1.1 Assignment 1: Community Garden Typology
There are several types of community gardens within New York State amongst the 3,000 estimated by the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets: youth and school gardens, institutional gardens, therapeutic gardens, not-for-profit plot gardens, cooperative gardens, and entrepreneurial gardens (2023). Municipalities across the state may also specify community garden types to better describe the value of community gardens or allocate resources to further community gardening efforts. For example, Westchester County includes “giving or donation gardens” and “teaching gardens” to the list on the website. Review the chart of the current community gardens typology in New York State.
Garden Type | Characteristics |
Youth and School | These gardens are designed for educational purposes and are typically located at schools or youth organizations. They provide children and young adults with hands-on learning opportunities about gardening, agriculture, nutrition, and environmental stewardship, often integrated into academic curricula. |
Institutional | These gardens are associated with institutions such as hospitals, universities, housing facilities, or places of worship. They are often used to engage specific groups within the institution, such as patients, residents, students, or members, and may focus on therapeutic, educational, or communal purposes. |
Therapeutic | These gardens are specifically designed to promote mental and physical well-being. They provide a calming, restorative environment for individuals coping with stress, trauma, disabilities, or chronic illnesses. Therapeutic gardens are intentionally accessible and may incorporate sensory-stimulating elements and food to promote dietary health. |
Demonstration or Teaching | These gardens are created to educate the public or specific groups about sustainable gardening practices, horticulture, and food production. They often showcase specific techniques, plants, or methods, such as organic gardening or permaculture, and may host workshops or training sessions. |
Allotment or Not-for-Profit | In these gardens, individual plots are assigned to members or families to cultivate their own crops. These gardens are often managed by nonprofit organizations and focus on providing affordable or free gardening opportunities for communities, particularly those with limited access to green spaces or fresh produce.
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Cooperative or Communal | These gardens emphasize collective efforts, where participants work together to grow crops or maintain the space. Harvests are often shared among members, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. Decision-making and responsibilities are typically shared, reinforcing cooperative values. |
Entrepreneurial | These gardens are designed for profit-making purposes, often focusing on the production and sale of fresh produce, flowers, or other garden products. They can serve as platforms for small-scale urban farmers, job training programs, or initiatives to support local food economies. These gardens are often called urban farms based on the location, size and/or preference of the land steward. |
Community Gardens in Urban Agriculture Case Study Assignment:
Community Gardens exist all across New York State, but due to the history and evolution of community gardens, many are concentrated in cities like New York, Albany, Syracuse, Utica, Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca, Herkimer, and Newburgh. In 2022, Cornell Cooperative Extension published the ‘Study of Urban Agriculture in New York State’ which includes a snapshot of the role of community gardens in urban agriculture and provides 5 case studies to exemplify urban agricultural operations. Review this excerpt from the study, focusing on the chart and case studies A, B and D, then answer the following short-answer questions:
Question 1: Does this chart make you think differently about the contributions of community gardens versus commercial urban farms to urban agriculture? Why or why not?
Question 2: Using the community garden types, how would you classify the gardens in each of the case studies and why?
Question 3: Based on the Community Garden Typology definitions and your case study analysis, how would you describe your community garden? Please share the type of garden your respective garden is, and which Please be sure to include any garden policies, processes, programs or activities that helped you determine your garden type.
Submit your answers here, then move on to 1.1 Assignment 2, Mission and Vision.- 6 January 2025, 7:21 AM