Purpose:
Community gardens offer collaborative spaces for hands-on learning in
nutrition, sustainable gardening, and healthy living, while also addressing
food insecurity through producing fresh food donations for community members
in need. This study explores how a medical school community garden can serve
its participants and contribute to both educational and community health
goals.
Methods:
To inform future development, we conducted focus groups with medical
students, faculty, and community members. These two hour-long focus groups
explored perspectives on garden involvement, desired activities, and produce
preferences. Transcripts were inductively analyzed and coded by members of
the research team (n=3) who met to refine codes and resolve discrepancies.
Codes were collaboratively grouped into five key categories: community,
education, wellness, nutrition, and service. A qualitative research expert
independently reviewed and validated the codes and final categories, and
overall themes were generated.
Results:
Three core themes emerged from our analysis. 1) Community Collaboration.
Participants expressed the value of the garden as a space to build meaningful
relationships across students, faculty, and local residents. 2) Experiential
Education. Participants shared an educational perspective of the garden for
hands-on learning in nutrition, sustainability, and lifestyle medicine. 3)
Wellness and Reflection. Many participants described the garden as a wellness
activity providing breaks from academic stress and supporting mental health.
Conclusion:
Findings from this study highlight the multifaceted role a community garden
can play in medical education. Beyond promoting nutrition and sustainability,
the garden fosters student wellness, social accountability, and can be a
platform for community engagement. Integrating a garden into a medical school
environment could support holistic student development and strengthen ties
between academic and local communities.