Home Vegetable Gardens Research Articles

Solar irrigator: analysis of its performance a home vegetable garden according to a Gaussian Distribution

The maturation process of some vegetables depends on many factors, among the main ones are the amount of sunlight received in the form of infrared radiation, which is responsible for their growth, and the amount of water absorbed during the days, which plays a fundamental role in the biochemical process for the production of energy by the plant. Depending on the region, if the plant receives too little or too much solar radiation during the days and how it is irrigated determine its growth and production. This study aimed to analyze the performance of an automatic solar irrigator built with low-cost materials in a small beet crop, implemented in a region located 17 km from the city of Abaetetuba during the months of March, April, May, and June. The results showed that the irrigator had better performance in the month of June due to the balance between high temperatures (satisfying a Gaussian distribution) and the amount of water delivered. It was found that the performance of the solar irrigator, although satisfactory, did not have a good evaluation in the production of beets, thus it is not a determining factor in the production of this type of crop under the research conditions.

"You are what you eat": Plant-Human Relations in Home Gardens

Gardening has long been conceptualized as a practice that blurs nature-human binaries and connects humans to nature in rapidly urbanising worlds. Based on six weeks of fieldwork on the Cape Flats, this article explores human interpretations of beyond-human connections and experiences that are engendered in their home vegetable gardens. It weaves together ethnographic data and theoretical frameworks like posthumanism, multispecies ethnography and actor-network theory to analyse the inner workings of these relationships. I collaborated with six interlocutors and their gardens to reveal how companionships with plants and their produce complicate, contest or conform to nature-human binaries. In doing so, this paper investigates how through gardening, interlocutors come to recognize otherwise ‘invisible’ elements in the natural world as valued companions that not only co-produce healthy vegetables, but also co-create identities, emotions, practices, and justices. However, this paper also traces the exchanges that take place within the garden, contending that only the gardening agents that are perceived capable of maintaining beneficial reciprocities come to be coded as companions, whilst others that do not become pests or nuisances. Through these insights, it aims to add nuances to the claims that gardening dissolves human-nature dichotomies.

Factors influencing the sustainability of homestead vegetable production intervention in Rufiji, Tanzania: A cross-sectional mixed methods study.

There is growing evidence that home vegetable gardening interventions improve food security and nutrition outcomes at the family level. Sustainability of many of these community interventions remain a challenge. This study assessed factors influencing the sustainability of homestead vegetable production intervention in Rufiji district, Tanzania, one year after the cessation of external support. This was a community based cross-sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. A total of 247 randomly selected women from households who participated in the homestead vegetable intervention were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The study held four focus group discussions with women from households that participated in the intervention, and four In-Depth interviews with two extension workers, one community health worker, and one agriculture district officer. Multiple logistic regression for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data was conducted. About 20.24% (50/247) of households sustained homestead vegetable production for one year after the intervention phased out. Shortage of seeds (adjusted odds ratio = 0.65: CI = 0.46-0.93, p-value 0.018) and either manure or fertilizers (adjusted odds ratio = 1.62: CI = 1.04-2.46, p-value 0.031) were significant factors influencing the sustainability of homesteads vegetable production. In the Focus Group discussions (FGDs) and In-Depth Interview (IDIs), all participating women and extension workers reported high cost of water, destruction from free-grazing animals, agriculture pests and diseases, poor soil fertility, shortage of seeds, and lack of capital affected homestead vegetable production sustainability. Existing individual, community, and system challenges influence the sustainability of external-funded agriculture and nutrition interventions. The study findings underscore the importance of community authorities, scientists, and policymakers in having a well-thought sustainability plan in all promising external-funded interventions.

HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY AND COPING STRATEGIES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Food security is one of the crucial areas of global concerns, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, a number of countries, including Malaysia, started to impose a generalised quarantine or lockdown as a measure to curb the spread of the disease. The key aspect of this measure is the restricted movement of people, goods and transportation. As a result, food supply and consequently, food security became embroiled in the mix. Questions such as will we be able to get the food supply during the pandemic, will there be enough food for everyone, and how will we cope in ensuring household food security were asked. Thus, the aim of this paper is to explore the issues of household food security and the short-term coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically focusing on the views of respondents from Sarawak, Malaysia. Findings and discussion in this paper are based on data that was collected online from 235 respondents from all over Sarawak, Malaysia. It is found that availability of food is not really an issue but the challenges of food security during the COVID-19 pandemic are more focused on access to their preferred food and the choices of food that are available. A number of coping strategies has also been identified, such as getting food from alternative sources like online shopping, home vegetable gardens and preservation and storing of surplus food to make them last longer. These measures are not considered as severe.

