edu/about/our-impact/impact-stories/impact-statement/9750/community-garden-in-griffin-relocates-and-expands.html | UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d.]
This article describes a garden serving residents with limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables and offering an alternative to processed fast foods.


=====Celebrating Community and Historic Gardens=====
=====Celebrating Community and Historic Gardens=====
Line 279: Line 197:
  This article explains that community gardens can increase fresh food access, teach health and nutrition, support exercise, and benefit seniors, families, and children.
  This article explains that community gardens can increase fresh food access, teach health and nutrition, support exercise, and benefit seniors, families, and children.


=====Community Gardens in Fulton County=====
=====Gardening for Change=====
[https://extension.uga.edu/county-offices/fulton/community-gardens.html | UGA Extension | Fulton County Extension | n.d.]
[https://extension.umn.edu/source-magazine/gardening-change | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2023]
  This local Extension page shows how managed community garden plots give residents access to space for growing fresh food.
This article describes vacant lots transformed into community gardens that improve food access, teach youth, and build neighborhood power around growing food.
 
=====Fun With Seeds: CalFresh Expands Nutrition and Gardening Education=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/fun-seeds-calfresh-catholic-charities-expands-nutrition-and-gardening | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2023]
  This school garden program brought weekly gardening and nutrition education to students, encouraging children to learn where food comes from and try healthy foods.
 
=====Extension Master Gardeners Partner to Promote Food Access=====
[https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/extension-master-gardeners-partner-phoenix-community-development-promote-food-access | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2023]
This article describes a garden that teaches families and youth about healthy, nutritious food while involving them in planting and growing produce.


=====Community Garden of Morrow=====
=====Community Garden Project Provides Fresh Produce and Nutrition Education=====
[https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/programs-and-services/master-gardener/documents/master-gardener-project-spotlights/HFPProjectSpotlightClayton.pdf | UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d.]
[https://www.howardcountymd.gov/health/community-garden-project-provides-fresh-produce-and-nutrition-education-opportunities | Howard County Health Department | Howard County, Maryland | 2023]
  This project spotlight describes a community garden created to support community building and shared access to growing space.
  This article describes a community garden project that provides fresh produce and nutrition education opportunities for students and residents.


=====Athens Community Council on Aging Garden=====
=====Evaluating the Impacts of School Garden-Based Programmes=====
[https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/programs-and-services/master-gardener/documents/master-gardener-project-spotlights/HBProjectSpotlightAthens.pdf | UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d.]
[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-022-13587-x | C.L. Chan et al. | BMC Public Health | 2022]
  This project spotlight describes a garden focused on seniors’ access to healthy and affordable food, linking gardening with aging and nutrition security.
  This review evaluates school garden programs and their effects on fruit and vegetable intake, preferences, nutrition knowledge, and related child outcomes.


=====Resources and Funding Garden Toolkit=====
=====Farm to School at USDA=====
[https://site.extension.uga.edu/g-hop/files/2023/08/Resources-and-Funding-Garden-Toolkit.pdf | UGA Extension | UGA Extension | 2023]
[https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/documents/ezd1567396_usda_fns_programs_initiatives.pdf | USDA Food and Nutrition Service | USDA | 2020]
  This toolkit points to nutrition education kits, urban agriculture resources, and funding sources that can support community gardens, food pantries, and community kitchens.
  This USDA presentation connects farm-to-school programs, school gardens, and local food purchasing with improved access to fruits and vegetables for students.


=====How to Start a Community Garden: Getting People Involved=====
=====Community Garden Increases Access to Fresh Produce in Houma, Louisiana=====
[https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/B1399/how-to-start-a-community-garden-getting-people-involved/ | UGA Extension | UGA Field Report | 2026]
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/community-garden-increases-access-fresh-produce-houma-louisiana | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2020]
  This guide explains how community involvement, soil testing, food safety, harvesting, and preservation planning help gardens become useful food and nutrition resources.
  This Louisiana project used a community garden as a learning site for children and adults, connecting fresh produce access with hands-on nutrition education.


=====The Value of Community Gardens: Health Impact=====
=====Green Island Gardens=====
[https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pascoco/2024/05/09/the-value-of-community-gardens-health-impact/ | UF/IFAS Extension | UF/IFAS Blogs | 2024]
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/green-island-gardens | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2018]
  This article presents community gardens as health-supporting places where residents can learn gardening skills and gain access to food from the source.
  This SNAP-Ed garden program taught youth how garden foods fit into a healthy diet, using lessons on edible plant parts and vegetable-based snacks.


=====Gardening Education Increases Vegetable Consumption Among Youth=====
=====Gardening Education Increases Vegetable Consumption Among Youth=====
Line 307: Line 233:
  This article summarizes research showing that garden interventions with youth increase vegetable consumption and support healthier eating habits.
  This article summarizes research showing that garden interventions with youth increase vegetable consumption and support healthier eating habits.


=====Improving Nutrition Security: Garden to Food Club=====
=====Urban Agriculture Basic Information=====
[https://www.canr.msu.edu/videos/improving-nutrition-security-garden-to-food-club | Michigan State University Extension | MSU Extension | n.d.]
[https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/brownfields/urban-agriculture-basic-information_.html | EPA | EPA Archive | 2016]
  This video transcript describes a community garden partnership that donates fresh produce and provides nutrition and physical activity education to children and adults.
  This EPA archive page describes community and school gardens as spaces for fresh fruits and vegetables, nutrition learning, after-school activity, and civic pride.


=====Starting a Community Garden=====
=====South LA Youth Use Neighborhood Gardens to Educate Better Community Health=====
[https://extension.rutgers.edu/community-garden/starting | Rutgers Cooperative Extension | Rutgers Extension | n.d.]
[https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/feed-thy-neighbor-south-la-youth-use-neighborhood-gardens-educate-better-community-health | USDA | USDA Blog | 2015]
  This guide helps communities start or improve vegetable gardens, including attention to soil testing, food safety, harvesting, and practical production skills.
  This story shows young people using gardens, vegetables, cooking tools, and nutrition education to improve community health in South Los Angeles.


=====Community Gardening in New Hampshire=====
=====Feasibility of an Experiential Community Garden and Nutrition Programme=====
[https://extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migrated_unmanaged_files/Resource002173_Rep3203.pdf | UNH Extension | University of New Hampshire Extension | n.d.]
[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10271639/ | K. Grier et al. | PMC | 2015]
  This report describes community gardening efforts that connect local groups, nutrition programs, and agencies to improve community access to fresh food.
  This article explores a garden and nutrition program for youth, showing enthusiasm for combining fresh produce access with experiential nutrition education.


=====A Guide for Starting a Community Garden=====
=====Impact of School Gardens on Vegetable Consumption=====
[https://cuyahoga.osu.edu/sites/cuyahoga/files/imce/Misc_Files/ANR/Start%20Up%20Guide%20-%20Dig%20In.pdf | Ohio State University Extension | OSU Extension | n.d.]
[https://sites.evergreen.edu/townhalls/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2015/02/Impact-of-School-Gardens-on-Vegetable-Consumption.pdf | N. Cotugna et al. | HortTechnology | 2012]
  This guide explains how community gardens can bring residents together, create growing space, and support local food production.
  This article reviews school garden programs as tools to promote vegetable consumption through experiential learning and nutrition education.


=====Community Gardens Plant Seeds for Healthy Nutrition=====
=====Gardening Increases Vegetable Consumption in School-Aged Children=====
[https://odh.ohio.gov/media-center/feature-stories/march-is-national-nutrition-month | Ohio Department of Health | Ohio Department of Health | 2024]
[https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/horttech/22/4/article-p430.xml | G.A. Langellotto and A. Gupta | HortTechnology | 2012]
  This article connects community gardens with affordable healthy food, movement, friendship, and social connection during National Nutrition Month.
  This literature review finds evidence that gardening programs can increase vegetable consumption among children, especially when linked with education.


=====Community Garden Project Provides Fresh Produce and Nutrition Education=====
=====The Impact of Nutrition Education With and Without a School Garden=====
[https://www.howardcountymd.gov/health/community-garden-project-provides-fresh-produce-and-nutrition-education-opportunities | Howard County Health Department | Howard County, Maryland | 2023]
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20441683/ | P.J. Morgan et al. | PubMed | 2010]
This article describes a community garden project that provides fresh produce and nutrition education opportunities for students and residents.
  This study investigates whether nutrition education paired with a school garden improves children’s knowledge, vegetable intake, preferences, and school quality of life.
 
=====Addressing Food Insecurity: Expanding Access Through Community Gardens=====
[https://utia.tennessee.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2023/10/W1021D.pdf | University of Tennessee Extension | UT Extension | 2023]
  This publication explains how Extension can support community gardens through agricultural expertise, nutrition education, community partnerships, and food security work.
 
