Homegrown vegetables: opportunities for public gardens In an age of agricultural disconnect
Date
2011
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Food gardening, a skill essential to survival for much of our history, has
been making a comeback in recent years. Concerns about the environment, health and
well-being, and the economy have all contributed to its popularity. Many businesses
and organizations have been joining in to support the movement, including public
horticulture institutions. This research aimed to ascertain the interest and involvement
of the public horticulture community in this topic, to identify the educational needs of
food gardeners, and to develop recommendations for public gardens considering a role
for food gardening in their mission.
Targeted electronic surveys, selected case studies, and interviews with
professionals yielded pertinent data for this research. Surveys indicated that most
gardens were already offering or interested in offering food gardening resources to
their audience. Food gardeners are equally interested in taking advantage of those
resources. However, while public gardens offered the classic display garden and
lecture-style classes, food gardeners were additionally interested in online resources,
demonstrations, and networking opportunities with other gardeners. The case studies
represented a wide array of successful food gardening efforts that responded to their
particular community’s needs. Benefits of such efforts included increased community
interest, increased diversity of audience, and increased publicity. Common challenges
included harvesting, distribution of crops, increased garden maintenance requirements,
and pest control. Among the recommendations developed for other institutions considering food gardening were building awareness for the value of strategic
planning and mission relatedness, educational goals and physical site goals.
Description
Keywords
Public horticulture, Food gardens, Vegetable gardens