health care foundation of greater kansas community gardens

8/4/2019 Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas Community Gardens

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-care-foundation-of-greater-kansas-community-gardens 1/8

HCF GranT reporTCommunityGardenFunding2007-2010



TheHealthCareFoundationofGreaterKansas

City(HCF)committedapproximately$1milliontosupportninecommunitygardenprojectsfrom2007to2010.1Theseprogramsprovidedgardenplots,freshvegetables,andnutritiontrainingtoapproximately2,244people(1,887childrenand357adults)inHCF’ssixcountyservicearea.2

Thegranteestargetedparticipantsandneighborhoodswithlimitedaccesstofresh,highqualityfoodsandgrocerystoresinordertoaddressobesityandhealthylifestylesintheseunderservedareas.Mostprojects

includedtrainingoncookingfreshvegetablesandnutritioninadditiontohands-onandworkshopinstructionongardening.Somegranteesalsosupportedfarmers’markets.

• Healthbenetsincludebetteraccesstofreshfruitsandvegetables(especiallyamonglow-incomefamilies)whichleadtobetterdietsandnutrition;reducedasthmaduetoconsumptionoflocalfoodswithtolerablelevelsofpollen.

• Economicbenetscanaccruetoindividualsormunicipalities.Individualscansellproducegrownincommunitygardensasasourceofincome.

Additionally,communitygardenshavebeenshowntoincreasethevalueofnearbyhomesandtobemorecosteffectivetomaintainthantraditionalcityparks.

1 Thenineprojectsrepresentsevenorganizations.TwoorganizationsreceivedtwoHCFgrantseach.

2 Allnumbersreportedareestimatesfortworeasons:(1)Fouroftheprogramsincludedinthisreportwerestillinprogresswhentheseresultswerecalculatedand(2)Granteeswerenotconsistentinthewaytheyreportednumberofservicesandindividualsservedduringthegrantperiod.Estimatespresentedhereareconservative.

3 Sourceforbackgroundinformation:MultipleBenetsofCommunityGardening,byGardeningMatters,Minneapolis,MN

http://www.gardeningmatters.org/resources/multiple_benets.pdf.

HCF GranT reporTCommunityGardenFunding2007-2010

ThepurposeofthisreportistoevaluatetheninecommunitygardenprojectsasasingleHCFfundingcluster.

Examplesfromindividualgranteesarefeaturedonlytoillustratecertainpoints.

• YouthBenets.Communitygardensprovideahands-on,outdoor,exerciseintensivelearningenvironmentforyouth.Youthinvolvedwithcommunitygardenstendtohavebetterknowledgeofnutritionanddietandlearnimportantlifeskills.

• Culturalbenets.Communitygardensareaneffectivewaytoengagenon-Englishspeakingcommunitiesaswellasanappropriatevenueforintergenerationalinteraction.

• Therapeuticbenets.HorticultureTherapyhasbeenshowntobesuccessfulincommunitygardensandcanbeusedfordifferentpopulationsincludingmilitaryveterans.Reductionsinstresslevelsandhealthcomplaintsareassociatedwith

exposuretogreenspace.

BaCKGroundResearchhasshownthatcommunitygardeninghashealth,economic,youth,cultural,andthera-

peuticbenets3



Onegranteespecicallyincludedrefugeepopulationsasitstarget.Thisprojectemphasizedgardeningbothasasourceoffreshproducetosupplementfamilydietsandasapotentialbusinessopportunityforrefugees.Anothergranteeincludedwomenwhohadexperienceddomesticviolenceandtheirchildren.Thisprojectemphasizedboththepsychologicalhealingpotentialofgardeningandgreenspaceaswellasnutrition.And,oneprojecthada

particularfocusontheelderlyanddisabled.

