“Growing Wellness”: The Possibility of Promoting Collective Wellness through Community Garden Education Programs

Abstract

The Community Garden Education Program was created as a way to combat obesity in a low-income eastern North Carolina community. Observations were conducted throughout and two focus groups were held at the end of the first phase of the program to reveal the participants' perspectives. Focus group findings indicated that the initial program goals of administrators focused on obesity reduction were different from participant goals that focused on Wellness and community development. In addition, participants reported improved food sustainability as a result of the Community Garden Education Program. The implications of this research include suggestions for promoting Community Food Sustainability (CFS) that may lead to collective Wellness.

Keywords:

• community
• gardening
• learning
• nutrition
• sustainability