In local food systems research and practice, little attention has been given to the motivations and behaviors of low-income household gardeners as food provisioners. In this paper, we examine the motivations, barriers, and practices of food gardening among low-income rural U.S. residents with the goal of informing policies and programs that might support these food provisioning activities. This work draws from ethnographic inquiry, including surveys, interviews, and garden visits with households in rural, Western Pennsylvania. Over half of those surveyed (n=124) grow some of their own food, with higher rates of gardening among higher-income households. Low-income gardeners are most motivated by three things; (1) a desire to save money, (2) pleasure from the practice of gardening and time spent outside, and (3) a connection to spiritual practice. For the low-income gardeners we interviewed, gardening creates and reinforces social connections and cultural

The rural town of Meadville, PA is considered a food dessert and issues of food insecurity are a root cause of numerous chronic health problems. In 2014, 26.1% of Meadville residents were living in poverty and nearly 13% have poor nutritional status as a result of food insecurity. Meadville is categorized as a food desert according to U.S. Department of Agriculture's quantitative definition of of a food desert. Seventy percent of adults within the Northwest part of Pennsylvania, which includes Meadville, were overweight or obese in 2014 and it is estimated that the childhood obesity rate is greater than 30%. In an effort to both increase access to fresh produce and reduce the obesity rate in Meadville, a comprehensive community wellness initiation was begun in 2014. To date community gardens have been started, a fresh fruits and vegetables program has been piloted in a local elementary school, and a mobile farmers market has begun. In this presentation, we will specifically discuss the design, implementation, and assessment of a the community garden project, the school programs, and the mobile farmers market that targeted a low‐income neighborhood. We will discuss the development of the survey instruments used to assess each of these initiatives and highlight how bringing fresh produce into a school and low‐income neighborhood increased social capital in addition to access to produce. Ultimately, we will show how the pilot mobile market (conducted during the summer of 2016) was used as a proof of concept idea for a larger scale mobile market that is being created in collaboration with the local bus company. All of the work we are doing is aimed at increasing access to fresh produce in Meadville in order to improve both community and individual health.Support or Funding InformationBy funding through a grant (anonymous) given to support the Allegheny College Community Wellness Initiative.

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