Thegrantees’servicesappeartobehighlyconcentratedgeographicallyintheKansasCityMetropolitanarea,JacksonCounty(MO)WyandotteCounty(KS),andJohnsonCounty(KS).OneprojecttargetedAllenCounty(KS).CassCounty(MO)andLafayetteCounty(MO)arenotrepresentedinthisfundingcluster.

TarGeT populaTIons

Targetpopulationsforcommunitygardenprojectstendtolivewithinverysmallgeographicareas,neighborhoods,orhousingprojects.Thisallowedtargetpopulationseasyandregularaccesstothegardens.

Fiveofthegranteestargetedschool-agedchildrenforprogramming.Twogranteeswereabletopartnerextensivelywithlocalschoolstodevelopschool-basedcommunitygardens,deliverin-classandafterschoolgardenandhealthyeatingcurriculumaswellascookingclassesandtastetesting.Psychologicalwell-beingwasthemainfocusforoneprojectthatincludedschool-agedchildrenwhohadexperiencedabuse,neglect,orabandonment.Thesechildrenwereenrolledinresidentialordaytreatmentprograms,and“horticulturetherapy”wasaddedthroughthecommunitygardenprogram.

TarGeT populaTIon

For GranT

Mostgranteesnotedthattheirtargetpopulationshadlimitedaccesstofreshfoodsduetolackofneighborhoodgrocerystores

andthatthepopulationswereatriskforobesityandoverweight.

2



BudGeT4

TheninegranteesdependedheavilyonHCFtopayforstaffpositions.Approximately$634,000,or60percentofallHCFfundsforthecommunitygardensprograms,wasbudgetedtopayforsalaryandbenets.Althoughthisisahighproportionofthefundingallocations,itisactuallymuchlowerthansomeotherHCFfundingclusters.Anevaluationof112008HCFdomesticviolencegrantees,forexample,showedthatover80percentofHCFfundingfordomesticviolencewasbudgetedforstafng.

Thegranteesspent$212,000(or20percentofallHCFfunds)on“EquipmentandSupplies.”Granteesmadeone-timepurchasessuchasagardentractor,irrigationsystem,soilandsoilamendments,andgardeningtoolswithinthiscategory.Manyoftheseitemswereexpensiveupfrontcostsofestablishingorexpandinggardens,butwillnothavetoberepeatedinthenearfuture.Thismakeslow-costsustainabilitymorelikely.

“OtherDirectExpenses”accountedfor$146,000(or14percentofallHCFfunds)andincludeditemssuchasconsultants.

4 Theseestimatesarebasedongranteesprojectedbudgets.

BudGeT /

CommunITy Garden BeneFITs

CommunITy Garden BeneFITs

Mostgranteesfocusedonthehealthbenetssuchas(1)reducingobesityandoverweightthroughbettereatingandexerciseand(2)improvingaccesstofreshproduceinlow-incomeneighborhoodsintheirstatedgoals.Yet,asacluster,thisgroupofgranteesalsodemonstratetheeconomic,youth,cultural,andtherapeuticbenetsofcommunitygardening.

Twoofthegranteesworkedspecicallywithindividualgardeners(experiencedandbeginning)toturntheircommunitygardeningexperienceintoprotmakingenterprisesinlow-incomeneighborhoods.Thesegranteeshelpedgardeners

getaccesstosmallplotsoflandandprovidedassistancewithmarketing,packaging,andsmallbusinessmanagement.Oneofthesegranteestargetedrefugeesinparticular,asawaytohelpthembecomeeconomicallyindependentbusinesspeople.Severalgranteesstartedorsupportfarmersmarketsbothasanincomegenerationcomponentofthecommunitygardenandawaytofurtherimproveaccesstolocalandfreshproduce.

Manyofthegranteesfocusedonyouthpopulationsinschool-based,summerandresidentialtreatmentprograms.Theseprogramsintegratededucationalprogramming(26week

curriculumcalledEatingfromtheGardenandsixweekcurriculumcalledHealthyHabits)withgardening.Youthorientedprojectsincludedyouthasyoungassecondgradeandincludedmultiplecomponentssuchastastetesting,cooking,andnutritioneducation.