=====Improving Food Access Through Community Gardens=====
[https://let.umn.edu/sites/let.umn.edu/files/2022-10/policy_brief_8.pdf | Meredith Bonde et al. | University of Minnesota | 2022]
This policy brief frames community gardens as local food access tools that can help address food insecurity through shared growing space and community support.


=====School Gardens as a Strategy for Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption=====
=====School Gardens as a Strategy for Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption=====
Line 343: Line 261:
  This review argues that school gardens are promising hands-on nutrition education tools for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among children.
  This review argues that school gardens are promising hands-on nutrition education tools for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among children.


=====The Impact of Nutrition Education With and Without a School Garden=====
=====Community Gardens Grow Strong Bodies and Minds=====
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20441683/ | P.J. Morgan et al. | PubMed | 2010]
[https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/community-gardens-grow-strong-bodies-and-minds | USDA | USDA Blog | 2009]
This study investigates whether nutrition education paired with a school garden improves children’s knowledge, vegetable intake, preferences, and school quality of life.
  This USDA article highlights how community gardens can teach children about local food, gardening, nutrition, and healthy eating while building community skills.
 
=====Feasibility of an Experiential Community Garden and Nutrition Programme=====
[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10271639/ | K. Grier et al. | PMC | 2015]
This article explores a garden and nutrition program for youth, showing enthusiasm for combining fresh produce access with experiential nutrition education.
 
=====Evaluating the Impacts of School Garden-Based Programmes=====
[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-022-13587-x | C.L. Chan et al. | BMC Public Health | 2022]
  This review evaluates school garden programs and their effects on fruit and vegetable intake, preferences, nutrition knowledge, and related child outcomes.


=====Garden-Based Nutrition Education Affects Fruit and Vegetable Consumption=====
=====Garden-Based Nutrition Education Affects Fruit and Vegetable Consumption=====
Line 359: Line 269:
  This study found that garden-based activities combined with nutrition education increased fruit and vegetable consumption, vitamin intake, and fiber intake among students.
  This study found that garden-based activities combined with nutrition education increased fruit and vegetable consumption, vitamin intake, and fiber intake among students.


=====Impact of School Gardens on Vegetable Consumption=====
=====State and Local Strategies for Nutrition=====
[https://sites.evergreen.edu/townhalls/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2015/02/Impact-of-School-Gardens-on-Vegetable-Consumption.pdf | N. Cotugna et al. | HortTechnology | 2012]
[https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/state-and-local-strategies/index.html | CDC | CDC | n.d.]
  This article reviews school garden programs as tools to promote vegetable consumption through experiential learning and nutrition education.
  This CDC page places garden-based and farm-to-early-care strategies within broader community nutrition efforts to improve children’s access to healthy food.


=====Gardening Increases Vegetable Consumption in School-Aged Children=====
=====School and Community Gardens=====
[https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/horttech/22/4/article-p430.xml | G.A. Langellotto and A. Gupta | HortTechnology | 2012]
[https://extension.illinois.edu/youth-gardening/school-and-community-gardens | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | n.d.]
  This literature review finds evidence that gardening programs can increase vegetable consumption among children, especially when linked with education.
  This guide explains how growing fruits and vegetables can improve children’s food attitudes, increase willingness to eat vegetables, and add physical activity.


=====School Gardens Enhance Academic Performance and Dietary Outcomes=====
=====School Gardens Enhance Academic Performance and Dietary Outcomes=====
[https://research.childrenandnature.org/research/garden-based-learning-can-positively-impact-academic-performance-and-promote-fruit-and-vegetable-consumption/ | Children & Nature Network | Children & Nature Network | n.d.]
[https://research.childrenandnature.org/research/garden-based-learning-can-positively-impact-academic-performance-and-promote-fruit-and-vegetable-consumption/ | Children & Nature Network | Children & Nature Network | n.d.]
  This research summary reports that garden-based learning can improve fruit and vegetable consumption while supporting academic and social outcomes.
  This research summary reports that garden-based learning can improve fruit and vegetable consumption while supporting academic and social outcomes.
=====Nutrition to Grow On=====
[https://extension.umn.edu/snap-ed-educational-offerings/nutrition-grow | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d.]
This curriculum links gardening with nutrition lessons for upper elementary students, encouraging children to try healthy foods and share lessons with families.


=====Key Findings on Garden-Based Learning=====
=====Key Findings on Garden-Based Learning=====
Line 375: Line 289:
  This research summary highlights evidence that growing vegetables can encourage adults and children to try new foods and improve eating habits.
  This research summary highlights evidence that growing vegetables can encourage adults and children to try new foods and improve eating habits.


=====Brownfields and Urban Agriculture Interim Guidelines=====
=====Improving Nutrition Security: Garden to Food Club=====
[https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-11/bf_urban_ag.pdf | EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 2024]
[https://www.canr.msu.edu/videos/improving-nutrition-security-garden-to-food-club | Michigan State University Extension | MSU Extension | n.d.]
  This EPA guidance explains how converting brownfields into urban agriculture can reduce blight while improving food access and nutrition, if safety issues are handled properly.
  This video transcript describes a community garden partnership that donates fresh produce and provides nutrition and physical activity education to children and adults.


=====Interim Guidelines for Safe Gardening Practices=====
=====Growing Healthy Kids Garden-Enhanced Nutrition Curriculum=====
[https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=P100BZTN.TXT | EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | n.d.]
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/intervention/growing-healthy-kids-garden-enhanced-nutrition-curriculum | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | n.d.]
  This EPA text version explains safe gardening practices for communities using vacant or formerly contaminated land for food production.
  This curriculum integrates gardening with nutrition education for children, using hands-on food growing to promote healthier eating choices.


=====Basic Information About Brownfields and Urban Agriculture=====
=====Gardening Interventions Increase Vegetable Consumption Among Children=====
[https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/brownfields/basic-information-about-brownfields-and-urban-agriculture_.html | EPA | EPA Archive | 2017]
[https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/nutrition-gardening-interventions-increase-vegetable-consumption-among-children.html | Community Preventive Services Task Force | The Community Guide | n.d.]
  This EPA page explains that gardens and urban agriculture can improve access to fresh healthy foods in neighborhoods without supermarkets.
  This evidence review finds that gardening interventions increase children’s vegetable consumption, especially when gardening is paired with nutrition education.


=====Urban Agriculture Basic Information=====
=====Garden-Based Learning=====
[https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/brownfields/urban-agriculture-basic-information_.html | EPA | EPA Archive | 2016]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden-based_learning | Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d.]
  This EPA archive page describes community and school gardens as spaces for fresh fruits and vegetables, nutrition learning, after-school activity, and civic pride.
  This article summarizes how school and community gardens can increase nutrition awareness, enthusiasm for fresh foods, and hands-on learning about food systems.


=====Urban Agriculture Resources and Related Links=====
=====Early Care and School Gardens=====
[https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/brownfields/urban-agriculture-resources-related-links_.html | EPA | EPA Archive | 2016]
[https://extension.umn.edu/farm-school/early-care-and-school-gardens | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d.]
  This resource page points communities toward planning tools for urban farms and gardens that address food access, neighborhood blight, and community development.
  This guide shows how gardens can provide taste tests, fresh produce for meals, and outdoor learning that helps children become more familiar with healthy foods.


=====East Capitol Urban Farm Project=====
[https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-04/documents/east_capitol_urban_farm_-approved_by_location_-_final.9.21.2018.pdf | EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 2018]
This project summary shows how an urban farm can combine community gardening, food access, nutrition education, farmers markets, and green infrastructure.


=====East Capitol Urban Farm Project: A UDC Partnership Effort=====
==Extension and Local Garden Programs==
[https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-10/documents/ward_7_urban_farm_aquaponics_factsheet_final_august_2015.pdf | EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 2015]
This fact sheet describes an urban farm designed to improve nutrition through community gardening, food access, farmers markets, and nutrition education.


=====Urban Agriculture and Climate Change in the Northwest=====
=====Garden Gro and Community Food Systems=====
[https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/northwest/topic/urban-agriculture-and-climate-change-northwest | USDA Climate Hubs | USDA | n.d.]
[https://extension.umn.edu/cottage-food-connection/cottage-baker-community-food-systems-leader | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2026]
  This article explains that urban farms and gardens can provide education about food security, nutrition, biodiversity, and climate change while increasing food access.
  This article describes a program that maintains school and community gardens so harvests do not go to waste and can support local hunger relief.


