Growing Local: The Role of Urban Gardening in Fostering Food Security, Sustainability, and Community

The downtown center of Lafayette, Indiana, is situated in a food desert where access to healthy, nutritious food can be limited. Urban gardens are an effective way to increase access to healthy alternatives while also providing a number of benefits to the surrounding area, including opportunities for community growth, education, and physical activity. In summer 2016, researchers from Purdue University collaborated with Lafayette’s GrowLocal Urban Gardens Network (GrowLocal) to perform a baseline analysis of the current community gardening initiatives and explore the possibilities for expansion, development, and future community involvement through urban gardening. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were utilized throughout the research process. Stakeholder perceptions were collected through a series of interviews and focus groups. The findings from this process revealed motivations and barriers to participation. Additionally, the data demonstrated that the urban gardens as community spaces may serve a greater purpose than the fresh, healthy food alternatives they provide. Garden inventories and soil analyses were also collected at each GrowLocalaffiliated garden site. The results of this study were further used to prepare a planning document for GrowLocal that contained the following strategic recommendations: (a) implement a governing structure to partition GrowLocal operations; (b) develop internal and external communication GROWING LOCAL: The Role of Urban Gardening in Fostering Food Security, Sustainability, and Community Franklin Wagner (Forestry and Natural Resources, College of Agriculture) and Lindsey Payne (Environmental and Ecological Engineering, College of Engineering | Director, ServiceLearning, Office of Engagement) STUDENT AUTHOR BIO SKETCH Franklin Wagner is a thirdgeneration Boilermaker originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. He received his BS in environmental and ecological engineering from Purdue in 2017 and completed his master’s degree in the department of Forestry and Natural Resources in 2019. His graduate work involved applications of remote sensing for modeling forest structure. He received over $3,000 in grant and award funds during his time at Purdue. He plans to pursue a career in the field of environmental conservation. FACULTY AUTHOR BIO SKETCH Dr. Lindsey Payne is a director in the Office of Engagement at Purdue University coordinating servicelearning programs and initiatives, as well as an assistant professor in Environmental and Ecological Engineering. She is the recipient of multiple teaching awards and is the chair of the Teaching Academy. She has a BA in biological sciences from DePauw University and MS and PhD degrees in ecological sciences and engineering from Purdue University. She has also worked professionally in the nonprofit and secondary education sectors, and currently serves on multiple communitybased environmental boards. 94 PURdUE jOURNAL OF SERVICE-LEARNINg ANd INTERNATIONAL ENgAgEMENT: VOLUME 6, FALL 2019 frameworks; (c) connect with existing events, activities, and programs; and (d) develop a collaborative grant with Purdue University.