Every Garden Tells a Story: Sustainable Development in a Newly Emergent Community Garden

Gardens, by their very nature, have the ability to speak to us about the role they play in the communities in which they are placed. Each story is unique and tied to the perspectives of those involved in the sowing, planting, and harvesting in each garden site. Community gardens shape the lives of the people who tend them as the people who tend them shape the life of the garden, and through the garden, the broader community. Thus, the interaction of people with the natural environment helps to create a garden's story. The central research questions addressed in this case study are: In what ways might newly emergent community gardens impact sustainability? What are economic, social, and/or environmental sustainability outcomes of a community garden within the first two-three years of existence? Finally, can a young community garden space become a catalyst for greater community involvement and the perpetuation of food security? For this research project I applied a case study approach, considering the case of Community of Hope Neighborhood Garden (COHNG), a newly emergent community garden in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Employing an inductive qualitative case study methodology, I utilized participant observation and semi-structured one-on-one and group audio-recorded interviews, exploring food security and sustainable development within the local space of the community garden through a political ecology approach. Findings indicated that the relatively low capital costs of gardening, perceived lower personal food costs, and expanded access to organic plant food contributed to economic sustainability. The garden raised awareness of environmental issues and environmental constraints through organic gardening, habitat preservation and environmental conservation, contributing to environmental sustainability. Social sustainability outcomes included: life-enhancement, education, and promotion of collective efficacy, social capital, diversity, and inclusion. COHNG became a catalyst for greater community involvement and the perpetuation of food security through the integration of the "Tables to Go" food outreach and improved food access to gardeners and persons in recovery from addiction. The case study of COHNG affirmed that newly emergent community gardens have the potential ability to enhance sustainable development and become catalysts for greater community involvement and the perpetuation of food security.Environmental Sciences Progra