=====Strategies for Enhancing the Built Environment to Support Healthy Eating=====
=====Understanding Soil Health With Twin Cities Metro Growers=====
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/5846/cdc_5846_DS1.pdf | L. Cohen et al. | CDC Stacks | 2008]
[https://extension.umn.edu/news/understanding-soil-health-twin-cities-metro-growers | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2025]
  This report argues that environments must be structured so people can access healthy foods and physical activity, a framework that supports community gardens as health infrastructure.
  This article highlights Karamu Community Gardens as a food source for residents living far from grocery stores, showing how soil health supports nutrition access.


=====Community Gardens and Food Security Go Hand-in-Hand=====
=====The Value of Community Gardens: Health Impact=====
[https://greenamerica.org/your-green-life-2026/community-gardens-and-food-security-go-hand-hand | Anya Crittenton | Green America | n.d.]
[https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pascoco/2024/05/09/the-value-of-community-gardens-health-impact/ | UF/IFAS Extension | UF/IFAS Blogs | 2024]
  This article explains how community gardens can increase food security through local growing, neighborhood cooperation, and access to fresh produce.
  This article presents community gardens as health-supporting places where residents can learn gardening skills and gain access to food from the source.


=====Community Gardens Increase Food Security and Community Well-Being=====
=====Plant Your Garden Every Hue of Health=====
[https://landgrantimpacts.org/community-gardens-increase-food-security-and-community-well-being/ | Land-Grant Impacts | Land-Grant Impacts | n.d.]
[https://extension.psu.edu/plant-your-garden-every-hue-of-health/ | Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2024]
  This article highlights how Extension programs, seed libraries, gardening kits, and Master Gardener volunteers expand access to gardens and food-growing skills.
  This article connects colorful garden crops with nutrients such as vitamin A, encouraging gardeners to plan for variety and nutrition.


=====Understanding Benefits of a Community Garden on Those Impacted by Food Insecurity=====
=====Giving Gardens=====
[https://riches.cabarruscollege.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1127&context=mot-student-capstones | T. Boone | Cabarrus College | 2021]
[https://extension.umn.edu/source-magazine/giving-gardens | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2024]
  This capstone paper reviews how community gardens can support people affected by food insecurity through vegetable access, nutrition, social connection, and meaningful activity.
  This article explains how giving gardens donate harvests to food shelves, adding fresh produce to emergency food systems that often lack vegetables and fruit.


=====Dig In: Improving Nutrition in Developing Countries Through Gardens=====
=====Sustainable Community Gardens Benefit Local Growers, Ecosystems and Communities=====
[https://www.eatrightfoundation.org/resources/international-resources-and-opportunities/the-wimpfheimer-guggenheim-fund-for-international-exchange-in-nutrition-dietetics-and-management/jennifer-brewer-2015 | Jennifer Brewer | Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation | 2015]
[https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/sustainable-community-gardens-benefit-local-growers-ecosystems-communities | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2023]
  This article describes efforts to improve nutrition through community and home gardens where fresh produce is scarce and less nutritious foods are easier to find.
  This article explains that sustainable community gardens meet local food needs while protecting ecosystems needed for future food production.


=====Building on Traditional Gardening to Improve Household Food Security=====
=====Addressing Food Insecurity: Expanding Access Through Community Gardens=====
[https://www.fao.org/4/x0051t/X0051t02.htm | FAO | Food and Agriculture Organization | n.d.]
[https://utia.tennessee.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2023/10/W1021D.pdf | University of Tennessee Extension | UT Extension | 2023]
  This FAO resource explains how gardens can supplement diets with vitamin-rich vegetables, fruits, herbs, and other nutrient-dense foods.
  This publication explains how Extension can support community gardens through agricultural expertise, nutrition education, community partnerships, and food security work.


=====Social Capital Contributions to Food Security=====
=====Improving Food Access Through Community Gardens=====
[https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.03606 | Saeed Nosratabadi et al. | arXiv | 2020]
[https://let.umn.edu/sites/let.umn.edu/files/2022-10/policy_brief_8.pdf | Meredith Bonde et al. | University of Minnesota | 2022]
  This literature review explains how social capital can improve food security through knowledge sharing and food sharing, mechanisms often found in community garden networks.
  This policy brief frames community gardens as local food access tools that can help address food insecurity through shared growing space and community support.


=====Healthy Access for Healthy Places=====
=====Community Gardens Fight Food Insecurity Close to Home=====
[https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.11351 | Irena Gao and Marynia Kolak | arXiv | 2019]
[https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/community-gardens-fight-food-insecurity-close-home | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2022]
  This paper argues that food access is multidimensional, helping explain why gardens alone are not enough but can be part of broader healthy food access planning.
  This article reports that Extension-supported gardens grew and donated produce while helping communities grow nutritious food for themselves and neighbors.


=====Assessing the Affordability of Nutrient-Adequate Diets=====
=====Community Gardens Change Lives and Communities=====
[https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.07240 | Kate R. Schneider et al. | arXiv | 2022]
[https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/community-gardens-change-lives-communities | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2021]
  This study shows why affordability matters for nutrition security, adding context for community gardens that lower the cost barrier to fresh produce.
  This article describes gardens in food deserts as tools for improving nutrition, teaching young people, and helping families access affordable fresh produce.


=====Food Deserts and Community Gardens=====
=====Pilgrim Community Garden and Healthy Eating=====
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_deserts_in_the_United_States | Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d.]
[https://extension.umn.edu/farm-families-year/ramsey-county-farm-family | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d.]
  This article includes community gardens as one response to fresh food scarcity in food deserts, where residents may lack easy access to grocery stores and produce.
  This profile describes a community garden where neighbors share vegetables, swap recipes, and encourage healthy eating through shared growing space.


=====Community Gardening in the United States=====
=====One Vegetable, One Community=====
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_gardening_in_the_United_States | Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d.]
[https://extension.umn.edu/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/one-vegetable-one-community | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d.]
  This overview explains how U.S. community gardens provide fresh produce, education, green space, and gardening access for people without private yards.
  This program encourages communities to grow, cook, and share one featured vegetable, linking gardens, nutrition education, and community participation.


=====Garden-Based Learning=====
=====Healthy Life Community Garden=====
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden-based_learning | Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d.]
[https://extension.uga.edu/about/our-impact/impact-stories/impact-brief/4619/healthy-life-community-garden.html | UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d.]
  This article summarizes how school and community gardens can increase nutrition awareness, enthusiasm for fresh foods, and hands-on learning about food systems.
  This impact brief describes a garden producing tomatoes, peppers, beans, greens, herbs, and other fresh foods for community members.


=====Urban Agriculture=====
=====Community Gardens in Fulton County=====
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_agriculture | Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d.]
[https://extension.uga.edu/county-offices/fulton/community-gardens.html | UGA Extension | Fulton County Extension | n.d.]
  This overview places community gardens within urban agriculture, highlighting their role in food production, education, and feeding people in need.
  This local Extension page shows how managed community garden plots give residents access to space for growing fresh food.


=====NALT: Community Gardens=====
=====Community Gardening in New Hampshire=====
[https://lod.nal.usda.gov/nalt/68415 | USDA National Agricultural Library | USDA | 2020]
[https://extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migrated_unmanaged_files/Resource002173_Rep3203.pdf | UNH Extension | University of New Hampshire Extension | n.d.]
  This USDA thesaurus entry defines community gardens as shared spaces where participants maintain and share products including affordable fresh fruits and vegetables.
  This report describes community gardening efforts that connect local groups, nutrition programs, and agencies to improve community access to fresh food.


=====Community Gardens and Food Access in Hospitals=====
=====Community Garden of Morrow=====
[https://foodcommunitybenefit.noharm.org/resources/implementation-strategy/program-community-gardens-and-farms | Health Care Without Harm | Food Community Benefit | n.d.]
[https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/programs-and-services/master-gardener/documents/master-gardener-project-spotlights/HFPProjectSpotlightClayton.pdf | UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d.]
  This hospital-focused guide explains how health institutions can support gardens that donate produce, host cooking demonstrations, and connect nutrition professionals with communities.
  This project spotlight describes a community garden created to support community building and shared access to growing space.


=====Garden Coordinators as Nutrition Infrastructure=====
=====Community Garden in Griffin Relocates and Expands=====
[https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2019/19_0117.htm | S. Stluka et al. | Preventing Chronic Disease | 2019]
[https://extension.uga.edu/about/our-impact/impact-stories/impact-statement/9750/community-garden-in-griffin-relocates-and-expands.html | UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d.]
  This article shows that garden coordinators can turn community gardens into organized health interventions rather than leaving them as informal food plots.
  This article describes a garden serving residents with limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables and offering an alternative to processed fast foods.