Finally,thetherapeuticpropertiesofthegardenspaceitselfandtheactofgardeningwerementionedbyseveralgrantees.Onlyonegranteespecicallystatedemotionalhealingforchildrenasitsmainpurpose,however.Thisgranteereportsthatchildren

learnedtoworkasteamsandlearnedsocializationskillswhileworkingtogetherinthegarden.Thechildrenforgedhealthyrelationshipswithadultvolunteers,whichwasalsohelpfulintheirtreatment.Anothergranteethatserveswomenwhohaveexperienceddomesticviolencereportsthatthepeacefulnessofthegardenhashelpedparticipants,eventhoughtheprojectisgearedtowardshealthyeatingandnutrition.



ouTComes

Granteeswereabletoachieveandexceedmanyof

theirprogramgoalsintermsofgardendevelopment,participation,education,changedbehaviorandattitudes.Forexample,theUniversityofMissouriExtensionCouncilofJacksonCountywasabletoinvolve574fourthandfthgradersat16schoolsandcommunityorganizationsingardeningandtrainingonnutrition,dietandcooking.Theirgoalwas550childrenand14schools.Theywerealsoabletotrain40“SchoolNutrition/ GardenVolunteers”todeliverthenutritionandgardeningcurriculum(calledEatingfromtheGarden),whentheirgoalwas24.LikeUniversityofMissouriExtension,mostgranteeswereabletodeliverservicestoasmanyormoreindividualsthantheiroriginaltargets.

Chg bv g chi, t

tch.TheUniversityofMissouriExtensionevaluationresultsweresomeofthemostdetailedofallthegranteesTheycompletedsurveyswithstudents,parentsandteacherstoevaluatetheimpactoftheirEatingfromtheGardenprograms.

Resultsfromsurveysshowed:• 53percentsaidtheywereeatingmorevegetables

• 77percentsaidtheywantedtocontinuetoworkinthegarden.

• 4to7percentimprovementintheirknowledgeofplantfunctioning(roleofroots)andgardeningprinciples(compostmaterials).

• Thereseemedtobelittlechangeinthechildren’sbehaviorintermsofeatingfromallthepartsof

thefoodpyramid,butnearlyhalfsaidtheywereeatingbothfromthefruitsandvegetablesgroup(49percent)andthewholegrainsgroup(40percent).

• 75ofparentssurveyed,only27percentreportedthattheirchildrenatemorefruitsandvegetablesaftertheprogramthanbefore.However,one–thirdofparentssaidthattheytriedsomeoftherecipesthatweresenthometothemthroughtheprogram.And,56percentsaidtheyintendedtohaveagardenathomeinthesummer.

ouTCome

“BeforewehadtheEatingfromtheGardenclassIdidnotknowthatgrowingplantsandharvestingthemcouldbefun.BeforethisclassIatejunkfoodandonlyalittlehealthyfood.NowIknowyoushouldeatlotsofhealthyfoodand

notsomuchfriedfood.”

TheUniversityofMissouriExtensionevaluationindicatesthatthecommunitygardenwaseffectiveinchangingchildren’s,teacher’sand

paren’tsknowledgeaboutandattitudestowardsgardening,nutrition,andfoodsafety.And,itwaseffectiveinincreasingphysicalactivity.Changingeatingbehaviors,however,appearstobeaslowerprocess.Othergrantees,includingtheFriendsofYatesprogram,reportedsimilarresults,butthroughlessextensiveevaluations.

- 5th grade student at

The University of Missouri

Extension program

4



ouTComes

Chg g t b g f. TheKansasCityCenterforUrbanAgriculturedemonstratedchangedbehaviorinurbanfarmers’willingnesstoparticipateincollaborativeefforts.Theseeffortsledtolowercosts,higherprots,andmorenancialstabilityforthefarmers.Forexample,approximately12urbanfarmerspurchasedpotatoesandorganicchickenmanuretogether,learningmoreaboutappropriatepotatovarietiesandsavingmoneyintheprocess.

