Benefits of Community Gardening

by Jeffrey Douglas 

7 Benefits of Community Gardening

Have you ever participated in a community gardening project? If not, then it is time to seek one out or start an initiative yourself.

Why? Because community gardening promises so many benefits to individuals, the community, and the Environment. Just one community garden may be enough to strengthen ties within the community and even reduce crime rates.

Community gardens give the neighborhood a prettier aesthetic and provide opportunities for people to learn from

With so many possible benefits, it is no surprise that more neighborhoods are starting community garden initiatives.

What Is a Community Garden?

A community garden is a natural space where neighbors come together to plant flowers, fruit, vegetables, and herbs. They are especially popular in urban areas where grocery stores may be few and far between, and opportunities to connect with nature are rare.

City dwellers don’t have much of an opportunity to try their hand at gardening. However, a vacant lot can be transformed into a thriving green space where people gather to learn and grow at least some of their own food.

Even in suburban and rural areas, community gardens are critical for bringing neighbors together to share meaningful experiences.

Community gardens may be established by organizations such as:

• Churches
• Non-profit organizations
• Neighborhood associations
• Clubs
• Municipalities
• Community agencies

Even private landowners can participate when they donate all or at least a portion of their property to a community gardening effort.

Garden members sometimes must pay to plant and work on a plot of ground, but it also may be possible to participate simply by agreeing to tend a specific plot and donate so many hours to the garden each year. A clearly established set of bylaws can help detail who can participate and what the requirements are.

Why Establish a Community Garden?

Community gardening is excellent for neighborhoods. It has benefits for people and the community at large.

Here’s a closer look at 7 of the major benefits of community gardening.

1. Beautifying the Landscape

In many urban neighborhoods, there are vacant lots that have fallen into disuse. They may be filled with garbage, representing not only an eyesore but also a danger.

However, a community garden creates a green, living space where birds and beneficial insects congregate.

It does away with vacant lots, and their presence even may cause property values to increase.

2. Making Fresh Produce Accessible

Especially in urban neighborhoods, it can be challenging to regularly obtain fresh produce without having to drive many miles.

This means that people do not eat a healthy and nutritious diet because obtaining produce simply is too time-consuming and costly.

However, when there is a community garden in a neighborhood, studies have demonstrated that people consume more fresh fruits and vegetables.

This enables people to lead a healthier lifestyle.

3. Promoting Healthier Lifestyles

Because people have more ready access to fresh fruits and vegetables, they have an opportunity to be healthier.

Community gardening also leads to healthier lifestyles because it encourages regular exercise. Being active in the outdoors is a wonderful way to help avoid being sedentary, which is a major contributor to obesity.

4. Cleaning up the Environment

Plants naturally add oxygen to the air that people breathe. At the same time, they contribute to cleaner air by removing air pollution.

Plants further absorb rainwater, which means that there is less runoff in the streets. This, in turn, means that fewer pollutants are washed into rivers, streams, and lakes.

Because community gardeners also may practice composting, they reduce their overall waste. This is because things like tree trimmings and leaves can be turned into powerful fertilizer.

5. Building Stronger Communities

Participating in a community garden provides neighbors with an opportunity to connect on a one-on-one basis.

People who might otherwise have been cooped up at home, leading a solitary life, are brought out into the community where they can interact with others.

When people take a plot in a community garden, they foster a sense of ownership and begin to feel more personally invested in their neighborhood.

Additionally, because more people are out in the neighborhood, it may be possible to reduce crime rates. It is much easier for crime to thrive when neighbors are shut up in apartments rather than being outdoors.

6. Opportunities for Learning

Educational opportunities abound in community gardens. They are a wonderful place for people to interact with individuals who may have different cultural, social, and religious backgrounds.

Moreover, working together in the garden may be a great way to discuss environmental issues and how to live a healthier life.

People may share the knowledge they have gained about growing bigger and better produce while also gaining knowledge about business principles and working as a team.

Community gardening is especially valuable for children who may know little about where food comes from and how it is grown because it gives them a chance to participate in the food supply chain.

Some people will find a mentor among their fellow gardeners, and more than one will discover a lifelong friend.

7. Relieving Stress and Increasing Wellness

Modern life is stressful. Most people race from one activity or item on their to-do list to the next without reflecting on why they are doing what they are doing.

Gardening is an invitation to slow down, connect with nature, and foster relationships with like-minded individuals.

It creates an opportunity for people to think about all of the other items on their to-do list and decide which ones are really important and meaningful. The rest is just noise.

Accordingly, a community garden is a place that helps people to relieve stress and increase their overall sense of wellness.

Does Your Neighborhood Need a Community Garden?

Whether you are living in an urban landscape or elsewhere, community gardening is an excellent opportunity to connect with nature and your neighbors.

Look for a chance to join a community garden.

If you can’t find a community garden in your area, then it may be time to use some of LACGC’s resources to help you begin to experience the benefits of community gardening.