from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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JAFSCD peer-reviewed article by Mahbubur Meenar and Leslie Spencer (Rowan University)
A new community-engaged research study explores how residents of Glassboro, a small college town in southern New Jersey, perceive their local food environment, food equity, and the impact of home-based gardening. The research focused on participants in the "Glassboro Grows" program and used a mixed-methods approach, including surveys, interviews, field observations, and food environment mapping.
In a new JAFSCD article, Community perceptions of small-town food environments, food equity, and home-based food cultivation: Insights from a community-engaged research study, authors Mahbubur Meenar and Leslie Spencer show that while residents value home gardening as a way to supplement their food supply, it is not seen as a comprehensive solution to food insecurity. Many participants encountered challenges despite favorable conditions and program support. The study highlights persistent food access disparities within the town and underscores the need for broader, systemic interventions to address food inequity in small communities. Corresponding author Mahbubur Meenar can be contacted at meenar@rowan.edu.
KEY FINDINGS
Most participants viewed home gardening as a way to supplement their food supply rather than as a solution to food insecurity. Many participants faced challenges with home gardening despite supportive conditions and resources from the program. -
Food insecurity persists in Glassboro, especially in disadvantaged neighborhoods, even with nearby farms and food outlets, revealing ongoing disparities in food access.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH
The study explored how residents and local leaders in a small town perceive food environments, food equity, and the role of home gardening in addressing food inequity.
Surveys revealed concerns about high food costs, limited transportation, lack of food variety, and culturally inappropriate food pantry offerings, especially affecting college students.
Community leaders identified key issues that included ineffective hunger relief, poor school nutrition, transportation barriers, weak urban agriculture policies, and limited nutrition education.
Food equity was defined as ensuring that all individuals can access and grow healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate food, regardless of their background or status.
Recommended solutions included expanding community gardens, supporting home gardening programs, creating food co-ops, improving transportation, and enhancing nutrition education.
The effectiveness of home gardening was limited by socioeconomic barriers such as lack of time, money, skills, land access, and environmental conditions. Future research should include larger, more diverse samples and examine long-term impacts of gardening programs.
The findings offer practical insights for guiding food equity strategies and urban agriculture policies in small-town settings.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS Can growing your own food help fix food equity issues in small towns?
In Glassboro, New Jersey—a small college town—lower-income residents shared their struggles with affording healthy and fresh food, getting to grocery stores, and relying on food pantries with limited options. A new study found that while home gardening can help, it's not a full solution. Community members and leaders are calling for more support through community gardens, better urban agriculture policy, affordable food options, and nutrition education to create a fairer, more inclusive food system in small towns like theirs. Read the full @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.143.027
#FoodEquity #SmallTownVoices #GlassboroGrows #CommunityGardening #FoodAccess #UrbanAg #PublicHealth |
Photo above: Glassboro Grows program collaborator Sonya Harris. Image provided by authors. |
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Community gardens are more than just sources of fresh food; they are also vital hubs that nurture health, social ties, and environmental sustainability in low-income urban areas. In a new JAFSCD article, Cultivating communities: Understanding motivations in urban gardening among low-income residents in Cape Town, South Africa, author Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira shares insights from a comprehensive mixed-methods study that uncovers the diverse motivations behind urban gardening in Cape Town’s Cape Flats. For inquiries, please reach out to Tinashe at kanostk1@gmail.com.
This research establishes a foundation for future research and policy-making endeavors aimed at fostering more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban food systems. Addressing structural barriers while recognizing the social, health, and environmental benefits of urban gardening will ensure that these initiatives contribute meaningfully to urban resilience and community well-being. KEY FINDINGS -
Diverse Motivations Beyond Economics: While 76.3% of participants acknowledged economic benefits as a key driver, all respondents also valued social, health, and environmental motivations for engaging in urban gardening.
- Institutional vs. Personal Objectives Misalignment: Although 29 out of 34 community gardens prioritized income generation, many individual gardeners engaged in the practice primarily for well-being, social connection, and environmental sustainability.
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Psychosocial and Health Benefits: Participants highlighted the role of gardening in enhancing both physical and mental well-being, with many viewing it as a therapeutic activity that provides stress relief and a sense of purpose.
- Environmental Awareness and Sustainable Practices: Many gardeners saw their involvement as a means of promoting sustainable urban agriculture, contributing to food security while fostering ecological stewardship.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH -
Align Institutional Goals with Individual Motivations: Policymakers and urban agriculture initiatives should integrate social, health, and environmental benefits into program objectives, rather than focusing solely on economic outcomes.
- Expand Research on Urban Gardening Impacts: Further studies should investigate the long-term effects of urban gardening on food security, mental well-being, and ecological sustainability in the Global South.
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Integrate Urban Gardening into Broader Food Security Policies: Urban agriculture should be incorporated into municipal food system strategies to strengthen resilience, reduce food insecurity, and enhance local food sovereignty.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
What really motivates urban gardeners? Is it just about income, or are there deeper reasons driving people to grow their own food in the city? New research in Cape Town’s community gardens reveals a surprising tension between economic goals and personal motivations. Many gardeners value the social, health, and environmental benefits alongside helping with their financial needs. Discover how urban agriculture goes beyond profit to shape well-being and sustainability. Read the full @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.143.021
#UrbanGardening # Sustainability #CapeTown
Photo above: View of an urban garden in Cape Town, South Africa. Image provided by author. |
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Film and Book Available for Review
Interested in documentaries and like to review one and share your thoughts with JAFSCD’s readers? Or need some summer reading? Fill out this quick review query form. You can also use the form to suggest other films, books, or reports for review. The selected reviewer will receive free access to the film or the book (hard copy or ebook).
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| Farming While Black
As the co-founder of Soul Fire Farm in upstate New York, Leah Penniman finds strength in the deep historical knowledge of African agrarianism — agricultural practices that can heal people and the planet. Influenced and inspired by Karen Washington, a pioneer in urban community gardens in New York City, and fellow farmer and organizer Blain Snipstal, Leah galvanizes around farming as the basis of revolutionary justice. The film chronicles Penniman and two other Black farmers’ efforts to reclaim their agricultural heritage. Collectively, their work has a major impact as leaders in the sustainable agriculture and food justice movements.
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The Practice of Collective Escape: Politics, Justice and Community in Urban Growing Projects, by Helen Traill (U of Glasgow) From the publisher:
"Escape is an enticing idea in contemporary cities across the world. . . . Urban community growing projects are often considered by practitioners and commentators as communal havens in a stressful cityscape. Drawing on ethnographic research in urban growing projects in Glasgow, this book explores the spatial politics and dynamics of community, asking who benefits from such projects and how they relate to the wider city. A timely consideration of localism and community empowerment, the book sheds light on key issues of urban land use, the right to the city and the value of social connection."
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Explore KPU’s SFSS program | |
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