Harvesting Hope: A Qualitative Case Study of a Community Garden's Impact on Food Insecurity and Wellbeing in Alabama

Background and Purpose: Food insecurity is a serious public health concern with detrimental effects on health across the life course and increased health care costs. In 2022, 12.8% of the US population was food insecure, meaning individuals did not have regular access to sufficient, nutritious food due to financial or other constraints. During the same year, the prevalence of food insecurity was approximated 17.4% in Alabama. Although food assistance programs exist (i.e., SNAP), approximately 61% of Alabamians experiencing food insecurity were not eligible for these programs. For these individuals, local food pantries are a vital resource, yet these pantries often lack fresh fruits and vegetables. Community gardens reduce food insecurity and increase fresh fruit and vegetable intake. In addition to nutrition benefits, community gardens promote individual and community wellbeing through facilitating physical activity, cognitive stimulation, and social connection. However, most studies examining the effects of community gardens have been conducted in large cities. This qualitative case study aimed to evaluate the impact of a local community garden serving urban and rural communities in Alabama.

Methods: This phenomenological case study explored the impact of Jeremiah’s Community Garden (JCG) on food insecurity and community wellbeing in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. JCG, a volunteer-run community organization, was selected because it is the longest-running garden that consistently donates fresh produce to food pantries across West Alabama. In-depth interviews were conducted between March and April 2025 with 8 individuals working with JCG. Participants included three Board Members, three community partners, and two volunteers. Interviews were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed. The study coded verbatim transcripts using NVivo and achieved an average intercoder agreement above 85%. Major and minor themes were identified using thematic analysis. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research guided the presentation of results.

Results: Three major themes relating to JCG’s impact on food security and community wellbeing were identified. The first theme highlighted the garden’s impact on increased accessibility to fresh food. Participants discussed the garden’s role as a major distributor of a variety of fresh foods to food pantries in Alabama. The second theme identified the garden as a source of community building through facilitating social connections, promoting altruism, and serving as a free and welcoming space to individuals of different backgrounds including children, college students, and parolees. Lastly, participants described the garden as a source of education about growing fresh food and eating healthfully. Participants described teaching/learning about organic gardening practices and being exposed to new vegetables through the garden.

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate the benefits of community gardens beyond increased access to fresh foods to include enhanced community wellbeing through community building and education. Future studies should leverage mixed methods study designs to examine the influence of community gardens on individual and community wellbeing (i.e., social cohesion, mental and physical health) across multiple sites. If these findings are corroborated, policies promoting and supporting local community gardens should be implemented to enhance community wellbeing, particular for those experiencing high rates of food insecurity.