Exploring the Need for Community Gardens in Licking County, Ohio

Abstract

Across America, millions of households suffer from food insecurity and are unable to provide adequate meals for the family. Through financial and physical constraints such as time and distance to stores, food deserts are formed that severely limit the options available for these food insecure families. In many cases, fresh produce can become an afterthought on the grocery list which results in a lack of consumption of these healthy foods. One viable option for improving access to fresh produce is the use of a community garden where residents have access to freshly grown produce and receive various social benefits. In this research, we worked with Together We Grow Gardens (TWGG) in Licking County, Ohio, to examine factors of financial and physical need for community gardens within the county. We identified areas within the county that showed the most perceived need for a community garden, with TWGG selecting a location for future development. We then demonstrated how these methods can be generalized by expanding to all of Ohio for a county-by-county analysis of where the most perceived need is within each county.