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.