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Community gardens have been a part of modern American culture since the late 19th century. Participation in community gardening has ebbed and flowed in response to changing socioeconomic conditions, and thus the current economic recession has reheightened public interest. In a review of the scholarly literature from 1999 to 2010, rigorous quantitative research studies on the effects of community gardens are found to be sparse; however, a larger body of qualitative data is available. Eleven themes related to the purposes, benefits of, and motivations for participating in community gardens are identified. Community gardens can serve as an effective tool for community-based practitioners in carrying out their roles within the arenas of organizing, development, and change.

Objective A 22-week federally qualified health center (FQHC)-based farmers’ market (FM) and personal financial incentive intervention designed to improve access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) among low-income diabetics in rural South Carolina was evaluated. Methods A mixed methods, one-group, repeated-measures design was used. Data were collected in 2011 before (May/June), during (August), and after (November) the intervention with 41 diabetes patients from the FQHC. FV consumption was assessed using a validated National Cancer Institute FV screener modified to include FV sold at the FM. Sales receipts were recorded for all FM transactions. A mixed-model, repeated measures analysis of variance was used to assess intervention effects on FV consumption. Predictors of changes in FV consumption were examined using logistic regression. Results A marginally significant (p=0.07) average increase of 1.6 servings of total FV consumption per day occurred. The odds of achieving significant improvements in FV consumption increased for diabetics using financial incentives for payment at the FM (OR: 38.8, 95% CI: 3.4–449.6) and for those frequenting the FM more often (OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1–4.0). Conclusions Results reveal a dose-response relationship between the intervention and FV improvements and emphasize the importance of addressing economic barriers to food access.

In this article, we discuss methodological opportunities related to using a team-based approach for iterative-inductive analysis of qualitative data involving detailed open coding of semistructured interviews and focus groups. Iterative-inductive methods generate rich thematic analyses useful in sociology, anthropology, public health, and many other applied fields. A team-based approach to analyzing qualitative data increases confidence in dependability and trustworthiness, facilitates analysis of large data sets,

There is a need to establish valid and reliable metrics and reporting standards for evaluating farmers' markets. Findings may inform interventions, programs, and policies to promote farmers' market use.

Objective Fruit and vegetable intake (F&V) is influenced by behavioral and environmental factors, but these have rarely been assessed simultaneously. We aimed to quantify the relative influence of supermarket availability, perceptions of the food environment, and shopping behavior on F&V intake. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting Eight-counties in South Carolina, USA, with verified locations of all supermarkets. Subjects A telephone survey of 831 household food shoppers ascertained F&V intake with a 17-item screener, primary food store location, shopping frequency, perceptions of healthy food availability, and calculated GIS-based supermarket availability. Path analysis was conducted. We report standardized beta coefficients on paths significant at the 0.05 level. Results Frequency of grocery shopping at primary food store (β=0.11) was the only factor exerting an independent, statistically significant direct effect on F&V intake. Supermarket availability was significantly associated with distance to food store (β=-0.24) and shopping frequency (β=0.10). Increased supermarket availability was significantly and positively related to perceived healthy food availability in the neighborhood (β=0.18) and ease of shopping access (β=0.09). Collectively considering all model paths linked to perceived availability of healthy foods, this measure was the only other factor to have a significant total effect on F&V intake. Conclusions While the majority of literature to date has suggested an independent and important role of supermarket availability for F&V intake, our study found only indirect effects of supermarket availability and suggests that food shopping frequency and perceptions of healthy food availability are two integral components of a network of influences on F&V intake.

The influence of local food environments on the risk for obesity is important overall, but may be particularly important for food insecure populations in urban settings. Access to healthful foods is most limited among racial and ethnic minorities and low-income populations; these same populations experience the highest rates of obesity and food insecurity. Few valid and reliable measures have been developed to assess the quality of local food environments. This research addresses this gap by introducing an inventory for measuring self-reported perceptions of food access and then compares the perceptions measure to objective assessments of local food environments. Data are focused on an urban population experiencing disproportionate rates of food insecurity. The four-item perceptions of food access inventory had high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.80). Participants' perceptions of access to healthful foods mirrored the reality of their food environment; however, perceptions of access to alcohol and tobacco were less accurate. Findings suggest that people living in low-income, urban, minority, and food insecure communities can validly assess (in)access to healthful foods. Future research is needed to further validate the perceptions of food access measure introduced and, more importantly, to develop strategies for increasing access to healthful foods in food insecure contexts.

IntroductionWe examined the influence of an intervention to increase fruit and vegetable purchases at farmers’ markets for recipients of food assistance, Shop N Save (SNS), on revenue trends at a farmers’ market located at a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in rural South Carolina. We compared revenue trends for 20 weeks before the intervention (2011) and 20 weeks after (2012).MethodsSNS provided one $5 monetary incentive per week to customers spending $5 or more in food assistance at the farmers’ market. SNS was available to any farmers’ market customer using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and/or Senior or WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) vouchers. Sales receipts were recorded for each transaction at the farmers’ market to document payment type and the cost of the purchase. All SNS participants completed a one-time enrollment survey.ResultsA total of 336 customers self-enrolled in SNS from June through October 2012. Most SNS participants were female, African American, and patients at the FQHC. In total, the use of all forms of food assistance (SNAP, WIC, and FMNP) at the farmers’ market increased significantly after the intervention (from 10% before, to 25% after, P = .003). Senior FMNP vouchers and SNAP usage increased the most.ConclusionInterventions that provide incentives to recipients of food assistance programs at farmers’ markets are a viable strategy for increasing food assistance usage and revenue.