Growing Together: Poverty Alleviation, Community Building, and Environmental Justice through Home Gardens in Pacoima, Los Angeles

Abstract

Residential gardens have been understudied as spaces for community building, health, housing improvement, and environmental justice. While research in the environmental justice and food justice literatures have focused primarily on community gardens, there continues to be a dearth of research and understanding of the benefits and potential challenges of home gardens, for individuals, families, and communities. This community based research project examines a cohort of 36 families that received a home garden, training classes, plants and supplies, and technical support in the spring, summer, and fall of 2013 through a program run by Meet Each Need with Dignity (MEND). MEND is an antipoverty organization operating in Pacoima, a low-income, historically industrial, and predominantly Latino neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles. We follow families through one planting cycle, interviewing participants upon receiving their garden and through their first harvest. While in the first stage of a multi-year effort, our data demonstrates the potential for home gardens to contribute to household food budgets, increase pride in homes, motivate community involvement, and provide proximate pockets of green space. This project is a first step towards filling the gap in the literature on home gardens and their potential role in greening communities burdened by historical pollution.