– COMMUNITY GARDEN HEALTH BLOCK –
Community Garden Health Block Sudy
What is a Community Garden?
A community garden is a partnership and a collaborative effort comprised of community members that engage families and people of all ages in growing, maintaining, harvesting, and producing fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers that can be shared with the community to support overall nourishment and community well-being. Community gardens should serve as a sustained resource, educational and therapeutic tools that facilitate ready access to healthy foods, outdoor exercise, mental well-being, community connectedness and integration, community problem-solving, and conflict resolution for a healthier community.
What is the purpose of the Community Garden Health Block Study?
The Community Garden Health Block is a research study that aims to determine if volunteering in community gardens can help adults aged 18-95 eat more fruits and vegetables.
Why is the Community Garden Health Block needed?
- Nearly 1 in 5 people and 1 in 4 children in Arkansas are food insecure. This means that households lack the resources needed to provide enough food for active, healthy living at all times.
- Every single county in Arkansas has a food desert. This means that people in a neighborhood are more than 1 to 10 miles away from supermarket or grocery store and may also live in a low resource community.
- Limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables puts people at risk for food insecurity and diseases.
- People who are more food insecure and lack access to healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables are at increased risk for cancer, heart diseases, and stroke – the leading causes of death in Arkansas.
How can community gardens help with food insecurity and limited access to healthy foods?
- Community gardens are a growing movement that can provide a local source of fresh foods like fruits and vegetables.
- Locally sourced foods are a great way to make sure that communities stay healthy!
- There are 7 gardens that participate in this study- Hunter, Bethel AME, Pettaway, GRACE, Crump, Community Family Enrichment Center, and Twin Lakes.
Community Garden Health Block
Serving the Great State of Arkansas and all of its’ rural under served communities