=====Community Garden Frames and Food Donation=====
=====Community Garden Locations=====
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/103145 | K.L. Butterfield | CDC Stacks | 2021]
[https://extension.illinois.edu/bdo/community-garden-locations | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | n.d.]
  This article identifies food donation and healthy food access as recurring themes in garden missions, showing how gardens present themselves as nutrition equity projects.
  This page lists Extension-supported gardens that grow produce for donation to food banks and pantries, showing how garden networks can support emergency food nutrition.


=====Community Gardens as Food Security Strategy=====
=====Athens Community Council on Aging Garden=====
[https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/strategies-and-solutions/what-works-for-health/strategies/community-gardens | County Health Rankings & Roadmaps | What Works for Health | 2023]
[https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/programs-and-services/master-gardener/documents/master-gardener-project-spotlights/HBProjectSpotlightAthens.pdf | UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d.]
  This evidence review helps policymakers see community gardens as a local strategy for improving produce availability and healthy eating opportunities.
  This project spotlight describes a garden focused on seniors’ access to healthy and affordable food, linking gardening with aging and nutrition security.


=====Gardens, SNAP Benefits and Seeds=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/resources/nutrition-education-materials/gardening | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | n.d.]
This resource notes that SNAP benefits can be used to buy food seeds, making gardening a practical way to increase fruits and vegetables for low-income households.


=====Community Gardens and Rural Alabama=====
==Toolkits, Safety and Implementation==
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/materials?keywords=gardening&page=1&sort_by=title | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | n.d.]
This SNAP-Ed library entry describes rural Alabama gardens increasing access to healthy and affordable fresh vegetables for communities at higher chronic disease risk.


=====Community Gardens and Nutrition Lessons=====
=====Planning for Community Food Access=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/green-island-gardens | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2018]
[https://extension.psu.edu/planning-for-community-food-access/ | Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2026]
  This story shows how garden lessons can move beyond planting by teaching children how vegetables fit into meals and healthy snacks.
  This article includes community gardens among local food access strategies that help rural and urban communities improve healthy food availability.


=====Community Gardens and Cooking Demonstrations=====
=====How to Start a Community Garden: Getting People Involved=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/snap-ed-spearheads-community-gardens-page-county-virginia | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2023]
[https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/B1399/how-to-start-a-community-garden-getting-people-involved/ | UGA Extension | UGA Field Report | 2026]
  This story highlights cooking demonstrations and tastings as important additions that help garden produce become familiar, usable, and desirable.
  This guide explains how community involvement, soil testing, food safety, harvesting, and preservation planning help gardens become useful food and nutrition resources.


=====Community Gardens as Learning Sites=====
=====Home Garden Food Safety: Protecting Produce From Contamination=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/community-garden-increases-access-fresh-produce-houma-louisiana | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2020]
[https://extension.psu.edu/home-garden-food-safety-protecting-produce-from-contamination/ | Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2026]
  This article shows how gardens can serve children and adults at the same time by combining fresh food access with field trips and on-site lessons.
  This article explains how gardeners can protect fresh produce from contamination, an important step when garden harvests are eaten by families or shared with communities.


=====Garden Leadership and Nutrition Security=====
=====Wise Use of Manure in Home Vegetable Gardens=====
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/adapting-garden-leadership-trainings-virtual-setting | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2022]
[https://extension.psu.edu/wise-use-of-manure-in-home-vegetable-gardens/ | Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2024]
  This article explains that training garden leaders can help gardens remain sustainable sources of food security and nutrition education.
  This article explains safe manure use in vegetable gardens so fresh food grown in home and community settings remains safe to eat.


=====Community Gardens, Food Pantries and Produce Donations=====
=====Brownfields and Urban Agriculture Interim Guidelines=====
[https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/nccdphp/dch/programs/communitiesputtingpreventiontowork/action/nutrition.htm | CDC | CDC Archive | n.d.]
[https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-11/bf_urban_ag.pdf | EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 2024]
  This CDC example shows how community gardens can supply fresh produce to pantries that serve residents who may otherwise receive mostly shelf-stable foods.
  This EPA guidance explains how converting brownfields into urban agriculture can reduce blight while improving food access and nutrition, if safety issues are handled properly.


=====Outdoor Gardens and Nutrition Gaps=====
=====Resources and Funding Garden Toolkit=====
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/94060 | CDC | CDC Stacks | 2020]
[https://site.extension.uga.edu/g-hop/files/2023/08/Resources-and-Funding-Garden-Toolkit.pdf | UGA Extension | UGA Extension | 2023]
  This guidance recognizes outdoor learning and community gardens as ways to fill nutrition gaps in places where healthy food access is limited.
  This toolkit points to nutrition education kits, urban agriculture resources, and funding sources that can support community gardens, food pantries, and community kitchens.


=====Community Gardens and Healthy Food Access Policy=====
=====Adapting Garden Leadership Trainings to a Virtual Setting=====
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/103145/cdc_103145_DS1.pdf | K.L. Butterfield | CDC Stacks | 2021]
[https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/library/success-stories/adapting-garden-leadership-trainings-virtual-setting | USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2022]
  This article shows that community gardens are often promoted as healthy food access tools, but equitable participation depends on how programs are framed and organized.
  This article describes community garden leadership training as a way to strengthen food security, nutrition education, and garden sustainability during changing conditions.


=====Gardens and Nutrition Education in Early Care=====
=====Using Garden Coordinators and Volunteers to Implement Rural Community Gardens=====
[https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/state-and-local-strategies/index.html | CDC | CDC | n.d.]
[https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2019/19_0117.htm | S. Stluka et al. | Preventing Chronic Disease | 2019]
  This CDC page supports farm-to-early-care strategies that use hands-on food, health, and agriculture education to improve children’s nutrition environments.
  This article explains how coordinators, volunteers, and wellness coalitions used community gardens to improve access to healthy food, nutrition education, and physical activity opportunities.


=====Community Gardens and Healthy Communities=====
=====Gardening for Health: Using Garden Coordinators and Volunteers=====
[https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/benefits-of-community-gardens/ | Tulane University | Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine | 2024]
[https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/83608 | S. Stluka et al. | CDC Stacks | 2019]
  This article explains that garden-grown produce can be especially valuable in food deserts where affordable healthy options are limited.
  This CDC record describes gardens as focal points for healthy food access, nutrition education, physical activity, and local wellness work.


=====Community Gardens and Obesity Intervention=====
=====Community Garden Toolkit=====
[https://www.foodandnutritionjournal.org/volume6number3/benefits-of-community-gardening-activity-in-obesity-intervention-findings-from-f-e-a-t-programme/ | Researchers | Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science | 2018]
[https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/community_garden_toolkit_rev10-19.pdf | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2019]
  This article discusses community gardening as part of obesity intervention, linking gardening with access to good food, physical activity, and mental health benefits.
  This toolkit frames community gardens as responses to poor nutrition, food pantry needs, physical health, environmental concerns, and neighborhood cooperation.


=====Community Gardens and Food Equity=====
=====Serving Seniors=====
[https://ihpl.llu.edu/blog/community-gardens-effective-approach-food-equity | L. Manzanete | Loma Linda University | n.d.]
[https://site.extension.uga.edu/mgevp/2017/07/serving-seniors/ | UGA Extension | Trellis Blog | 2017]
  This article emphasizes that community gardens can improve nutrition equity when policy barriers, land access, zoning, and produce distribution are addressed.
  This article describes a senior-focused garden that helps volunteers understand barriers older adults face in accessing healthy, nutritious foods.


=====Gardens as Neighborhood Nutrition Hubs=====
=====Growing Strong Community Gardens=====
[https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/community-gardens-change-lives-communities | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2021]
[https://site.extension.uga.edu/mgevp/2017/01/growing-strong-community-gardens/ | UGA Extension | Trellis Blog | 2017]
  This article shows how gardens in food deserts can become neighborhood nutrition hubs where residents learn, grow, and share healthier foods.
  This article explains how Master Gardener volunteers can help community gardens fight hunger and poor nutrition by making fresh produce more accessible.


=====Gardens and Food Pantry Donations in Illinois=====
=====Basic Information About Brownfields and Urban Agriculture=====
[https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/community-gardens-fight-food-insecurity-close-home | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2022]
[https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/brownfields/basic-information-about-brownfields-and-urban-agriculture_.html | EPA | EPA Archive | 2017]
  This article shows the role of community gardens in supplying fresh produce donations and helping food insecurity programs include more nutritious foods.
  This EPA page explains that gardens and urban agriculture can improve access to fresh healthy foods in neighborhoods without supermarkets.


=====School Gardens and Vegetable Attitudes=====
=====Urban Agriculture Resources and Related Links=====
[https://extension.illinois.edu/youth-gardening/school-and-community-gardens | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | n.d.]
[https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/brownfields/urban-agriculture-resources-related-links_.html | EPA | EPA Archive | 2016]
  This guide explains that children are more likely to eat vegetables they grow themselves, making gardens a useful tool for shaping lifelong eating habits.
  This resource page points communities toward planning tools for urban farms and gardens that address food access, neighborhood blight, and community development.


