by Kristin Stockton, 2010 graduate of the School of Environmental Studies

Community gardens provide more benefits than most people realize. They possess the power to create tightly knit communities by promoting interaction between neighbors. They bring people together from a wide variety of backgrounds. Everyone can participate regardless of age, race, culture, or social class. They also add beauty and green space to areas and can even improve city ecosystems by helping to filter rainwater, reduce erosion, and restore oxygen.

Community gardens help to promote diversity by providing an area for people to grow whatever they choose. Certain authentic plants that may not be sold in local supermarkets or grocery stores can be grown in community gardens. Along with providing options for what can be grown, gardens promote healthier and improved diets. Community gardeners generally eat healthier, nutrient rich diets and it is even thought that gardening helps to reduce childhood obesity. They have also been noted to reduce asthma and increase immunities by exposing people to manageable amounts of local pollen. Gardening also provides a fun opportunity for exercise. Picking weeds, transferring soil, digging holes, and planting seeds all contribute to the burning of calories and movement of the body.

Education is an extremely important facet to any society. Gardening can serve as an outdoor classroom that can teach people of any age about the natural processes of the world.  It is extremely beneficial for children to participate in gardening because they learn how plants grow, and can become extremely excited to try foods that they have grown themselves. It also helps teach valuable lessons about where food comes from, which can provide a basis for education about pesticide and herbicide treatment, along with genetic manipulation. Gardening is a positive opportunity to visually observe how food grows in its raw state without any outside influence.

Valley Natural Foods is working to begin a community garden on their property within the next year, and is also constructing an outdoor classroom to help teach people how to use various gardening supplies sold at the store and how to start your own garden at home. Updates about class times and information, and access to the Co-op Calendar can be found at http://www.valleynaturalfoods.com/ .