Community gardens are neighborhood open spaces managed by and for the members of the community.
Most typically, the community garden is divided into individual plots and planted with vegetables by landless gardeners. Some families even share plots. Gardening relates to several of the Cooperative Extension System National Initiatives, especially Improving Nutrition, Diet, and Health. This article describes Extension's role in improving the life quality and socioeconomic well-being of individuals, families, and neighborhoods through community gardening in an urban environment. The data came from interviews with 178 gardeners residing in Newark, New Jersey and surrounding communities and records maintained in Rutgers Urban Gardening office.