=====Community Gardens and Produce Donation Networks=====
=====Starting a Community Garden=====
[https://extension.illinois.edu/bdo/community-garden-locations | Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | n.d.]
[https://extension.rutgers.edu/community-garden/starting | Rutgers Cooperative Extension | Rutgers Extension | n.d.]
  This page shows how multiple Extension-supported gardens can form a local network for growing and donating produce to food pantries.
  This guide helps communities start or improve vegetable gardens, including attention to soil testing, food safety, harvesting, and practical production skills.


=====Giving Gardens and Food Shelf Nutrition=====
=====Program: Community Gardens and Farms=====
[https://extension.umn.edu/source-magazine/giving-gardens | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2024]
[https://foodcommunitybenefit.noharm.org/resources/implementation-strategy/program-community-gardens-and-farms | Health Care Without Harm | Food Community Benefit | n.d.]
  This article shows that donated garden produce can bring fresh squash, vegetables, and other nutritious foods into food shelves where clients may rarely receive them.
  This implementation guide explains how hospitals and health systems can support community gardens, cooking classes, tastings, produce donations, and food-security programs.


=====One Vegetable Campaigns and Community Nutrition=====
=====Interim Guidelines for Safe Gardening Practices=====
[https://extension.umn.edu/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/one-vegetable-one-community | University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d.]
[https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=P100BZTN.TXT | EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | n.d.]
  This program uses one shared vegetable to make growing, cooking, and tasting healthy foods easier for entire communities to join.
  This EPA text version explains safe gardening practices for communities using vacant or formerly contaminated land for food production.


=====Community Garden Planning for Healthy Food=====
=====Community Gardens Increase Food Security and Community Well-Being=====
[https://extension.psu.edu/planning-for-community-food-access/ | Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2026]
[https://landgrantimpacts.org/community-gardens-increase-food-security-and-community-well-being/ | Land-Grant Impacts | Land-Grant Impacts | n.d.]
  This article places community gardens in a broader planning framework for improving healthy food access, especially in places with limited markets or transportation.
  This article highlights how Extension programs, seed libraries, gardening kits, and Master Gardener volunteers expand access to gardens and food-growing skills.


=====Colorful Garden Crops and Micronutrients=====
=====A Guide for Starting a Community Garden=====
[https://extension.psu.edu/plant-your-garden-every-hue-of-health/ | Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2024]
[https://cuyahoga.osu.edu/sites/cuyahoga/files/imce/Misc_Files/ANR/Start%20Up%20Guide%20-%20Dig%20In.pdf | Ohio State University Extension | OSU Extension | n.d.]
  This article encourages gardeners to plant a variety of colorful vegetables so garden harvests provide a wider range of nutrients.
  This guide explains how community gardens can bring residents together, create growing space, and support local food production.


=====Senior Gardens and Nutrition Access=====
[https://site.extension.uga.edu/mgevp/2017/07/serving-seniors/ | UGA Extension | Trellis Blog | 2017]
This article shows how garden programs can expose volunteers to the food-access barriers seniors face and support healthier, more affordable food options.


=====Community Gardens and Processed Food Alternatives=====
==General Overviews and Food Security Context==
[https://extension.uga.edu/about/our-impact/impact-stories/impact-statement/9750/community-garden-in-griffin-relocates-and-expands.html | UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d.]
This impact story shows how gardens can offer residents fresh fruits and vegetables where processed fast foods are easier to access.


=====Community Gardens as Public Health Assets=====
=====Community Gardens=====
[https://site.extension.uga.edu/mgevp/2024/04/celebrating-community-and-historic-gardens/ | UGA Extension | Trellis Blog | 2024]
[https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/strategies-and-solutions/what-works-for-health/strategies/community-gardens | County Health Rankings & Roadmaps | What Works for Health | 2023]
  This article presents community gardens as public health assets that combine fresh food access, health education, nutrition, exercise, and social connection.
  This evidence summary says community gardens may improve food security, increase fruit and vegetable availability, and support healthy eating in food deserts.


=====Healthy Life Garden Harvest Diversity=====
=====East Capitol Urban Farm Project=====
[https://extension.uga.edu/about/our-impact/impact-stories/impact-brief/4619/healthy-life-community-garden.html | UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d.]
[https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-04/documents/east_capitol_urban_farm_-approved_by_location_-_final.9.21.2018.pdf | EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 2018]
  This impact brief shows how garden harvests can include many nutrient-rich foods, from greens and broccoli to beans, herbs, carrots, beets, and watermelons.
  This project summary shows how an urban farm can combine community gardening, food access, nutrition education, farmers markets, and green infrastructure.


=====Community Garden Partnerships and Nutrition=====
=====Cultivating Community=====
[https://utia.tennessee.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2023/10/W1021D.pdf | University of Tennessee Extension | UT Extension | 2023]
[https://site.extension.uga.edu/mgevp/2017/08/cultivating-community/ | UGA Extension | Trellis Blog | 2017]
  This publication emphasizes that strong partnerships help gardens provide more than land, adding nutrition expertise, community-building, and support for lasting food access.
  This article describes a community garden designed to build a healthier lifelong community and create a shared space around growing food.


=====Community Gardens and Fresh Produce for Students=====
=====Community and Home Gardens Increase Vegetable Intake and Food Security PDF=====
[https://www.howardcountymd.gov/health/community-garden-project-provides-fresh-produce-and-nutrition-education-opportunities | Howard County Health Department | Howard County, Maryland | 2023]
[https://californiaagriculture.org/article/108832-community-and-home-gardens-increase-vegetable-intake-and-food-security-of-residents-in-san-jose-california/attachment/213767.pdf | S. Algert et al. | California Agriculture | 2016]
  This article shows how garden projects can serve both students and residents by pairing fresh produce access with nutrition education opportunities.
  This PDF reports that gardening helped residents double vegetable intake and meet daily serving recommendations, making gardens a direct nutrition intervention.


=====Community Gardens and Youth Vegetable Consumption=====
=====East Capitol Urban Farm Project: A UDC Partnership Effort=====
[https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/gardening-education-increases-vegetable-consumption-among-youth | Michigan State University Extension | MSU Extension | 2018]
[https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-10/documents/ward_7_urban_farm_aquaponics_factsheet_final_august_2015.pdf | EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 2015]
  This article summarizes evidence that hands-on gardening helps youth eat more vegetables, making gardens a practical nutrition education strategy.
  This fact sheet describes an urban farm designed to improve nutrition through community gardening, food access, farmers markets, and nutrition education.


=====Garden to Food Club Nutrition Security=====
=====Dig In: Improving Nutrition in Developing Countries Through Gardens=====
[https://www.canr.msu.edu/videos/improving-nutrition-security-garden-to-food-club | Michigan State University Extension | MSU Extension | n.d.]
[https://www.eatrightfoundation.org/resources/international-resources-and-opportunities/the-wimpfheimer-guggenheim-fund-for-international-exchange-in-nutrition-dietetics-and-management/jennifer-brewer-2015 | Jennifer Brewer | Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation | 2015]
  This story shows how a garden can support a nonprofit grocery model by donating fresh produce and providing nutrition education to families with limited resources.
  This article describes efforts to improve nutrition through community and home gardens where fresh produce is scarce and less nutritious foods are easier to find.


=====Community Gardens and Produce Safety=====
=====Urban Agriculture=====
[https://extension.rutgers.edu/community-garden/starting | Rutgers Cooperative Extension | Rutgers Extension | n.d.]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_agriculture | Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d.]
  This guide reminds communities that safe harvesting and food safety practices are essential when gardens produce food for many people.
  This overview places community gardens within urban agriculture, highlighting their role in food production, education, and feeding people in need.


=====Safe Soil and Urban Garden Nutrition=====
=====Food Deserts and Community Gardens=====
[https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-11/bf_urban_ag.pdf | EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 2024]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_deserts_in_the_United_States | Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d.]
  This EPA guidance shows that urban gardens can improve nutrition only when communities also address soil safety and contamination risks.
  This article includes community gardens as one response to fresh food scarcity in food deserts, where residents may lack easy access to grocery stores and produce.


=====Urban Farms, Markets and Nutrition Education=====
=====Community Gardens and Food Security Go Hand-in-Hand=====
[https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-04/documents/east_capitol_urban_farm_-approved_by_location_-_final.9.21.2018.pdf | EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 2018]
[https://greenamerica.org/your-green-life-2026/community-gardens-and-food-security-go-hand-hand | Anya Crittenton | Green America | n.d.]
  This project summary shows how gardens, farmers markets, and nutrition education can work together to improve food access in a neighborhood.
  This article explains how community gardens can increase food security through local growing, neighborhood cooperation, and access to fresh produce.