Costs and Benefits of Vegetable Gardening

Home vegetable gardening has numerous documented benefits, including savings on the family food bill. How can a gardener calculate cost savings from a garden? Which vegetables cost more to grow in the garden and which cost less? This 10-page fact sheet written by Kevin Athearn, Hannah Wooten, Liz Felter, Catherine G. Campbell, Jessica M. Ryals, Matthew C. Lollar, Juanita Popenoe, Lorna Bravo, LuAnn Duncan, Christa Court, and Wendy Wilber and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department helps home gardeners estimate the costs and cost savings from vegetable gardening

Nutrition Security through Sustainable Home Garden Food Production Initiatives

Food security is achieved through food availability, economic and physical access, proper food utilization, and food stability. Safeguarding the access to sufficient food is more a problem than availability for the most malnourished group as food insecure households favor quantity over quality to avoid hunger. The Nutrition and Dietetics Department of Silliman University, in partnership with the local government units of San Jose and Amlan in Negros Oriental, launched the Nutrition and Food Security Training Program to reduce the problem of malnutrition. One of the components of the program is sustainable home garden food production, which emphasized the role of home gardening to improve access to food quality, thereby addressing nutrition security. This qualitative study seeks to describe the views of the participants on home vegetable gardening to address food and nutrition security. A total of 20 participants were invited to participate voluntarily in this qualitative study. A focus group discussion was used as a qualitative tool. As a result, participants realized that having a home garden can improve nutrient consumption, provide economic benefits, and address food security of the household. Food security was tenable within their homes through concerted efforts, patience, and love. Barangay policymakers were encouraged to formulate legislation and include in their budget the promotion of home gardens to improve the nutritional status of their constituencies.

Aportes de la práctica pedagógica en las comunidades rurales del municipio de Restrepo, Departamento del Meta (Colombia)

Las instituciones de educación superior dentro de su responsabilidad están llamadas a confrontar la acción social de sus estudiantes y egresados con la pertinencia de los programas que ofrece. El objetivo del estudio logró establecer los aportes educativos, productivos y comunitarios de estudiantes del programa “Licenciatura en Producción Agropecuaria” de la Universidad de los Llanos en comunidades rurales intervenidas en el municipio de Restrepo, durante el periodo 2012- 2014 a partir de procesos de formación en seguridad alimentaria y educación ambiental orientados desde los cursos de Educación y Extensión Comunitaria, y la Práctica Profesional Docente. Como ruta de investigación se optó por la cualitativa vinculando elementos propios de la complementariedad, se priorizaron técnicas como la observación participante, la interacción con la población objeto de estudio, el diseño y aplicación de fichas de caracterización, entrevistas en profundidad, grupos focales y la construcción de una matriz DOFA para el análisis reflexivo de la información obtenida. Los resultados de la investigación ratifican algunas de las fortalezas del programa de Licenciatura en Producción Agropecuaria: la formación pedagógica y humanista de los futuros docentes es útil para afrontar procesos de formación en educación no formal, para contribuir al mejoramiento de la calidad de vida de las comunidades participantes, quienes implementaron procesos de producción limpia de alimentos, escenarios de conservación de ecosistemas naturales y el fortalecimiento de los lazos comunitarios en pro de su desarrollo. El estudio concluyó que cuando la práctica pedagógica es contextualizada se consolidan soluciones para la diversa población rural atendida, que se hizo evidente con la implementación técnica y sustentable de huertas caseras, la adecuación de senderos ecológicos para la promoción del manejo ambiental, la implementación de proyectos sostenibles de avicultura, cunicultura, producción de abonos orgánicos, la agroindustrialización de productos y la implementación per se de procesos de seguridad alimentaria.

Converting Home Spaces Into Food Gardens At the Time of Covid-19 Quarantine: All the Benefits of Plants in This Difficult and Unprecedented Period.

