from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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JAFSCD is the world’s only community-supported journal. JAFSCD content is open access (free) thanks to the generous support of our shareholders: the JAFSCD Shareholder Consortium, Library Shareholders, a growing number of Individual Shareholders, and our six JAFSCD Partners: |
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JAFSCD peer-reviewed article by Alyssa W. Beavers (Michigan State U), Rebekah Ray (Michigan State U), Kristin M. Lacy (Michigan State U & Wayne State U), Eva Coringrato (U of Colorado Boulder & Wayne State U), Ashby Lavelle Sachs (Michigan State U & U of Colorado Boulder), Za'Nyia Kelly (Michigan State U), Hannah Buchenau (U of Colorado Boulder), Erin K. Decker (Michigan State U & U of Colorado Boulder), Lara Wirtz Fahnestock (Denver Urban Gardens), Pallas A. Quist (U of Colorado Boulder), James R. Hébert (U of South Carolina), Jill S. Litt (U of Colorado Boulder & Barcelona Institute for Global Health), Katherine Alaimo (Michigan State U)
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Urban community gardens provide opportunities to grow healthy foods, be active, socialize with other community members, and have contact with nature. However, there are significant hurdles that must be overcome when people begin gardening in a community garden. Without adequate skills, knowledge, and support, new community gardeners may struggle and ultimately quit gardening. This has direct implications on the sustainability of community gardens, as attracting new members and maintaining members are crucial for the continued success of community gardens.
In a new JAFSCD article, Supporting new gardeners: Perspectives of gardeners and garden leaders, Beavers et al. present the findings of a qualitative study, conducted in partnership with Denver Urban Gardens, that examined community gardeners’ and garden leaders’ perspectives on how to best support new community gardeners.
KEY FINDINGS
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The time commitment of gardening, lack of gardening knowledge, environmental challenges (pests, weeds, weather), and theft/vandalism were cited as barriers experienced by new community gardeners.
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Receiving support from other gardeners, including garden leaders, was very helpful for those who received it; participants who did not receive support from other gardeners desired this.
- While many garden leaders were eager to learn how to support new community gardeners, they expresed the need to balance this with their other garden leader responsibilities
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The extent of interaction with others in the garden ranged from minimal to always seeing other gardeners; however, a culture of reciprocity and helping others was present in many gardens.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE Gardeners’ and garden leaders’ recommendations included: - Provide gardeners with resource lists that can provide answers to most common questions and challenges.
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Communicate clearly about expectations and responsibilities of both gardeners and garden leaders, and how to use garden resources.
- When possible, have a garden leadership team, instead of a single garden leader.
Additionally, the authors recommend that community gardens encourage informal mentorship or offer a formal mentorship program for new community gardeners.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
While substantial research has examined the health impacts of community gardens, it’s just as important to find out what it takes to help new community gardeners succeed. New research examines the experiences of new community gardeners, identifying ways to enhance their success.
#communitygarden #communitygardeners #newgardener #mentor
Read the @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.141.007 |
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Photo above: A thriving community garden in Denver, Colorado, USA; photo by Denver Urban Gardens and used with permission.
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POSITION OPENING FROM JAFSCD SHAREHOLDER
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The successful candidate will develop and lead externally funded research and extension programs that support and strengthen the viability of the New Jersey agricultural sector and individual farms. Through active engagement with the agricultural community, the Specialist will identify existing and emerging opportunities and needs, conduct applied research to assess what technical assistance and policies would help farmers take advantage of these opportunities, and provide educational outreach in the agricultural community across different scales of operation, commodities, and production systems.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO APPLY |
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Wed., Dec. 11, 2024, 1:00–2:30 pm ET
Details and register HERE |
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As more research funding agencies begin to support the use of transdisciplinary and engaged research practices in their programs, to help generate tangible, positive societal impacts, we can take advantage of opportunities to learn from programs that have been early adopters of these modes of research. The increased emphasis on engagement throughout the research process is helping to shine a light on the importance of partnerships, relationships, and trust in moving research into practice and policy.
Yet identifying these intangible characteristics in proposals and project reports is not always a straightforward process. In this webinar, we will hear from program leaders who have been soliciting, reviewing, funding, and evaluating transdisciplinary and engaged research for several years. They will share what they have learned about crafting requests for proposals to encourage the inclusion of transdisciplinary research practices, how their programs review and rate proposals, and the criteria and tools they use to evaluate the outcomes of individual projects and the impacts of their programs.
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Speakers: Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, U.S. Geological Survey North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (NC CASC)
Maeghan Brass, University of Michigan Water Center Charlotte Hudson, Pew Charitable Trusts Molly Hunter, Joint Fire Science Program Moderator: Alison M. Meadow, University of Arizona, Office of Societal Impact |
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If you are affiliated with a college or university and want to support JAFSCD, now is the time of year when libraries order new journal subscriptions. |
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