=====Gardens, Climate and Food Security=====
=====Community Gardening in the United States=====
[https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/northwest/topic/urban-agriculture-and-climate-change-northwest | USDA Climate Hubs | USDA | n.d.]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_gardening_in_the_United_States | Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d.]
  This article links urban agriculture with food access, nutrition education, climate resilience, and green space in disadvantaged urban areas.
  This overview explains how U.S. community gardens provide fresh produce, education, green space, and gardening access for people without private yards.


=====Community Gardens and Household Welfare=====
=====Building on Traditional Gardening to Improve Household Food Security=====
[https://www.fao.org/4/x0051t/X0051t02.htm | FAO | Food and Agriculture Organization | n.d.]
[https://www.fao.org/4/x0051t/X0051t02.htm | FAO | Food and Agriculture Organization | n.d.]
  This FAO article explains that gardens can supplement staple diets with vegetables, fruits, herbs, and other foods that improve diet quality.
  This FAO resource explains how gardens can supplement diets with vitamin-rich vegetables, fruits, herbs, and other nutrient-dense foods.
 
=====Garden-Based Learning and Fresh Food Enthusiasm=====
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden-based_learning | Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d.]
This article summarizes how students who grow food often become more enthusiastic about fresh vegetables and more aware of nutrition.
 
=====Community Gardening and Shared Produce=====
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_gardening_in_the_United_States | Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d.]
This overview explains that community gardens often provide produce for gardeners, neighbors, and local residents who lack access to private garden space.

Latest revision as of 15:45, 27 June 2026


Subpages

Summary Community Gardens and Nutrition

Youtube

Onsite Audio

Onsite Video


Benefits of Community Gardens


Research and Evidence

Research and Benefits of Community Gardens

| NC State Extension | North Carolina Community Gardens | 2025 

This research summary gathers evidence that community gardeners consume fruits and vegetables more often than non-gardeners and may be more likely to meet intake recommendations.
A Systematic Review of Community Gardens and Food Access

| F.F. Huq et al. | Springer | 2025 

This review finds that community gardens can improve food access, urban resilience, and community well-being while warning that policy support and equitable access are essential.
Community Gardens Support High Levels of Food Production

| B.B. Lin et al. | Sustainability Science | 2024 

This study documents that community gardens can produce substantial amounts of fresh food and offset high produce costs, especially when gardeners receive enough support.
Identifying Key Benefits and Characteristics of Community Gardening

| Researchers | Health & Social Care in the Community | 2023 

This study finds higher fruit and vegetable intake among regular and occasional garden participants compared with nonparticipants, supporting gardens as healthy eating spaces.
Community Gardening Increases Vegetable Intake and Seasonal Eating

| K. Alaimo et al. | PMC | 2023 

This study connects community gardening with higher vegetable intake, stronger seasonal food habits, and greater access to fresh produce, showing why gardens can be practical nutrition tools in neighborhoods with limited healthy food options.
Community Gardens and Their Effects on Diet, Health, Psychosocial and Community Outcomes

| C. Hume et al. | PMC | 2022 

This systematic review found that community gardening is associated with higher fruit and vegetable intake, stronger community connection, and positive psychosocial outcomes, while also noting the need for stronger evidence.
Community Gardens and Their Effects on Diet and Health

| C. Hume et al. | BMC Public Health | 2022 

This open-access review concludes that community gardens are linked with better fruit and vegetable intake, but also calls for better-designed studies to measure nutrition impacts.
Assessing the Affordability of Nutrient-Adequate Diets

| Kate R. Schneider et al. | arXiv | 2022 

This study shows why affordability matters for nutrition security, adding context for community gardens that lower the cost barrier to fresh produce.
Understanding Benefits of a Community Garden on Those Impacted by Food Insecurity

| T. Boone | Cabarrus College | 2021 

This capstone paper reviews how community gardens can support people affected by food insecurity through vegetable access, nutrition, social connection, and meaningful activity.
Community Garden Initiatives Addressing Health and Well-Being Outcomes

| A. Gregis et al. | PMC | 2021 

This review examines community gardens as public health interventions, including their role in nutrition, physical activity, mental health, social connection, and community well-being.
Social Capital Contributions to Food Security

| Saeed Nosratabadi et al. | arXiv | 2020 

This literature review explains how social capital can improve food security through knowledge sharing and food sharing, mechanisms often found in community garden networks.
Healthy Access for Healthy Places

| Irena Gao and Marynia Kolak | arXiv | 2019 

This paper argues that food access is multidimensional, helping explain why gardens alone are not enough but can be part of broader healthy food access planning.
Community Gardens and Obesity Intervention

| Researchers | Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science | 2018 

This article discusses community gardening as part of obesity intervention, linking gardening with access to good food, physical activity, and mental health benefits.
The Impact of Urban Gardens on Adequate and Healthy Food

| M.T. Garcia et al. | PMC | 2017 

This systematic review examines how urban gardens affect healthy food access, nutrition knowledge, food beliefs, and food practices among participants.
Community and Home Gardens Increase Vegetable Intake and Food Security

| S. Algert et al. | California Agriculture | 2016 

This San Jose study found that garden participants increased vegetable intake and improved food security, showing how small plots can support healthier household diets.
Association Between Community Garden Participation and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Rural Missouri

| Ellen K. Barnidge et al. | CDC Stacks | 2013 

This rural Missouri study links community garden participation with improved access to produce and greater fruit and vegetable consumption, showing that gardens can matter outside large cities too.
Impact of a Community Gardening Project on Vegetable Intake, Food Security and Family Relationships

| Patricia A. Carney et al. | PMC | 2012 

This community garden project found that gardening can improve vegetable intake, reduce food insecurity, and strengthen family relationships by giving households both food and shared activity around healthy meals.
Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Urban Community Gardeners

| K. Alaimo et al. | Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior | 2008 

This article reports that adults in households with community garden participation ate fruits and vegetables more often, suggesting that shared gardens can shift daily food habits.
Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Urban Community Gardeners

| K. Alaimo et al. | PubMed | 2008 

This PubMed record summarizes evidence that community garden participation may improve fruit and vegetable intake among urban adults, especially when household members are involved in growing food.


Public Health, Policy and Institutional Support

Public Health Benefits of Community Gardens

| Tulane University | Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine | 2024 

This article explains how community gardens can increase fruit and vegetable access, especially in neighborhoods with limited affordable healthy food options.
Community Gardens Plant Seeds for Healthy Nutrition

| Ohio Department of Health | Ohio Department of Health | 2024 

This article connects community gardens with affordable healthy food, movement, friendship, and social connection during National Nutrition Month.
Community Gardens Evidence Assessment

| Social Needs Investment Lab | HealthBegins | 2024 

This evidence assessment concludes that community gardens can increase vegetable consumption and reduce food insecurity, while more evidence is needed on clinical outcomes.
Community Gardens Assessment

| Social Needs Investment Lab | Social Needs Investment Lab | 2024 

This assessment frames community gardens as interventions that provide space, tools, skills, and nutrition-related support for people facing food insecurity.
Framing Food Access: Do Community Gardens Appeal to Diverse Populations? PDF

| K.L. Butterfield | CDC Stacks | 2021 

This PDF version highlights how garden language can either welcome or limit participation, especially for communities facing food insecurity and unequal access to healthy food.
Framing Food Access: Do Community Gardens Appeal to Diverse Populations?

| K.L. Butterfield | CDC Stacks | 2021 

This article analyzes how community garden programs describe food access, food donation, self-empowerment, and community orientation, raising useful questions about inclusion and nutrition equity.
NALT: Community Gardens

| USDA National Agricultural Library | USDA | 2020 

This USDA thesaurus entry defines community gardens as shared spaces where participants maintain and share products including affordable fresh fruits and vegetables.
Considerations for Outdoor Learning Gardens and Community Gardens

| CDC | CDC Stacks | 2020 

This guidance explains that outdoor learning and community gardens can help fill nutrition gaps where healthy food access is limited, while also supporting outdoor education.
Strategies for Enhancing the Built Environment to Support Healthy Eating

| L. Cohen et al. | CDC Stacks | 2008 

This report argues that environments must be structured so people can access healthy foods and physical activity, a framework that supports community gardens as health infrastructure.
Urban Agriculture and Climate Change in the Northwest

| USDA Climate Hubs | USDA | n.d. 

This article explains that urban farms and gardens can provide education about food security, nutrition, biodiversity, and climate change while increasing food access.
Nutrition: Communities Putting Prevention to Work

| CDC | CDC Archive | n.d. 

