Creating Community Gardens to Improve Access Among African Americans: A Partnership Approach

Inadequate access is increasingly recognized as a contributor to low consumption of healthy foods. This article describes the process and lessons learned from creating rural community gardens and the benefits and challenges of moving a partnership's focus from individual and social strategies to an environmental intervention strategy. Data were collected using surveys and focus groups. Respondents noted that they ate more vegetables and fruit (88%), ate less fast food (72%), and spent less money on food (76%). Almost 50% of those who self-identified as being food insecure indicated that they were better able to provide food for themselves and their families as a result of taking part in the garden. Community gardens may be a viable way to increase access to and consumption of vegetables and fruit within rural African American communities.