GARDENS FOR HEALTH & HEALING
What is It?
Gardens for Health and Healing (GHH) was a community-based research project that took place in the years 2015-2017 to bring home gardens to households in Albany County and to design and test the best ways to measure any impacts of those gardens on the health of individuals living with multiple chronic health conditions.
Who was Involved?
GHH was a partnership between the University of Wyoming and Feeding Laramie Valley. Christine M. Porter at UWyo was Principal Investigator. Gayle M. Woodsum at FLV was Co- Investigator. Program Coordinators were Lina Dunning from FLV and Rachel Budowle from UWyo.
Funding for this project came from a UW INBRE award supported by grants from the National Center for Research Resources (5P20RR016474-12) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (8 P20 GM 103432-12) from the National Institutes of Health.
Project Goals
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Provide home gardens and gardening support to 19 Albany County residents living with multiple chronic health conditions.
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Provide guidance and regular check-ins for 19 Albany County residents living with multiple chronic health conditions to determine their own health goals and design a menu of health and wellness programs, such as intensive gardening support; harvest, cooking and preservation classes; increased food access through food shares and other programs; general health and wellness activities, such as yoga and fitness classes; a mix of any of these programs; or any other programs that could plausibly improve health and wellbeing.
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Work with the community to design the best ways to measure the impact of choice on health and wellbeing.
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Use findings to design a larger, more wide-reaching study that would provide community health and wellness support for more people in the future!
What Did the Program Include?
GHH participants choose from a variety of health and wellness programs that are intended to improve the health and wellbeing of each individual. Programs include:
Gardens: includes all materials, mentorship, and support to install and maintain a successful garden
Farm to Plate: support and education for harvesting, preservation workshops, and cooking in season
Food Access: improves access to nutritious, tasty, and culturally appropriate food
Physical Activity: group or individual exercise that accommodates the health and impact needs of each participant
General Wellness: activities that reduce stress and improve wellbeing
Key Take-aways
The outcomes of the Gardens for Health and Healing study showed that the primary benefit to all participants was an increased feeling of well-being stemming from greater opportunities for socializing with family, friends, and the community at large as well as a boost to participants' sense of self-determination and control over their own wellness. This was true both of those who primarily gardened and those who participated in classes and other activities.
Those who primarily did gardening showed marked improvements in their physical health and all participants showed improvements in mental health.
Learn More
Budowle, Rachael and Christine M. Porter
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 21 January 2022
