Abstract
An estimated 5.3 million seniors in the United States are currently food insecure (Ziliak & Gunderson, 2020). Over the next few decades, these senior populations are projected to increase dramatically, which will only exacerbate this issue (Mather & Kilduff, 2020). Community giving gardens are an emerging strategy to increase food access and offer a solution to fight food insecurity locally (Chicago Community Gardeners Association, 2014; Furness & Gallaher 2018; Sutphen, 2018). This research seeks to answer questions related to rural, senior food insecurity through a case study of a long-term community giving garden project in Orono, Maine. Based on survey data and personal interviews, this study analyzes senior participation in the Orono Community Garden (OCG) program, the impact on participants’ food security status, and senior participants’ perceptions of the experience. The results indicate that the OCG program functioned to increase food access by providing fresh food deliveries directly to senior households in need, alongside a constellation of local food assistance programs located in Orono. Participants also viewed the OCG program as a source of destigmatized and socially acceptable food access, in contrast to other food assistance programs. Community giving gardens, like the OCG program, can be an effective tool to combat senior food insecurity by providing nutritionally adequate, destigmatized food access while building local food economies.
Highlights
Introduction and Literature ReviewFood insecurity is pervasive throughout the United States
As we are seeking ways to understand where the Orono Community Garden (OCG) program fits into a larger strategy of addressing senior food insecurity in rural areas like Maine, we discovered that few studies have been conducted to date that examine the impact of community giving garden programs on food insecurity (Carney et al, 2012; Committee on National Statistics, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Food and Nutrition Board, Nation Research Council, & Institute of Medicine, 2013; Macias, 2008)
Consistent with the literature, our findings indicate there are many hurdles to achieving food security, and we acknowledge there are a variety of factors contributing to participation in different assistance programs and the hindering role that stigma plays in this particular demographic
Summary
Introduction and Literature ReviewFood insecurity is pervasive throughout the United States. Many food-insecure individuals utilize public food assistance programs and accept private food donations from food pantries and soup kitchens These private aid agencies struggle to meet the needs of vulnerable, foodinsecure populations. Community gardens can provide significant food relief during times of economic struggle and help alleviate food insecurity (Kurtz, 2001). Giving gardens, such as the Orono Community Garden (OCG) program, are donation-model community gardens where fresh produce is grown, harvested, and delivered directly to the recipients who in this case are not actively engaged in growing the food themselves (Chicago Community Gardeners Association, 2014; Furness & Gallaher, 2018; Sutphen, 2018). We look at the barriers to participation in food assistance programs and seniors’ selfperception of their own food insecurity
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