Growing what you eat: Developing community gardens in Baltimore, Maryland

Food insecurity is a growing concern in the United States as it has been linked to increased health problems including obesity and diabetes. The community food security movement was created in an attempt to overcome this unequal distribution of food by localizing food production through approaches such as community gardening. The popularity of community gardening and the localization of food production are evident across the country, especially in central cities hoping to clean up vacant lots and in areas hoping to narrow the gap between production and consumption. Qualitative data from in-depth interviews with gardeners and a non-profit organization and field observations from food stores and community gardens in Baltimore, Maryland were used in this study to determine the extent to which community gardens contribute to food security. The selected study site represents different approaches to community gardening and different perceptions of healthy food. While it is evidenced that the community garden in this study contributes to individual, household, and community food security, additional help is needed in the form of education, policy, and funding to increase food security and promote healthy lifestyles.

► A food desert does exist in the Broadway East neighborhood.
► The Duncan Street Miracle Garden has helped alleviate some of the problems associated with food deserts.
► Other cities hoping to implement successful community gardens need a dedicated community, a dedicated leader, knowledge of gardening, and willingness from the city and community organizations to support the garden.
► A bottom-up approach to developing a community garden is usually the most successful.
► The Duncan Street Miracle Garden cannot alleviate the pressures of being situated in a food desert alone. Education on quality foods, the addition of food policy councils, and increased financial assistance to promote gardens and other CFS approaches is also needed.