Impact of home garden interventions on household access to vegetables for nutrition security in kavreplanchok district of Nepal

The study was conducted during 2020-2021 to identify the contribution of home garden interventions towards household access to vegetables amidst COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. Kavreplanchok district was the selected site of study wherein checklist, focus group discussion and field observation were the major data collection methods. Women in the treatment group participated in home gardening orientation and vegetable gardening activities, however, only data collection was done in the control group. Post-intervention data showed 46% households in treatment group practiced improved organic vegetable gardening technologies as compared to 10.67% in control. Furthermore, annual vegetable requirement met from home garden was 62% in treatment group, while it was only 36 % in control group. Similarly, the knowledge on nutrition, home gardening technology and proper handling of vegetables has increased significantly.

Financial Security of Farmers through Homestead Vegetable Production in Barishal District, Bangladesh

Homestead farming is always ignored though it is a boundless promising area for economic sustainability. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to determine the present status of the homestead vegetable production and also to ascertain the socio-economic condition of the local farmers of the Barishal District. The influence of different types of socio-economic factors on the economic security of the farmers through homestead vegetable production was also investigated through this study. Following proportionate random sampling technique, a total number of 180 farmers were sampled from three villages of Babuganj Upazila of Barishal of Bangladesh and were interviewed through a predesigned questionnaire. The findings of the study revealed that half of farmers were more than 50 years old, of whom 89% were educated either primary to more than SSC level and had an average family annual income of USD 1967.9. The family size of the respondents indicated that 80% of the farmers had small to medium (4-6 members) family size. The findings also indicated that, on an average, the farmers had 1.25 acre of total land and 0.17 acre of homestead vegetable land in which they spent about 3 hours of time in a day to perform homestead vegetable production. Out of all the farmers, 30% of them didn’t receive any training on any agriculture related issues and 30% of them didn’t receive any training on homestead vegetable gardening related issues. The farmers of the study area practiced some technologies in homestead vegetable production, like, balanced fertilizer use, and pheromone trap. The farmers produced different types of vegetables in their homestead areas and among them green papaya, brinjal and tomato were the dominant. The results of the study also revealed that the farmers earned about USD 50 per year from homestead vegetable gardening which helped them to upsurge some sorts of financial safety and improve nutritional status of their families. In addition, out of nine attributes, two attributes, namely, family size and vegetable land ownership had significant influence on the financial security through homestead vegetable gardening.

Southwest Harvest for Health: An Adapted Mentored Vegetable Gardening Intervention for Cancer Survivors

Harvest for Health is a home-based vegetable gardening intervention that pairs cancer survivors with Master Gardeners from the Cooperative Extension System. Initially developed and tested in Alabama, the program was adapted for the different climate, growing conditions, and population in New Mexico. This paper chronicles the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of “Southwest Harvest for Health”. During the nine-month single-arm trial, 30 cancer survivor-Master Gardener dyads worked together to establish and maintain three seasonal gardens. Primary outcomes were accrual, retention, and satisfaction. Secondary outcomes were vegetable and fruit (V and F) intake, physical activity, and quality of life. Recruitment was diverse and robust, with 30 survivors of various cancers, aged 50–83, roughly one-third minority, and two-thirds females enrolled in just 60 days. Despite challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, retention to the nine-month study was 100%, 93% reported “good-to-excellent” satisfaction, and 87% “would do it again.” A median increase of 1.2 servings of V and F/day was documented. The adapted home-based vegetable gardening program was feasible, well-received, and resulted in increased V and F consumption among adult cancer survivors. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this program and to inform strategies to increase the successful implementation and further dissemination of this intervention.

Designing a Gardening Intervention to Improve Health: Recommendations From New and Experienced Gardeners

Objectives Gardeners consume more fruits and vegetables (F&V) and have lower body mass indexes (BMI) than non-gardeners, making gardening a potential public health intervention. Little is known about information needed to teach gardening skills to novice gardeners. This study investigated what never gardeners (NG) and experienced gardeners (EG) perceived as necessary information to teach gardening. Methods Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) workers responded to demographic and gardening questions via an online survey. After reviewing responses for completeness, 415 participants were included in the analysis. Participants were characterized by gardening experience level based on the total years they had gardened (0 years = NG, 1 + years = EG). In open ended questions, NG were asked: “What, if anything, would encourage you to start vegetable gardening?” and “What information do you think you would need to start a vegetable garden?” Experienced gardeners were asked “What information would be most important to teach someone who is new to vegetable gardening?” Qualitative responses were coded and the most frequent responses are presented. Results The overall sample had a mean age of 40 years, was 47% female, 80% white, and 68% with a college degree. There were 203 NG (48.9%) and 241 EG (51.1%). For reasons that would motivate NG to start a garden, the two most frequently indicated were, 1) having the space needed to start a garden (n = 33, 16%) or 2) if it would be a way to save money (20, 9.7%). For NGs the most frequently mentioned response to what information they would need to start vegetable gardening on their own was information regarding maintenance, such as sunlight, water, weeding, and spacing (n = 30, 14.8%). For EGs the most frequent response to what information would be most important to teach someone new to vegetable gardening, was also information related to maintenance such as, such as sunlight, water, weeding, and spacing (n = 41, 17%). Conclusions Gardening is a potential public health intervention that can influence health. Understanding space needs, costs of starting a garden, and knowing when to plant are key learning topics needed when developing these interventions for new gardeners. Future analyses will investigate the preferences and characteristics of those who would like to participate in an online versus an in-person gardening intervention. Funding Sources None.