Additionally,over20urbanfarmersparticipatedingrowingtransplantsintheCommunityGreenhouse,againimprovingtheirproductivityandprotpotential,sincenonecouldaffordtobuildagreenhouseindividually.

KansasCityCenterforUrbanAgricultureisalsoworkingtochangelocallandowners’attitudestowardusingvacanturbanlandforgardensthroughlocalmarketing,one-on-oneeducation,andcollaboration.Thisgranteeidentiedeightlocallandownerswhowerewillingtoparticipateinlandevaluationsandwillingtolearnaboutconvertingurbanlandtogardenspace.Asaresult,theywereabletostartthreenewneighborhoodgardensandfarms.

TheKansasCityUrbanYouthCentercommunitygardenwasoneof100youthgardensselectedbytheNationalGardeningAssociationforagardeninggrant.Therewere1,000gardenscompetingnationally.TheKCUrbanYouthgardenwascitedforthecommitment

ofitsyouthgardeners,theconvergenceofgardeningandeducationalcurriculum,anditssustainabilitypractices.ThisgardenalsowonanawardfromUniversityofMissouriExtensionfortheBestYouthGardenintheKansasCityareausingtheEatingfromtheGardencurriculum.Threemastergardens

judged25youthgardensforthiscompetition.6

CommunITy BeneFITs

Thereisanearlyuniversalobservationamongthesegranteesthatthecommunitygardenshaveinspiredindividualsandorganizationstovolunteertheirtimeanddonateresources.Localbusinessesandevenlawenforcementhavedonatedlaborandsuppliesforsettingfenceposts,buildingagreenhouseandtoolshed,improvingsoiletc.Unexpecteddonationshavebeenbothsurprisingandcrucial.

OnegranteeobtainedRussellStoverCandiesrecycledsyrupcontainersasadonationandwasabletousethemtoestablish36raisedgardenbeds.Theywereableto

savethemoneybudgetedforraisedbedsanduseitonothernecessarypurchases.Anothergranteecommentedthatanewcommunitygardenonlocationhasbecomeacentralshowpiecefortheorganizationandamajordrawforpotentialdonors.Theyfeelthattheircashandin-kinddonationshaveincreasedsinceinstallingthegarden.

Therangeofpartnershipsthathaveemergedfromthegardenprojectsincludenearly30schools,severalneighborhoodgroupsandhousingdevelopments,localrestaurants,businesses,andlargecorporationssuchasHallmark.

Communitygardensandurbanfarmingorganizationshavebeenverysupportofoneanother.SeveralprogramshavebenetedfromthepartnershipoftheMasterGardenerprogramandKansasCityCommunityGardens.

Thegardensseemtoinspirecommunityspiritandengagement,withneighborsinvolvedinfoodtastingsandfarmers’marketssponsoredbygrantees.Neighborsseemgenerallysupportiveofthegardensasgreen,attractivespace.Onegrantee,whoestablishedacommunitygarden

onarundownlotatabusytrafcintersection,reportedthatneighborscameouttocomment,carsstoppedtowatch,andthemediacameouttoreportonthechange.Oneneighborhuggedthegranteeandthankedherformaking“thatuglycornersobeautiful.”Anothergranteenotethatthechildrenparticipatingintheprojectobservedlocalcommunitymemberdonatemoney,timeandgardenstructures,sotheylearnedthevalueofgivingbacktothecommunity.Thechildrenweresurprisedthatotherswerewillingtohelptheminthisway.