People are facing uncertain and difficult times in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. The benefits of plants (psychological, health, economic, productive) in this period of forced isolation can be of key importance. If many of us have to self-isolate in urban or suburban environments, we need something to do to keep our bodies and minds active and fed. In such a challenging scenario, a vegetable garden in home spaces can bring recreational, health, economic and environmental benefits. Regardless of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is untapped potential for this kind of garden to impact environmental outcomes, public awareness, and market trends. Home vegetable gardens could provide a small-scale approach to the sustainable use of natural resources, leading towards self-sufficiency, self-regulation, sustainability, and environmental protection.

Autonomous Mowers Working in Narrow Spaces: A Possible Future Application in Agriculture?

Autonomous mowers are becoming increasingly common in public and private greenspaces. Autonomous mowers can provide several advantages since these machines help to save time and energy and prevent operators from possible injuries. Current autonomous mowers operate by following random trajectories within areas defined by a shallow-buried boundary wire that has the purpose to generate an electro-magnetic field. Once the electro-magnetic field is perceived by the autonomous mower, the machine will stop and change direction. Mowing along random trajectories is considered an efficient solution to manage areas with a variable number of obstacles. In agriculture, autonomous technologies are becoming increasingly popular since they can help to increase both the quantity and quality of agricultural products by reducing productive cost and improving the production process. Thus, even autonomous mowers may be useful to carry out some of the agricultural operations that are highly time consuming. In fact, some autonomous mowers designed and realized to work in vineyards and home vegetable gardens are already available on the market. The aim of this study was to compare the work capacity of six autonomous mowers that move along random trajectories in areas with a high number of obstacles to assess if these machines may be employed in some agricultural contexts. The six autonomous mowers were split in three groups based on their size (large, medium, and small) and were left to work in two areas with equal number of obstacles but different layouts. The first area (Site A) had a square shape and an extension of 23.04 m2, in order to keep the autonomous mowers enclosed inside it. The second area (Site B) had a square shape and an extension of 84.64 m2, in order to have a part of the area with no obstacles. The layout and the size of the two areas affected the autonomous mowers performances in different ways. The six autonomous mowers working on Site A obtained similar results and higher performances compared to the same mowers working on Site B. All the autonomous mowers proved to be able to mow more than 89% of Site A after 2 h and more than 98% of Site A after 5 h. On Site B small size autonomous mowers obtained the best results mowing more than 83% of the area with obstacles after 2 h and more than 98% of the area with obstacles after 5 h. However, specific work settings allowed larger autonomous mowers to improve their efficiency, obtaining similar results compared to smaller autonomous mowers.

Converting Home Spaces into Food Gardens at the Time of Covid-19 Quarantine: all the Benefits of Plants in this Difficult and Unprecedented Period.

People are facing uncertain and difficult times in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. The benefits of plants (psychological, health, economic, productive) in this period of forced isolation can be of key importance. If many of us have to self-isolate in urban or suburban environments, we need something to do to keep our bodies and minds active and fed. In such a challenging scenario, a vegetable garden in home spaces can bring recreational, health, economic and environmental benefits. Regardless of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is untapped potential for this kind of garden to impact environmental outcomes, public awareness, and market trends. Home vegetable gardens could provide a small-scale approach to the sustainable use of natural resources, leading towards self-sufficiency, self-regulation, sustainability, and environmental protection.

Foodborne illness prevention in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia: Preliminary efforts to understand household agricultural practices

While strategies to mitigate risks for foodborne illness and childhood diarrhea via sanitation and behavioral interventions have been explored, there is a dearth of knowledge about household practices regarding food production and use, livestock, and other sources of risk for foodborne illness in urban and peri-urban areas. The objective of this research was to increase understanding of household agricultural practices in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia in order to design targeted behavioral interventions to improve food safety and decrease diarrheal disease. A convenience sample of 21 teachers and parents were recruited for a mixed-methods pilot survey. The survey covered topical areas such as methods for growing, washing, and cooking produce, specifically focusing on practices in home vegetable gardens. Participants were also asked about fertilizers and manures used, animals on the property, and irrigation water sources. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and data were analyzed with SAS 9.2. The majority ofparticipants (76.2%) reported growing some or all of their own food, and many used compost (62.5%) and manure (62.5%) as fertilizer. Uncomposted manure was used as fertilizer by half (50.0%) of respondents who reported the use of manure. Respondents most commonly reported raising chickens (23.8%), yet among those using manure, they most commonly reported using sheep or lamb manure as fertilizer (50%). Most (93.7%) respondents used municipal water to irrigate their crops, while none of the respondents reported using surface water to irrigate. Nearly all (95.2%) reported always washing their produce before eating it. Respondents most commonly requested education regardinghow to more effectively grow produce. This study suggests that children and adults in Debre Berhan may have a high risk of exposure to pathogens via contact with uncomposted manure and multiple species of animals. Findings identify an opportunity for increased education in the topical areas of urban agriculture and diarrheal disease prevention. In particular, education regarding the safe utilization of manure as fertilizer could be included in agricultural extension programs. Additional research is needed to understand the extent of exposure via common household sources to pathogens that cause diarrheal disease.

