Ossining Community Gardens with ENU
A collaborative effort at food equity, enrichment, and supporting an environment community gardens can be beneficial to the environment and to the health and well-being of community members. The introduction of community gardens may be able to reduce the impact of food deserts in key areas and allow residents greater access to nutritious food that is necessary to live a healthy life. Community gardens can mitigate some of the problems that plague certain areas. They can be a beneficial addition to many communities by increasing the availability of nutritious foods, strengthening community ties, reducing environmental hazards, reducing food miles, and creating a more sustainable system.
Community gardens can help reduce negative environmental impacts by promoting sustainable agriculture; reducing food transportation costs and reducing water runoff. Humans, plants, and animals can all benefit from urban agriculture since it creates habitats and improves the ecology of the area.
Community gardens:
- Help improve air and soil quality
- Increase biodiversity of plants and animals
- Reduce “food miles” that are required to transport nutritious food
- Can reduce neighborhood waste through composting
- Positively impact the urban micro-climate
Poor nutrition and obesity are both challenges to under-support neighborhoods. Low accessibility to nutritious foods can cause health problems for residents and impact the academic performance of our students. The addition of gardens to these areas may improve nutrition and increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Community gardens:
- Increase access to fresh foods
- Improve food security
- Increase physical activity through garden maintenance activities\
- Improve dietary habits through education
- Increase fruit and vegetable intake
- Reduce risk of obesity and obesity-related diseases
- Improve mental health and promote relaxation
Social ties are important to the well-being of people in a community since they can bring positive health effects and community involvement. Community gardens allow for the creation of social ties and build a greater feeling of community. These connections help empower residents and allow youth to feel safe in their neighborhoods.
- Gardens can improve economic opportunities by training volunteers and selling food at farmers’ markets
- Agriculture programs can teach residents useful skills in planning, food production, and business
- Improving vacant lots increased property values
Gardens have been an important aspect of many cultures in history. In the past, community gardens were commonly used to provide food for families year-round. During WWII, victory gardens were an important source of food for American families. Recently, there has been a resurgence of community gardens to help mitigate the impacts of food deserts and as a use for the increased number of vacant lands present in urban areas. Community gardens can provide fresh, healthy produce for residents and allow them to reduce their food bills.
Many cities and organizations provide opportunities for residents to become involved with community gardens. The USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service has implemented a grant program to help decrease the impact of food deserts in low-income communities. They strive to provide long-term food security by supporting local agriculture projects while also improving economic, social, and environmental problems. For successful programs, it is important that the community becomes involved with the project and works with the community to develop solutions. Soil contamination and acquiring land can become a challenge in implementing a community garden.