Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 132 Document Number: C20068
Notes:
9 pages; from "Extending Extension; beyond traditional boundaries, methods and ways of thinking", APEN 2003 Forum, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, November 26-28, 2003
Kaine, Geoff (author) and Bewsell, Denise (author)
Format:
Conference paper
Publication Date:
2001-10-05
Published:
Australia
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 119 Document Number: C13509
Notes:
7 p., APEN (Australasia Pacific Extension Network) 2001 International Conference, Oct3-5, 2001, at University of South queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
8 pages., Via online journal., With growing interest in food system solutions to address poor health outcomes related to preventable chronic diseases, organizations and researchers are examining the value of community gardens as interventions to promote individual and community health. Research suggests that participation in community gardens improves access to fresh, healthy foods and increases fruit and vegetable consumption. In addition to these physical benefits, research also documents a variety of social and communal benefits, by expanding social capital, stabilizing neighborhoods, and cultivating relationships. Unfortunately, most of these studies focus on a specific case, cross case, or intervention studies within a geographically specific locale. Learning lessons from successful community garden programs can be difficult because community gardens often rely on the synergy of a complex network of support agencies that assist in various technical and educational capacities. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the use of a framework for program development and evaluation that stakeholders, including extension, can adopt to show program outcomes. The framework used a Delphi approach with a diverse panel of community garden stakeholders to reach consensus about program outcomes. The study demonstrated that the panel could reach consensus on a variety of short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes.