6 Source:GardeningProgramReapsRecognit ionandResults.Retrievedon1/26/2011fromhttp://www.kcurbanyouthcenter.org/.

ouTComes/

CommunITy BeneFITs



CHallenGes, BarrIers

and lessons learned

Granteesidentiedseveralchallenges,barriersandlessonslearned.Mosthadalreadyidentiedstrategiesforaddressingthechallengesandbarriersthatwerewithintheircontrol.

Wth ffct cc f cit g.Fivegranteesnotedthatwetspringweatherdelayedplanting,gardendevelopmentandeducationalprogramming.Foronegrantee,thismeantchangingvegetablechoicesfromthosethatgrowinthespringto

summervegetables.Foranother,itmeantdelayingsoilamendmentpreparation,whichinturn,delayedplanting.

Asonegranteeputit,“Infarming,youmakeaplanfortheyear/month/week/day,andthenfromthatpointyouareengagedinaconstantprocessofre-prioritizing,adaptingandrefocusing,”asareactiontotheweatherorotherunanticipatedevents.

Gwig ffct gtic chic.Twogranteesnotedthatthegrowingseasondidnot

matchschoolschedules.Onegranteeaddressedthisbyplantingafallandspringgardensothattheycouldusethe26weekEatingfromtheGardencurriculumduringtheacademicschoolyear.Anothergranteeselecteda6weekalternativecurriculum(HealthyHabits)tomatchtheirsummergardenandeducationalprogramming.

Gig tchig ic i t tcc.Granteeswithlessexperienceingardeningstumbledthroughsomeearlysteps.AssistancefromestablishedorganizationsliketheKansasCity

CommunityGardenshelpedthemovercomethisbarrier.Onegranteehadthechallengeoflearningtogrowvegetablesselectedbyrefugeesfromanotherculture.ThesevegetablesdidnotalwaysgrowwellintheMissouriclimate,andthegranteehadtolearntointegratethemwithnopreviousexperience.Anothergranteetrainedvolunteersextensivelytobothdevelopgardensandteachchildrentherelatedcurriculum.Theyfoundthatvolunteerswithteachingexperiencewere

CHallenGes, BarrIer

and lessons learne

morecomfortableinthelearningenvironmentwithchildren,sotheywillbolsterteachingtrainingfornon-teachers.Gardentrainingmadevolunteersmoresuccessfulinestablishinggardens.

ritc t chgig tig hbit.Severalgranteesnotedthatitisdifcultforparticipantstochangetheireatinghabitstointegratemorefreshgardenproduce,eveniftheparticipantssupportedthegardeneffortingeneral.Granteefoundtastetesting,cookingdemonstrations,community

celebrationswithgardenvegetablestobehelpful.

6



I thi t, i cit g jctf b th Hth C Fti f Gt

K Cit f 2007 t 2010 viw chiv fig ct.

• Sevencommunityorganizationsimplementedthenineprojects.

• FiveoftheprojectswerecompletedbythetimeofthisstudyandwerereviewedbasedontheirFinalProjectReports.

• Fourwerestillinprogressandwerereviewedbased

ontheirmostrecentInterimReports.

Th jct ic i th t it h:Ct jct

• UniversityofMissouriExtensionCouncilofJacksonCounty.EatingfromtheGarden.

• FriendsofYates,Inc.EatingSmart,HealingLives.

• KansasCityCenterforUrbanAgriculture.UrbanMarketDevelopmentProject.

• KansasUrbanYouthCenter.HealthyChoices.

• NilesHomeforChildren.HorticultureTherapy.

appendIx

pjct ti i g:

• UniversityofMissouriExtensionCouncilofJacksonCounty.EatingfromtheGarden.

• KansasCityCenterforUrbanAgriculture.FarmBusinessDevelopmentCenter.(JuniperGardensTrainingFarm&FarmBusinessDevelopmentProgram)

• SAFEBASE/UniedSchoolDistrict257.FunandFit/ FarmtoFork:HealthySprouts

• ElmCreekCommunityGarden.GrowingtheElmCreek

CommunityGarden

health care foundation of greater kansas community gardens

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