Community Organizing:

• Community gardens increase a sense of community ownership and stewardship.

• Community gardens foster the development of a community identity and spirit.

• Community gardens bring people together from a wide variety of backgrounds (age, race, culture, social class).

• Community gardens build community leaders.

• Community gardens offer a focal point for community organizing, and can lead to community-based efforts to deal with  

  other social concerns.

 

Crime Prevention:

• Community gardens provide opportunities to meet neighbors.

• Community gardens build block clubs (neighborhood associations).

• Community gardens increase eyes on the street.

• Community gardening is recognized by the many police departments as an effective community crime prevention strategy.

 

Cultural Opportunities:

• Community gardens offer unique opportunities for new immigrants (who tend to be concentrated in low-income urban communities) to:

  - Produce traditional crops otherwise unavailable locally,

  - Take advantage of the experience of elders to produce a significant amount of food for   the household,

  - Provide inter-generational exposure to cultural traditions,

  - Offer a cultural exchange with other gardeners,

  - Learn about block clubs, neighborhood groups, and other community information.

• Community gardens offer neighborhoods an access point to non-English speaking communities.

• Community gardens allow people from diverse backgrounds to work side-by-side on common goals without speaking the

   same language.

• Community gardens donate thousands of pounds of fresh produce to food pantries and involve people in processes that  

   provide food security and alleviate hunger. 

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Health

• Studies have shown that community gardeners and their children eat healthier diets than do non-gardening families.

• Eating locally produced food reduces asthma rates, because children are able to consume manageable amounts of local

   pollen and develop immunity.

• Exposure to green space reduces stress and increases a sense of wellness and belonging.

• Increasing the consumption of fresh local produce is one of the best ways to address childhood lead poisoning.

• The benefits of Horticulture Therapy can be and are used to great advantage in community gardens.

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Green Space

• Community gardens add beauty to the community and heighten people's awareness and appreciation for living things.

• Community gardens filter rainwater, helping to keep lakes, rivers, and groundwater clean.

• Community gardens restore oxygen to the air and help to reduce air pollution.

• Community gardens recycle huge volumes of tree trimmings, leaves, grass clippings, and other organic wastes back into the

  soil.

• Community gardens provide a place to retreat from the noise and commotion of urban environments.

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Education & Opportunity

• Teaching youth where food comes from

• Practical math skills

• Basic business principles

• The importance of community and stewardship

• Issues of environmental sustainability

• Job and life skills

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