This CDC archive describes community gardens supplying fresh fruits and vegetables to food pantries, including gardens producing tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, greens, and root vegetables.
Community Gardens: Enhancing Nutrition, Physical Activity and Social Connection

| American College of Sports Medicine | ACSM | n.d. 

This article presents community gardens as places that can support nutrition, reduce seasonal food insecurity, increase physical activity, and strengthen social ties.
Community Gardens: An Effective Approach to Food Equity

| L. Manzanete | Loma Linda University Institute for Health Policy and Leadership | n.d. 

This article reviews research linking community gardens with fruit and vegetable intake, food equity, and policy supports that make gardens easier to sustain.


SNAP-Ed and Federal Nutrition Programs

SNAP-Ed Spearheads Community Gardens in Page County, Virginia

| USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2023 

This story shows how community gardens can combine growing food with tastings, cooking demonstrations, and nutrition lessons using garden produce.
Urban SNAP-Ed Community Gardening Project

| USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2017 

This Alabama success story describes a community gardening project that improved access to fresh produce and involved residents directly in growing food.
Gardening SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Materials

| USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | n.d. 

This USDA resource collection shows how SNAP-Ed programs use gardening to teach nutrition, increase access to fruits and vegetables, and support healthier household food choices.
Community Gardens and Rural Alabama

| USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | n.d. 

This SNAP-Ed library entry describes rural Alabama gardens increasing access to healthy and affordable fresh vegetables for communities at higher chronic disease risk.


School, Youth and Garden-Based Nutrition Education

Revitalizing a Community Garden in Lebanon County

| Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2026 

This article describes a community garden planned as a source of healthy food, physical activity, mental health support, and youth engagement.
Food Safety Tips for School Gardens

| USDA Food and Nutrition Service | USDA | 2025 

This article explains how school gardens can help children develop healthy eating habits while also requiring safe handling of garden-grown produce.
School Gardens: Using Gardens to Grow Healthy Habits

| USDA Food and Nutrition Service | USDA | 2024 

This USDA resource explains how school gardens can connect cafeterias, classrooms, and communities while encouraging children to accept and eat more fruits and vegetables.
Plant Positivity: Learn How to Grow a School or Community Garden

| Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2024 

This article explains that students who garden are more likely to eat vegetables and gain hands-on learning experiences around food and health.
Celebrating Community and Historic Gardens

| UGA Extension | Trellis Blog | 2024 

This article explains that community gardens can increase fresh food access, teach health and nutrition, support exercise, and benefit seniors, families, and children.
Gardening for Change

| University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2023 

This article describes vacant lots transformed into community gardens that improve food access, teach youth, and build neighborhood power around growing food.
Fun With Seeds: CalFresh Expands Nutrition and Gardening Education

| USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2023 

This school garden program brought weekly gardening and nutrition education to students, encouraging children to learn where food comes from and try healthy foods.
Extension Master Gardeners Partner to Promote Food Access

| Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2023 

This article describes a garden that teaches families and youth about healthy, nutritious food while involving them in planting and growing produce.
Community Garden Project Provides Fresh Produce and Nutrition Education

| Howard County Health Department | Howard County, Maryland | 2023 

This article describes a community garden project that provides fresh produce and nutrition education opportunities for students and residents.
Evaluating the Impacts of School Garden-Based Programmes

| C.L. Chan et al. | BMC Public Health | 2022 

This review evaluates school garden programs and their effects on fruit and vegetable intake, preferences, nutrition knowledge, and related child outcomes.
Farm to School at USDA

| USDA Food and Nutrition Service | USDA | 2020 

This USDA presentation connects farm-to-school programs, school gardens, and local food purchasing with improved access to fruits and vegetables for students.
Community Garden Increases Access to Fresh Produce in Houma, Louisiana

| USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2020 

This Louisiana project used a community garden as a learning site for children and adults, connecting fresh produce access with hands-on nutrition education.
Green Island Gardens

| USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2018 

This SNAP-Ed garden program taught youth how garden foods fit into a healthy diet, using lessons on edible plant parts and vegetable-based snacks.
Gardening Education Increases Vegetable Consumption Among Youth

| Michigan State University Extension | MSU Extension | 2018 

This article summarizes research showing that garden interventions with youth increase vegetable consumption and support healthier eating habits.
Urban Agriculture Basic Information

| EPA | EPA Archive | 2016 

This EPA archive page describes community and school gardens as spaces for fresh fruits and vegetables, nutrition learning, after-school activity, and civic pride.
South LA Youth Use Neighborhood Gardens to Educate Better Community Health

| USDA | USDA Blog | 2015 

This story shows young people using gardens, vegetables, cooking tools, and nutrition education to improve community health in South Los Angeles.
Feasibility of an Experiential Community Garden and Nutrition Programme

| K. Grier et al. | PMC | 2015 

This article explores a garden and nutrition program for youth, showing enthusiasm for combining fresh produce access with experiential nutrition education.
Impact of School Gardens on Vegetable Consumption

| N. Cotugna et al. | HortTechnology | 2012 

This article reviews school garden programs as tools to promote vegetable consumption through experiential learning and nutrition education.
Gardening Increases Vegetable Consumption in School-Aged Children

| G.A. Langellotto and A. Gupta | HortTechnology | 2012 

This literature review finds evidence that gardening programs can increase vegetable consumption among children, especially when linked with education.
The Impact of Nutrition Education With and Without a School Garden

| P.J. Morgan et al. | PubMed | 2010 

This study investigates whether nutrition education paired with a school garden improves children’s knowledge, vegetable intake, preferences, and school quality of life.
School Gardens as a Strategy for Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

| E. Oxenham and A. King | School Nutrition Association | 2010 

This review argues that school gardens are promising hands-on nutrition education tools for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among children.
Community Gardens Grow Strong Bodies and Minds

| USDA | USDA Blog | 2009 

This USDA article highlights how community gardens can teach children about local food, gardening, nutrition, and healthy eating while building community skills.
Garden-Based Nutrition Education Affects Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

| J.D. McAleese and L.L. Rankin | Journal of the American Dietetic Association | 2007 

This study found that garden-based activities combined with nutrition education increased fruit and vegetable consumption, vitamin intake, and fiber intake among students.
State and Local Strategies for Nutrition

| CDC | CDC | n.d. 

This CDC page places garden-based and farm-to-early-care strategies within broader community nutrition efforts to improve children’s access to healthy food.
School and Community Gardens

| Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | n.d. 

This guide explains how growing fruits and vegetables can improve children’s food attitudes, increase willingness to eat vegetables, and add physical activity.
School Gardens Enhance Academic Performance and Dietary Outcomes

| Children & Nature Network | Children & Nature Network | n.d. 

This research summary reports that garden-based learning can improve fruit and vegetable consumption while supporting academic and social outcomes.
Nutrition to Grow On

| University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d. 

This curriculum links gardening with nutrition lessons for upper elementary students, encouraging children to try healthy foods and share lessons with families.
Key Findings on Garden-Based Learning

| Cornell Garden-Based Learning | Cornell University | n.d. 

This research summary highlights evidence that growing vegetables can encourage adults and children to try new foods and improve eating habits.
Improving Nutrition Security: Garden to Food Club

| Michigan State University Extension | MSU Extension | n.d. 

This video transcript describes a community garden partnership that donates fresh produce and provides nutrition and physical activity education to children and adults.
Growing Healthy Kids Garden-Enhanced Nutrition Curriculum

| USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | n.d. 

This curriculum integrates gardening with nutrition education for children, using hands-on food growing to promote healthier eating choices.
Gardening Interventions Increase Vegetable Consumption Among Children

| Community Preventive Services Task Force | The Community Guide | n.d. 

This evidence review finds that gardening interventions increase children’s vegetable consumption, especially when gardening is paired with nutrition education.
Garden-Based Learning

| Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d. 

This article summarizes how school and community gardens can increase nutrition awareness, enthusiasm for fresh foods, and hands-on learning about food systems.
Early Care and School Gardens

| University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d. 

This guide shows how gardens can provide taste tests, fresh produce for meals, and outdoor learning that helps children become more familiar with healthy foods.