Costs and Benefits of Vegetable Gardening

Home vegetable gardening has numerous documented benefits, including savings on the family food bill. How can a gardener calculate cost savings from a garden? Which vegetables cost more to grow in the garden and which cost less? This 10-page fact sheet written by Kevin Athearn, Hannah Wooten, Liz Felter, Catherine G. Campbell, Jessica M. Ryals, Matthew C. Lollar, Juanita Popenoe, Lorna Bravo, LuAnn Duncan, Christa Court, and Wendy Wilber and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department helps home gardeners estimate the costs and cost savings from vegetable gardening

Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Daerah Terisolir dan Tertinggal melalui Strategi Promotif Preventif Pendidikan Kewirausahaan Ekonomi Pertanian

Kegiatan ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan dan mengembangkan potensi di wilayah terisolir khususnya di bidang kesehatan, ekonomi, perikanan dan pertanian, serta pendidikan sehingga mendukung upaya peningkatan derajat kesehatan dan kesejahteraan masyarakat di wilayah terisolir dan tertinggal. Metode yang dilaksanakan adalah kemitraan bersama pemerintah desa, dan instansi terkait untuk peningkatan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Daerah Terisolir dan Tertinggal Melalui Strategi P3KEP (Promotif Preventif Pendidikan Kewirausahaan Ekonomi Pertanian. Sasaran program ini adalah masyarakat Desa Teluk Pakedai, karena letak desa yang terisolir membuat akses teknologi dan informasi menjadi terbatas. Hasil kegiatan berupa Pembentukan dan Pembinaan desa siaga, melalui lokakarya mini, promosi kesehatan meliputi penyuluhan tentang PHBS, sosialisasi jamban sehat, sarana air bersih, sanitasi lingkungan, gizi, pelatihan kader desa siaga dan kader posyandu, pelatihan manajemen desa siaga, pembentukan keluarga siaga dan remaja siaga, pembuatan teknologi penyarimgan air bersih sederhana percontohan, Praktek penerapan pengolahan sampah dengan sistem 5R menuju zero waste, sosialisasi pemanfaatan lahan perkarangan untuk vegetable gardening dan tanaman obat keluarga (TOGA). Bidang kewirausahaan ekonomi pertanian dan perikanan melalui pembentukan dan pembinaan kelompok wanita tani, pelatihan pembuatan keramba jaring apung dan keramba jaring tancap, pelatihan pembudidayaan dan peningkatan produksi ikan, pelatihan pengolahan hasil perikanan, pelatihan pembibitan pengolahan hasil perkebunan, sosialisasi pengemasan produk hasil perikanan dan perkebunan. Bidang Pendidikan melalui pelatihan dan pembentukan kader rumah pintar, pemanfaatan bahan yang tersedia dengan berbagai metode. Kegiatan telah dilaksanakan di berbagai bidang dengan pemberian informasi, keterampilan serta teknologi percontohan, sehingga perlu pengembangan secara optimal dan berkelanjutan. Oleh karena itu kerjasama antara pemerintah desa dan instansi terkait dan perguruan tinggi perlu terus dilakukan agar pembinaan dan pengembangan desa siaga, terutama di Kecamatan Teluk Pakedai Kabupaten Kubu Raya menjadi berkelanjutan untuk mewujudkan masyarakat yang sehat dan sejahtera.

Beans and Melons: Rousseau’s Vegetable Garden

This article focuses on a rarely studied aspect of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s oeuvre: his interest in gardening and more precisely vegetable gardening. Close attention to the text reveals that gardening is part of larger philosophical questions related to private property, luxury, space, education and theatre. Some of Rousseau’s most productive ideas are supported by references to gardening particularly the cultivation of ‘miserable’ beans and ‘prized’ melons. The two plants which were commonly grown in eighteenth-century gardens are at the centre of a philosophical parable in Emile. Beans and melons and their symbolical values fertilise larger questions Rousseau engaged with throughout his life. Although he favoured botany over horticulture, he used kitchen gardens as sites of philosophical experiments.