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Community Gardens Program

A Good Idea

Description

Isles' Community Gardens Program addresses the issues of hunger, open space, and recreation by building the capacity of residents to join together, grow their own food, and beautify their neighborhoods. Isles provides materials as well as technical and organizational assistance to groups of Trenton residents seeking to transform vacant land into gardens or small parks. These gardens are essential in providing fresh produce to Trenton residents and land for recreation and beautification.

Goal / Mission

Isles, Inc., is a nationally recognized nonprofit community development and environmental organization with the mission to foster more self-reliant families in healthy, sustainable communities.

Results / Accomplishments

Isles' Community Gardens Program currently supports 43 community gardens and beautification sites throughout the City of Trenton. Many of the families involved in the program participate because they enjoy growing their own fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers, some want to save money on their food bills, or do not have access to markets for fresh produce. Others simply take pleasure from exercise and being outdoors. There are also families from other cultures who like to grow traditional foods not available in the supermarket. Overall, Isles' community gardens provide safe, recreational green space in urban areas with little or no park land.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Isles
Primary Contact
Jessica Phelan, Development and Marketing Specialist
Isles, Inc.
10 Wood Street
Trenton, NJ 08618
(609) 341-4725
info@isles.org
http://www.isles.org/
Topics
Health / Physical Activity
Art & Recreation / Sports Recreation & Parks
Economy / Poverty
Organization(s)
Isles
Date of implementation
1981
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
Trenton, NJ
For more details
http://isles.org/services/urban-agriculture#.UPbNM...

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Related Content for: Community Gardens Program

A Good Idea meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program funding source, program implementation steps and outcomes.
  2. The program evaluation is limited to descriptive measure(s) of success/accomplishment (i.e., program participation rates, number of services/education sessions/radio messages provided). Note: oftentimes, the program has been newly implemented and a program evaluation has not yet been conducted. Programs that have not yet been evaluated, but which show promise in improving health or quality of life, are classified as Good Ideas until an evaluation is conducted.