Extension and Local Garden Programs

Garden Gro and Community Food Systems

| University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2026 

This article describes a program that maintains school and community gardens so harvests do not go to waste and can support local hunger relief.
Understanding Soil Health With Twin Cities Metro Growers

| University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2025 

This article highlights Karamu Community Gardens as a food source for residents living far from grocery stores, showing how soil health supports nutrition access.
The Value of Community Gardens: Health Impact

| UF/IFAS Extension | UF/IFAS Blogs | 2024 

This article presents community gardens as health-supporting places where residents can learn gardening skills and gain access to food from the source.
Plant Your Garden Every Hue of Health

| Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2024 

This article connects colorful garden crops with nutrients such as vitamin A, encouraging gardeners to plan for variety and nutrition.
Giving Gardens

| University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | 2024 

This article explains how giving gardens donate harvests to food shelves, adding fresh produce to emergency food systems that often lack vegetables and fruit.
Sustainable Community Gardens Benefit Local Growers, Ecosystems and Communities

| Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2023 

This article explains that sustainable community gardens meet local food needs while protecting ecosystems needed for future food production.
Addressing Food Insecurity: Expanding Access Through Community Gardens

| University of Tennessee Extension | UT Extension | 2023 

This publication explains how Extension can support community gardens through agricultural expertise, nutrition education, community partnerships, and food security work.
Improving Food Access Through Community Gardens

| Meredith Bonde et al. | University of Minnesota | 2022 

This policy brief frames community gardens as local food access tools that can help address food insecurity through shared growing space and community support.
Community Gardens Fight Food Insecurity Close to Home

| Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2022 

This article reports that Extension-supported gardens grew and donated produce while helping communities grow nutritious food for themselves and neighbors.
Community Gardens Change Lives and Communities

| Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2021 

This article describes gardens in food deserts as tools for improving nutrition, teaching young people, and helping families access affordable fresh produce.
Pilgrim Community Garden and Healthy Eating

| University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d. 

This profile describes a community garden where neighbors share vegetables, swap recipes, and encourage healthy eating through shared growing space.
One Vegetable, One Community

| University of Minnesota Extension | UMN Extension | n.d. 

This program encourages communities to grow, cook, and share one featured vegetable, linking gardens, nutrition education, and community participation.
Healthy Life Community Garden

| UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d. 

This impact brief describes a garden producing tomatoes, peppers, beans, greens, herbs, and other fresh foods for community members.
Community Gardens in Fulton County

| UGA Extension | Fulton County Extension | n.d. 

This local Extension page shows how managed community garden plots give residents access to space for growing fresh food.
Community Gardening in New Hampshire

| UNH Extension | University of New Hampshire Extension | n.d. 

This report describes community gardening efforts that connect local groups, nutrition programs, and agencies to improve community access to fresh food.
Community Garden of Morrow

| UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d. 

This project spotlight describes a community garden created to support community building and shared access to growing space.
Community Garden in Griffin Relocates and Expands

| UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d. 

This article describes a garden serving residents with limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables and offering an alternative to processed fast foods.
Community Garden Locations

| Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | n.d. 

This page lists Extension-supported gardens that grow produce for donation to food banks and pantries, showing how garden networks can support emergency food nutrition.
Athens Community Council on Aging Garden

| UGA Extension | UGA Extension | n.d. 

This project spotlight describes a garden focused on seniors’ access to healthy and affordable food, linking gardening with aging and nutrition security.


Toolkits, Safety and Implementation

Planning for Community Food Access

| Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2026 

This article includes community gardens among local food access strategies that help rural and urban communities improve healthy food availability.
How to Start a Community Garden: Getting People Involved

| UGA Extension | UGA Field Report | 2026 

This guide explains how community involvement, soil testing, food safety, harvesting, and preservation planning help gardens become useful food and nutrition resources.
Home Garden Food Safety: Protecting Produce From Contamination

| Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2026 

This article explains how gardeners can protect fresh produce from contamination, an important step when garden harvests are eaten by families or shared with communities.
Wise Use of Manure in Home Vegetable Gardens

| Penn State Extension | Penn State Extension | 2024 

This article explains safe manure use in vegetable gardens so fresh food grown in home and community settings remains safe to eat.
Brownfields and Urban Agriculture Interim Guidelines

| EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 2024 

This EPA guidance explains how converting brownfields into urban agriculture can reduce blight while improving food access and nutrition, if safety issues are handled properly.
Resources and Funding Garden Toolkit

| UGA Extension | UGA Extension | 2023 

This toolkit points to nutrition education kits, urban agriculture resources, and funding sources that can support community gardens, food pantries, and community kitchens.
Adapting Garden Leadership Trainings to a Virtual Setting

| USDA SNAP-Ed Connection | USDA | 2022 

This article describes community garden leadership training as a way to strengthen food security, nutrition education, and garden sustainability during changing conditions.
Using Garden Coordinators and Volunteers to Implement Rural Community Gardens

| S. Stluka et al. | Preventing Chronic Disease | 2019 

This article explains how coordinators, volunteers, and wellness coalitions used community gardens to improve access to healthy food, nutrition education, and physical activity opportunities.
Gardening for Health: Using Garden Coordinators and Volunteers

| S. Stluka et al. | CDC Stacks | 2019 

This CDC record describes gardens as focal points for healthy food access, nutrition education, physical activity, and local wellness work.
Community Garden Toolkit

| Illinois Extension | University of Illinois Extension | 2019 

This toolkit frames community gardens as responses to poor nutrition, food pantry needs, physical health, environmental concerns, and neighborhood cooperation.
Serving Seniors

| UGA Extension | Trellis Blog | 2017 

This article describes a senior-focused garden that helps volunteers understand barriers older adults face in accessing healthy, nutritious foods.
Growing Strong Community Gardens

| UGA Extension | Trellis Blog | 2017 

This article explains how Master Gardener volunteers can help community gardens fight hunger and poor nutrition by making fresh produce more accessible.
Basic Information About Brownfields and Urban Agriculture

| EPA | EPA Archive | 2017 

This EPA page explains that gardens and urban agriculture can improve access to fresh healthy foods in neighborhoods without supermarkets.

| EPA | EPA Archive | 2016 

This resource page points communities toward planning tools for urban farms and gardens that address food access, neighborhood blight, and community development.
Starting a Community Garden

| Rutgers Cooperative Extension | Rutgers Extension | n.d. 

This guide helps communities start or improve vegetable gardens, including attention to soil testing, food safety, harvesting, and practical production skills.
Program: Community Gardens and Farms

| Health Care Without Harm | Food Community Benefit | n.d. 

This implementation guide explains how hospitals and health systems can support community gardens, cooking classes, tastings, produce donations, and food-security programs.
Interim Guidelines for Safe Gardening Practices

| EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | n.d. 

This EPA text version explains safe gardening practices for communities using vacant or formerly contaminated land for food production.
Community Gardens Increase Food Security and Community Well-Being

| Land-Grant Impacts | Land-Grant Impacts | n.d. 

This article highlights how Extension programs, seed libraries, gardening kits, and Master Gardener volunteers expand access to gardens and food-growing skills.
A Guide for Starting a Community Garden

| Ohio State University Extension | OSU Extension | n.d. 

This guide explains how community gardens can bring residents together, create growing space, and support local food production.


General Overviews and Food Security Context

Community Gardens

| County Health Rankings & Roadmaps | What Works for Health | 2023 

This evidence summary says community gardens may improve food security, increase fruit and vegetable availability, and support healthy eating in food deserts.
East Capitol Urban Farm Project

| EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 2018 

This project summary shows how an urban farm can combine community gardening, food access, nutrition education, farmers markets, and green infrastructure.
Cultivating Community

| UGA Extension | Trellis Blog | 2017 

This article describes a community garden designed to build a healthier lifelong community and create a shared space around growing food.
Community and Home Gardens Increase Vegetable Intake and Food Security PDF

| S. Algert et al. | California Agriculture | 2016 

This PDF reports that gardening helped residents double vegetable intake and meet daily serving recommendations, making gardens a direct nutrition intervention.
East Capitol Urban Farm Project: A UDC Partnership Effort

| EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 2015 

This fact sheet describes an urban farm designed to improve nutrition through community gardening, food access, farmers markets, and nutrition education.
Dig In: Improving Nutrition in Developing Countries Through Gardens

| Jennifer Brewer | Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation | 2015 

This article describes efforts to improve nutrition through community and home gardens where fresh produce is scarce and less nutritious foods are easier to find.
Urban Agriculture

| Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d. 

This overview places community gardens within urban agriculture, highlighting their role in food production, education, and feeding people in need.
Food Deserts and Community Gardens

| Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d. 

This article includes community gardens as one response to fresh food scarcity in food deserts, where residents may lack easy access to grocery stores and produce.
Community Gardens and Food Security Go Hand-in-Hand

| Anya Crittenton | Green America | n.d. 

This article explains how community gardens can increase food security through local growing, neighborhood cooperation, and access to fresh produce.
Community Gardening in the United States

| Wikipedia contributors | Wikipedia | n.d. 

This overview explains how U.S. community gardens provide fresh produce, education, green space, and gardening access for people without private yards.
Building on Traditional Gardening to Improve Household Food Security

| FAO | Food and Agriculture Organization | n.d. 

This FAO resource explains how gardens can supplement diets with vitamin-rich vegetables, fruits, herbs, and other nutrient-dense foods.
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