| dc.description.abstract | Background: Community gardens provide an opportunity to strengthen local food systems, promote sustainability in the food supply chain, and compensate for inequitable access to retail outlets of fresh produce. However, urban environments present a number of unique challenges and potential risks that should be considered when planning and developing local agricultural production operations. Therefore, research is needed to characterize existing community gardens in urban areas to inform the development of effective, sustainable, and suitable risk mitigation strategies.
Methods: A mixed methods approach was used to characterize existing community gardens in Houston, Texas. First, ground and garden bed soils collected from community garden sites in Houston, Texas were screened for trace and heavy metals using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to determine whether soilborne metal concentrations were within acceptable ranges, as defined by available federal regulatory standards. Next, a geographic information system-mediated weighted overlay analysis was performed to investigate the suitability of existing community garden sites based on physical site characteristics, risk factors, and need for improved food access. Finally, a survey of Houston, Texas community gardeners was conducted to better understand their risk-based knowledge and perceptions, current gardening practices, and willingness to implement risk mitigation measures.
Results: Existing community garden sites had moderate site suitability scores for urban agricultural development overall with low suitability scores for impervious surface and soil quality. Ground and garden bed soil collected from community gardens located in Houston, Texas were found to have excess concentrations of arsenic compared to federal health screening limits. Community gardeners had few concerns with regard to risk, favored the location, quality of resources, and social atmosphere of their respective gardens, and were willing to use diverse strategies to reduce potential hazards related to garden soil contamination.
Discussion: The information provided here provides insight into community gardening in Houston, Texas. Opportunities for outreach and engagement related to potential risks associated with urban gardening were identified. This growing community serves an essential function in expanding access to healthy food items and could benefit from university partnerships that facilitate access to soil testing and remediation strategies. | en |