Vegetables: New Zealand Children Are Not Eating Enough.

We know that eating a variety of vegetables every day is associated with favorable health across the lifecourse. Internationally, food-based dietary guidelines encourage the consumption of a variety of vegetables and fruit but globally,people are not eating enough vegetables to meet the three-or-more-a-day guideline. Vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals, fiber, and many bioactive compounds that promote health and provide energy. They also help reduce hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiencies) and support the healthy growth and development of children. New Zealand is a world leader in the production of diverse nutrients and foods yet poverty and other environmental barriers mean only one in two children eats three-or-more servings of vegetables a day. Price and availability are limiting factors. The proliferation of community, school and home vegetable gardens and vegetable cooperatives may improve access. On a macro level, upstream policies such as a “living wage,” affordable housing, and land-use planning are required. International dietary solutions include an agricultural shift to intensified horticulture with a focus on vegetables. The consumption of more plant-based foods including vegetables would reduce green-house gases, reduce land clearing, and help prevent diet-related disease if consumed daily across the lifecourse.

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Home Vegetable Gardening Intervention among Older Cancer Survivors Shows Feasibility, Satisfaction, and Promise in Improving Vegetable and Fruit Consumption, Reassurance of Worth, and the Trajectory of Central Adiposity

BackgroundHolistic approaches are sought to improve lifestyle behaviors and health of cancer survivors long term. ObjectiveOur aim was to explore whether a home-based vegetable gardening intervention is feasible and whether it improves diet and other health-related outcomes among older cancer survivors. DesignWe conducted a feasibility trial in which cancer survivors were randomized to receive a year-long gardening intervention immediately or to a wait-list control arm. Home visits at baseline and 1 year assessed physical performance, anthropometric indices, behavioral and psychosocial outcomes, and biomarkers. Participants/settingParticipants included 46 older (aged 60+ years) survivors of locoregionally staged cancers across Alabama from 2014 to 2016. Forty-two completed 1-year follow-up. InterventionCooperative extension master gardeners delivered guidance to establish three seasonal vegetable gardens at survivors’ homes. Plants, seeds, and gardening supplies were provided. OutcomesPrimary outcomes were feasibility targets of 80% accrual and retention, and an absence of serious adverse events; other outcomes were secondary and explored potential benefits. Statistical analysesBaseline to follow-up changes were assessed within and between arms using paired t, McNemar’s, and χ2 tests. ResultsThis trial proved to be safe and demonstrated 91.3% retention; 70% of intervention participants rated their experience as “excellent,” and 85% would “do it again.” Data suggest significantly increased reassurance of worth (+0.49 vs −0.45) and attenuated increases in waist circumference (+2.30 cm vs +7.96 cm) in the gardening vs control arms (P=0.02). Vegetable and fruit consumption increased by approximately 1 serving/day within the gardening arm from baseline to follow-up (mean [standard error]=1.34 [1.2] to 2.25 [1.9] servings/day; P=0.02)] compared to controls (1.22 [1.1] to 1.12 [0.7]; P=0.77; between-arm P=0.06). ConclusionsThe home vegetable gardening intervention among older cancer survivors was feasible and suggested improvements in vegetable and fruit consumption and reassurance of worth; data also suggest attenuated increases in waist circumference. Continued study of vegetable gardening interventions is warranted to improve health, health behaviors, and well-being of older cancer survivors.

Partnerships in Sustainability: The Transition Town Movement in Minnesota

Transition Towns is a citizen-led movement that seeks to address individual and societal dependence on fossil fuels and the need to reduce greenhouse gas production in order to fight climate change. The foundation of Transition is permaculture, a design process based on whole-systems thinking informed by the patterns and relationships found in nature. Since its inception in 2005, the Transition movement has spread worldwide, as people in small groups and across large towns look for ways to take practical action to fight climate change: from home vegetable gardens to weatherization work parties, from time banks and tool shares to renewable energy systems. Transition looks different in every location because it meets the needs and draws on the skills of the local community. This article looks at Transition in one community: The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, profiling several Transition Town groups.

