Student/presenter: Jonah E. Trevino, Ph.D. student, Horticulture
Format: Oral presentation
Title: Evaluating community garden signage and elements
Jonah E. Trevino1, Laura Fischer1, Leslie Thompson1, Vikram Baliga1, and Catherine Simpson1
1Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
The ever-growing urbanization of rural land has led to urban agriculture gaining popularity. From the many urban production systems being utilized for the issues that arise with urbanization, community gardens can be a holistic approach for many of the ailments that urbanization causes. Community gardens not only produce locally grown, nutrient dense foods, they also provide green spaces, stimulate exercise, and assist in facilitating a social area for a community. However, just like any production system, community gardens have challenges. An overlooked aspect in community garden challenges is education and guidance for volunteers that may not be familiar with garden settings, and practices are not consistent between gardens. Signage can aid by educating garden volunteers and providing information on how to manage plants in the garden without the need for a supervisor. In the literature, the role of signage in a community garden is under-discussed. If community gardens plan to thrive as a sustainable production system for urban communities, then self-learning volunteers will be needed to increase productivity. To assess the current state of community gardens, our objectives were to determine what signage elements are common across community gardens, what role the signs perform in community gardens, and what elements may improve or hinder productivity in the garden. A survey was deployed through the American Community Garden Association email list to community garden leaders to collect different elements and signage in gardens across the United States. Respondents (N=51) submitted pictures, detailed text, and geographical data which was coded and analyzed for common themes. Preliminary data suggests that signs welcome, identify, instruct, educate, assist with contact details, and organize the garden for volunteers. However, there are wide variations in signage styles, few consistencies between gardens, and there has been little feedback on what is the best approach for designing signage.