{"id":12796,"date":"2019-10-23T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-23T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wellable.co\/blog\/gardens-foster-better-nutrition-urban-development-social-connection\/"},"modified":"2022-11-04T06:19:05","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T10:19:05","slug":"gardens-foster-better-nutrition-urban-development-social-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wellable.co\/blog\/gardens-foster-better-nutrition-urban-development-social-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"Study: Gardens Foster Better Nutrition, Urban Development, And Social Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"

A study<\/a> published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior indicates that people who participate in a community garden reap a host of benefits that go beyond healthy eating. The study was conducted by the University of California at San Francisco and Valley Verde<\/a>, a community-based urban garden association. Researchers followed 32 participants in one of Valley Verde\u2019s programs for one year, conducting interviews with the participants before, during, and after the program to track various aspects of their progress.<\/p>\n

At the end of the year, almost all of the participants reported increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, decreased stress, and increased physical activity for both adults and children.<\/p>\n

Dr. Sheri Weiser, MD, noted that these types of urban agriculture programs are \u201can important community resource that may contribute not only to nutrition and health, but also to urban development and social connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Corporate Gardens Part Of The Trend<\/h2>\n

No longer just a feature of schools or neighborhoods, community gardens have become a feature of both large corporate organizations with sprawling campuses and small offices with limited space.<\/p>\n

Companies as diverse as Kohl\u2019s, BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) of Minnesota, and Timberland have established company gardens<\/a>. BCBS of Minnesota has even taken its initiative into the community<\/a> by helping establish more than 20 employee-run gardens throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The network of gardens started by BCBS employees now provides over 10,000 pounds of fresh produce to local food pantries every year.<\/p>\n

Other companies that may not have the space of a large campus are implementing other gardening solutions, such as a living wall<\/a> or vertical aeroponic planters<\/a>. Even if these solutions don\u2019t provide as much fresh edible produce for employees, they still contribute to the overall mental and physical health of employees. Studies consistently demonstrate<\/a> that employees exposed to greenery in the office are more productive and physically and mentally healthier.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Healthy Spaces, Healthier Employees<\/h2>\n

These company gardens contribute to the community garden trend, but they can also be an important aspect of a company\u2019s wellness program.<\/p>\n

The benefits of gardening and having plants in the office have long been recognized anecdotally, but research is starting to back up what gardeners have known all along: people who connect with plants and dirt tend to reap benefits that they can\u2019t get anywhere else.<\/p>\n

For companies, having a community garden could result in a host of tangible and intangible benefits:<\/p>\n