Effect of home vegetable gardening on the household availability of fruits and vegetables

ABSTRACT Objective: Evaluate the effect of planting herb or vegetable seeds and seedlings on the household availability of fruits and vegetables through an intervention study combining various actions (educational practices, home visits, and distribution of seeds and seedlings) for the promotion of fruit and vegetable consumption in multiple settings. Methods: Data from 70 families were analyzed. Using the stratified sampling technique, the participant families were selected from a stratum within a population of 1,743 families living in three low-income communities in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Three post-intervention groups were formed and compared: families that did not receive the seeds and seedlings during the intervention; families that received but did not plant the seeds and seedlings; families that received and planted the seeds and seedlings. Results: Among the families that did not grow their own fruits and vegetables before the intervention, those that received and planted the seeds and seedlings achieved an increase in household availability of fruits and vegetables (Δ=+5.8 percentage points) up to three times higher (p<0.05) than that achieved by the families who did not receive the seeds and seedlings (Δ=+1.8 5 percentage points) and those that received but did not plant them (Δ=+2.3 percentage points). As for the families that grew their own fruits and vegetables before the intervention, the comparison between those that did not receive the seeds and seedlings, those that received and planted them, and those that received but did not plant them showed no differences in the household availability of fruits and vegetables. Conclusion: The planting of the seeds and seedlings that they received by the families that did not grow their own fruits and vegetables before the intervention contributed to a significant increase in the household availability of fruits and vegetables.

Evaluación técnica de dos métodos de compostaje para el tratamiento de residuos sólidos biodegradables domiciliarios y su uso en huertas caseras

<p class="p1">La necesidad de plantear soluciones para apoyar la gestión integral de los residuos sólidos biodegradables ha llevado a proponer métodos de tratamiento como el compostaje, el cual consiste en la transformación de residuos sólidos por medios biológicos, bajo condiciones controladas, en productos como abono, sustrato o enmiendas para la agricultura. Por esto, se evaluó técnicamente dos métodos de compostaje de residuos sólidos biodegradables con miras a utilizar el abono resultante en huertas caseras: el primero, basado en la utilización de un sustrato degradador inoculado con microorganismos de montaña, y el segundo, inoculado mediante el procedimiento Takakura, denominados MM y TK en adelante.</p><p class="p1">En ambos sustratos se agregaron residuos sólidos biodegradables recolectados en comedores y sodas del Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC), cuya composición es similar a los residuos domiciliarios, y se analizaron las variables de temperatura, altura y pH del proceso de compostaje. Además se hicieron pruebas sensoriales del proceso y el producto resultante, y un análisis microbiológico del abono obtenido. </p><p class="p1">Ambos procesos presentaron comportamientos adecuados para la degradación de los residuos sólidos, con temperaturas superiores a 50 °C, una evolución de pH adecuada para este tipo de compostaje y una reducción en altura del volumen del material de compost. Además, no se observaron lixiviados ni se percibieron olores desagradables ni la presencia de insectos en los sitios de procesamiento. Si bien, por ambos métodos se obtuvo un abono inocuo y con características apropiadas para ser utilizado en huertas caseras, se identificaron diferencias significativas entre los procesos en cuanto a las variables temperatura y altura, no así en cuanto al pH; el compostaje con el método TK alcanzó una mayor temperatura y el volumen disminuyó más que con el MM, por lo que fue más eficiente en la reducción del residuo.</p>

Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide

Vegetable gardening offers fresh air, sunshine, exercise, enjoyment, mental therapy, nutritious fresh vegetables, and economic savings, as well as many other benefits. With some attention to planning and planting, vegetables can be grown year-round in Florida. This revised 11-page guide provides recommendations primarily for traditional home gardens, including planning your garden and choosing crops, soil preparation and maintenance, fertilization, irrigation, pest management, and other gardening know-how. Includes a planting guide, table of suggested varieties, and table of products labeled for insect and mite management in home vegetable gardens. Written by Sydney Park Brown, Danielle Treadwell, J. M. Stephens, and Susan Webb, and published by the Environmental Horticulture Department, October 2015.
 SP 103/VH021: Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (ufl.edu)

