Introduction:
This project analysis will explain the current obesity and chronic disease epidemic, followed by exploring how community gardens can cultivate community collaboration and decrease the risks of obesity and disease. It will then describe the cultural, economic, political, and social influences the community has on the garden. Thirdly, it will identify the project's mission and theoretical perspectives that guided the creation of this project, followed by the community development principles embedded within. It will then go onto an articulation of the strengths and weaknesses, and then will end on a conclusive statement regarding the effectiveness of the Community garden.
Description of key Issues:
Throughout the United States during the early 20th century, dietary patterns, physical inactivity, and other exposures have led to an epidemic of obesity and chronic disease. Obesity not only reduces the quality of life, but it is also associated with poor mental health. It has now become the leading cause of death worldwide (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019).
The McLean County Wellness Coalition (MCWC, n.d) believed that along with physical inactivity and unhealthy dietary patterns, the lack of availability of fresh, affordable, healthy food is a contributing risk factor to this epidemic. In response to the obesity crisis in 2013, the MCWC in Illinois developed an initiative to help support and increase fruit and vegetable access and intake by providing opportunities to increase community gardens or expand an existing community garden in some capacity (Lanier, Schumacher, and Calvert, 2015). The MCWC recognized and agreed that,
Community Gardening improves people's quality of life by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy and education (American Community Gardens Association, n.d. para. 2).
The MCWC hoped that its community garden project would build a culture for community health while creating sustainable changes in the community. By supporting the availability of fruits and vegetables and promoting physical activity through gardening, ultimately improving social capital and decreasing the risk of disease and obesity (Lanier et al., 2015).
Analysis of Community Context:
Political: The Mclean County Wellness coalition = liberal-national, third sector
Economic: Funding for mini-grants of $500 was available to local agencies who wanted to initiate a community garden. The grants funding came from the initiative YMCAUSA called Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and Environmental Change (ACHIEVE). Produce grown was used by the volunteers or donated to local food pantries.
Social: Volunteers, grant committee. Three schools, three early childhood facilities, three faith-based communities, two neighborhood groups, two cooperative extension program locations, four community nonprofit organizations. Technical assistance from the University of Illinois Extension Horticulture specialists and the Master Gardeners. Community Collaboration
Technological: Application for the mini-grants were available to the public on the coalition's website. New reports of the grants were released, and via e-mail to local agencies and churches. qualitative and quantitative data, two site visits, 25 research questions
Legal: Provided with Horticulture specialist gardening binders, list of resources in the community related to gardening, and a list of local food pantries and organizations that serve low-income populations as an outlet for donating surplus produce.
Environment: an allocated area of land.
Chief theoretical perspective:
The MCWC project's mission is to "reduce chronic disease by improving the overall well-being of the community through the promotion and adoption of healthy lifestyle policy, systems and environmental (PSE) changes" (MCWC as cited by Lanier., 2015, p. 495). MCWC went on to state that, "evidence-based strategies create long-term sustainable change and support healthy behaviors for many citizens. It takes commitment, innovation, and action from various sectors of the community to champion policy, system, and environmental changes that ultimately builds healthy communities" (as cited by Lanier., 2015).
Teig, Amulya, Bardwell, Buchenau, Marshall, and Litt agreed with this perspective stating, "Community gardens can be seen as a PSE change strategy that has the potential to promote public health by increasing physical activity and access to fresh fruits and vegetables as well as improve social capital (as cited by Lanier., 2015, p.493).
The theoretical perspectives mentioned above resonate within theoretical foundations such as environmentalism when we factor in the sustainability community gardens provide through their food and resource production. The collective action aimed at achieving social reorganization and change at a community level can be labeled a social movement, resulting in the empowerment of all involved. Turner, Henryks, and Pearson (2011), "Learnt that these diverse gardens could play an important role in promoting urban health, social inclusion, active civic participation and practices of sustainable living in urban environments."
During a site visit at one of the MCWC funded community gardens, the sight administrator stated, "It is always wonderful to see our youth engage in healthy activities such as gardening and then harvesting the vegetables with other family members. It is more than just the food, though; it is also teaching them discipline, teamwork, responsibility, dependability, and the importance of community service" (Lanier, 2015).
Community Development Principles:
Community development is based on several principles and values that are committed to collective action, working for powerless people and social justice, citizenship and human rights, diversity, empowerment and self-determination, accessibility of human services programs, and liberation. (Kenny, 1999).
