Urban Community Gardens

Urban community gardens are not a new concept but are increasingly becoming more popular in the United States. According to researchers, these gardens make up 15% of the country's agricultural resources. This is because people are realizing the numerous benefits these gardens have for the area as a whole and the people who live there. Urban community gardens were started as a way to introduce another food alternative in lower socioeconomic communities. By having these gardens, community member's have more food resources that are accessible by everyone. Families can get fresh produce from the garden instead of having to worry about spending money at a grocery store. In addition, the garden provides a healthy alternative. It was mentioned in one article that the urban communities usually have poor eating habits because of what is readily available to them. Now, with the healthier options in the gardens, families can provide more nutritious meals. Another benefit is the convenience of these gardens. Sometimes certain foods are not available in local stores, but with the community gardens, the people can come together and decide what they want to be grown. They may even grow items that are not in the stores just to have more options. As for the community as a whole, these gardens bring everyone closer together. Sometimes, this can be through a shared culture or tradition because they can grow common foods that everyone in that community enjoys. It gives people more pride in their community because these are maintained by the people. It is something that belongs to everyone. As far as environmental effects, community gardens make use of sections of land that might have gone to waste. They utilize these vacant lots by replacing them with safer, more appealing and vibrant gardens. Sometimes, the local gardeners/farmers take the waste from other supermarkets and turn that into compost for these gardens, so there's a little bit of recycling going on as well. Overall, community gardens increase the value of these urban areas and increase the morale of its inhabitants as well.