Traditional leafy vegetables of a tribal community in Jharkhand, India

Eastern India is home to diverse tribal groups. It has a wide array of hardy traditional vegetables that are cheap sources of nutritious food for resource-poor communities, but there has been little documentation of their use in this part of the country. An inventory of traditional leafy vegetables and their utilization was conducted in the Munda tribal areas of Jharkhand. Data were collected through focus group discussions, direct interviews, visits and an observation checklist guide. Although 57 species of leafy indigenous vegetables have been documented in Jharkhand, this study found 41 used in Khunti and Ranchi districts. Over half were herbs (51%), followed by shrubs (17%), trees (17%) and creepers (15%). They belonged to 26 families, but just under half were Amaranthaceae and Fabaceae. Almost a third were locally cultivated, and 35 (85%) were sold in markets at different times of the year from cultivated crops or were collected from the wild. The parts of the plant most commonly consumed were the leaves, but tender shoots, buds, flowers, flower buds and calyxes were also consumed. Generally the vegetables are sauteed and mixed with other vegetables or rice. Some are dried or used as pickles. There is a need to document the types of traditional vegetables consumed by different tribal groups and to analyze their nutritional properties and uses. Home vegetable gardening has been shown to increase vegetable consumption and diversify diets in Jharkhand; increasing the use of traditional vegetables in home gardens could make this practice more culturally and nutritionally effective. This paper will document basic details, availability, nutritive value, preference, and future commercial potential of the traditional vegetables grown or collected in tribal areas of Jharkhand.

ROLES OF HOME GARDENING: A CASE STUDY IN REMOTE ISLANDS OF OKINAWA, JAPAN

As economic development and urbanization progress in urban areas human relationships tend to suffer and the number of people suffering mental health problems tend to increase. To solve such problems, the role of home gardening or community/ allotment gardening have gained attention. Although self-sufficient home vegetable gardening has been common for a long time in Japan, this is no longer the case in urban areas. In order to determine the role of gardening and to initiate gardening in urban areas, investigations were conducted in rural areas; six remote southwest islands in Okinawa Prefecture, where people still lived traditional life styles. Interview results of 161 gardeners indicated that almost all gardeners share produce with their neighbors and/or relatives, and they believe they can strike up friendships/companionship through gardening, although some regional difference was evident. Most of the gardeners surveyed enjoy cultivating vegetables and/or fruits, and they believe that working in the garden daily and consuming garden produce is healthy. A certain gardener also indicated that produce from his garden is always shared with community members. The role of home vegetable gardening for community activation as revealed through this investigation should be utilized to achieve a healthy and fruitful urban life.

Vegetable raingardens can produce food and reduce stormwater runoff

Raingardens are garden beds designed to capture and filter urban stormwater runoff using a permeable soil substrate and plants tolerant of both drought and inundation. The construction of raingardens is actively promoted in many cities, primarily to protect local waterways from the negative impacts of stormwater such as channel erosion and degradation of water quality. To increase the adoption of raingardens by householders, it might be possible to expand raingarden functionality to simultaneously serve as “vegetable raingardens”. Vegetable raingardens would be beneficial in the context of urban agriculture, as they could overcome both space and water scarcity constraints on home vegetable gardening. However, the potential to grow vegetables in raingardens has not been explored and vegetables are significantly different to conventional, hardy raingarden plants. In an 18-month field trial, we assessed vegetable production in purpose-built raingardens. Stormwater was collected from an adjacent rooftop and was applied to the vegetable raingardens through sub-irrigation. One of the vegetable raingardens was lined underneath and the other was unlined, allowing infiltration of excess water to underlying soils. Sub-irrigation was used to limit plant stress and ensure food safety by reducing vegetable contact with potential contaminants present in stormwater. Control gardens were treated with stormwater delivered through overhead spray irrigation, or with potable water delivered by overhead sprays to also examine differences in water source on yield. A range of vegetables were planted including beetroot, onion, spinach, tomato and broad bean. The vegetable raingardens that were tested produced yields generally similar to the control gardens, which represented traditional watering methods for vegetable gardens. The infiltration-type raingarden, sized 7.5% of its catchment area, reduced both the volume and frequency of runoff by >90%. Results indicate that it is possible to both produce adequate yield in raingardens and maintain the function of raingardens in reducing urban runoff, in terms of discharge to waterways.