Making a Difference
2013 - 2014
Horticulture Program Focus Team
Gardening to Enhance Community Value
Grand
Challenges
K-State Research
and Extension:
providing education
you can trust to help
people, businesses,
and communities
solve problems,
develop skills, and
build a better future.
Cheryl Boyer
Associate Professor
of Nursery Crops
785-532-3504
crboyer@ksu.edu
Rebecca McMahon
Horticulture Agent
316-660-0100, Ext 0142
rmcmahon@ksu.edu
Megan Kennelly
Associate Professor
of Plant Pathology
785-532-1387
kennelly@ksu.edu
Situation
Many Kansas communities are developing community gardens with goals of improved
health, strengthened communities, and safer neighborhoods. K-State Research and
Extension, in partnership with the Kansas Health Foundation, has awarded more than
50 grants to new and developing community gardens during the past two years. The
gardens have great potential for positive effects on individuals, their communities, and
the environment.
What We Did
K-State Research and Extension has administered the Kansas Community Gardens grant
for three years. At statewide workshops, agents specializing in horticulture and family
and consumer sciences — aided by Extension Master Gardeners — delivered educational
programming that has become an integral part of many Kansas community gardens.
These programs help gardeners learn more about basic horticultural practices, soil
improvement, water conservation, and plant selection, along with food preparation,
preservation, and nutrition.
Outcomes
Community gardens can affect their communities in a variety of ways, many of which are
difficult to quantify. Some impacts of community garden programs statewide include:
•
increased fruit and vegetable consumption,
•
increased neighborhood pride and community connection,
•
improved skills in gardening and cooking,
•
decreased budget spent on groceries, and
•
increased produce donated to those in need.
The Kansas Community Gardens grant program includes more than 1,500 new allotment
garden plots; 868,000 square feet of new garden space as part of 1,743,899 square feet of
new total community gardens; and 4,700 gardeners.
Success Story
One student who participated in the Leadership Academy Garden program had just
moved to Wichita. His father was in jail, and his mother was battling drug addiction. With
low self-esteem and little confidence in his abilities, he had spent most of his time playing
video games and eating fast food. In the Leadership Academy Garden, he found his niche
and blossomed. He discovered he enjoys gardening, has a knack for it, and now knows how
to use the harvested vegetables to improve his diet. The confidence and positive attitude
have spilled over into other aspects of his life: His grades and behavior improved along
with his attitude.
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.