The foundation of the community garden project profoundly resonates with Jim Ife's (2002) ecological principles, Holism, sustainability, diversity, and organic development. Holism and sustainability can be seen because the MCWC believed that by providing funding to initiate community gardens, it would have a 'ripple' effect that would cultivate community collaboration and increase health.
The funding made it possible to grow large amounts of accessible, healthy fruit and vegetables for those involved and their families. It also increased the physical activity of all involved through constant tendering and harvesting.
Organic development and diversity can be seen as each garden were given the same amount of funding, and they were able to use it where they deemed necessary.
Social Justice principles highly influence the project by cultivating community collaboration and accessibility of healthy food from the gardens. It helps address the discourses of disadvantage by empowering those involved by providing them with the resources, opportunities, and skills to increase their future, and the promotion of human rights.
The project represents valuing the local knowledge and cultures through the growing of community skills and resources. Lanier (2015) published a quote from one of the MCWC garden administrators, "I could not have done all of this without the wonderful grant I received and support from the coalition. It has enabled me to have a better start". Zeeuw, Veechuizen, and Dubbeling (2011) added that "Their (individuals) involvement in productive activities (such as community gardens) may also help them to regain dignity, hope, and self-respect and enhance their self-reliance."
Process principles encompass the actions of consciousness-raising, participation, inclusiveness, and community building (Ife, 2002). The above principles relate to the community garden initiative because it created opportunities for connections, collaborations, and relationships while creating a positive environmental change.
Strengths and weaknesses:
The most significant strength for the MCWC initiated community gardens project would be the future overall effect on the intergenerational cycle of obesity and disease. As 67% of the funded gardens consisted of youth who were volunteering to make positive contributions to their community found, "We have all benefited from the garden in so many ways… by planting, tasting, and tending to the garden and learning techniques and growing strategies for these experiences" (Lanier, 2015). By teaching our youth about the nutrients fresh food produces, the vitamins and minerals they contain, and what they do for your body, we are enhancing the following generations' nutritional knowledge. Not only is this project enhancing our youth's future knowledge, but it is also increasing our youth's overall health by increasing their consumption of fruit and vegetables. Powell, Han, and Chaloupka (2010) wrote that evidence suggested that interventions to improve access to healthful foods, such as fruit and vegetables, can be useful in helping to reduce the risk of obesity among youth, particularly for low socioeconomic status children, and that is precisely what these gardens have achieved.
Another strength would be its contribution to the low socioeconomic status individuals, food pantries, and nonprofit organizations through their donations of surplus fruit and vegetable. 53% of the community gardens that were in this project donated their produce, which ultimately raises social capital by creating secure help networks and connections between the gardens and the disadvantaged.
The weaknesses seen in this project would be the accuracy of the self-reported information by the garden administrators and that it was their interpretation of how the project was going and did not include any ideas or insights from the volunteers.
Conclusion:
In summary, Community gardens can successfully cultivate community collaboration, health, and social capital.
References:
American Community Gardening Association. (n.d). Our Mission. Retrieved from https://www.communitygarden.org/about
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Adult obesity causes and consequences. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html
Ife, J., (2002). Community development: community-based alternatives in an age of globalization. (p.200-225).
Lanier, J., Schumacher, J., & Calvert, K. (2015). Cultivating community collaboration and community health through community gardens. Journal of Community Practice, 23, p492-507. Doi:10.1080/10705422.2015.1096316
Powell, M, L., Han, E., & Chaloupka, J, F. (2010). Economic contextual factors, food consumption and obesity amoung U.S. adolescents. The Journal of Nutrition, 140(6), p1175-1180. Doi:10.3945/jn.109.111526.
The Mclean County Wellness Coalition. (n.d). Healthy Community. Retrieved from https://mcplan.org/file/243/Chapter%208_Healthy%20Community.pdf
Turner, B., Henryks, J., & Pearson, D. (2011). Community Gardens: sustainability, health and inclusion in the city. Local Environment. 16(6), p489-492. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.usq.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=02dcae04-a5c5-493c-8cab-cbf1197fd816%40pdc-v-sessmgr04
Kenny, S. (1999). Developing communities for the Future: community development in Australia (2nd ed.). Southbank Victoria: Thomson.
Zeeuw, D, H., Veehuizen, R, V., & Dubbeling, M. (2011). The role of urban agriculture in building resilient cities in developing countries. 149(s1), p.153-163. Retrieved from https://usq.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=cambridgeS0021859610001279&context=PC&vid=61UOSQ_INST:61USQ&lang=en&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Primo%20Central&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,community%20gardens%20cultivating%20self-reliance&offset=0
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