National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference 2024

Britt-Rankin, J, and Minnis, T,
This project has confirmed the research that indicates community garden programs can reduce
food insecurity, improve dietary intake, and strengthen family relationships. Across Missouri
this project continues to strengthen community food security and access to fresh produce. This
project has provided new opportunities for predominantly rural communities who have less to
retail grocers, farmer’s markets, and direct sale farms. Since 2022, 173 school and community
gardens have received infrastructure to expand existing gardens, to increase ADA accessibility,
and increase educational opportunities for community members.

MU Extension has been involved with school and community gardens utilizing them as a
learning laboratory for nutrition and health educational programs. Pre-pandemic, MU
Extension collaborated with over 900 gardens. The pandemic saw a number of these gardens
go dormant or unmanned. However, at the same time, many rural communities experienced
supply chain disruptions. Schools and retailers were unable to acquire food needed for their
local consumers. Some of those communities reached out to MU Extension for assistance to
ensure community food security. Communities recognized that to prevent this type of
disruption again they needed to develop new strategies to increase community food security. It
was determined that for long term sustainability, school and community gardens could be a
sustainable source of fresh produce as well as an educational site.

With funding made possible through Community Services Block Grant funding from the
Missouri Department of Social Services, MU Extension faculty and staff have worked with
local communities, especially throughout the rural portions of the state to increase local
produce production to ensure food security and health for all Missourians. In 2022, 103
gardens were supported with over $212,000 of infrastructure—raised beds, soil, mulch,
compost, rock for walking paths, portable garden sheds, greenhouses, and tools. In 2023,
twenty-one of the 2022 gardens and an additional 83 new garden sites received additional
infrastructure purchases totaling over $412,000. Each garden provided produce for an average
of 30 individuals/families per garden. In some communities, the produce was distributed
through the food pantry and in others it was directly distributed to families. Each site governed
how the produce was distributed. In 2023, garden sites were asked to weigh the produce
grown. Forty-two of the 2022 gardens reported their harvest. The produce reported had a
retail value of over $18,900. Our goal for 2024 is to continue supporting these and additional
gardens and to have at least 80% of gardens reporting their harvest.