Researchers examine how climate change impacts community gardens, contributes to food insecurity

Olivia Erskine, a recent graduate from the University of Georgia, dedicated research to the importance of community gardens adapting to the symptoms of climate change, particularly in terms of food sustainability.

“I think community gardens are really cool,” said Erskine. “It’s a great way to promote community resilience and climate resilience at the same time. So it was a really cool connection between science and local people.”

Erskine said community gardens bring many benefits.

“Community gardens are publicly led, either by schools, churches; they could be at hospitals, neighborhood groups, even prisons have them,” she said. “Some neighborhoods allow you to rent a plot within the community garden to grow and harvest whatever you want. Some are solely charity based.

“They grow fruits and veggies that can be donated,” said Erskine. “They donate them to food banks, local organizations or the neighborhood will offer it to the entire community.”

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Climate change threatens human health, the environment, and the global economy, according to a study Public Engagement in Community Gardens: Communicating to Prepare for a Changing Climate, published in the Journal of Applied Communications. 

Extreme temperatures, intensifying droughts, and changes in rainfall patterns and growing seasons are all results of a changing climate, according to the study. Adaptations to climate change will need to be implemented in the agricultural sector to ensure the longevity and sustainability of the global supply of food.

“As a researcher I went into this wanting to help these community gardeners,” said Erskine. “I wanted to make sure they were prepared for climate change and they adapted well. When I started talking to people I learned that they knew what they were doing. Some of them have been gardening all their life. 

“Even if they don’t have a formal education in horticulture or agriculture these people gained these skills from just doing it over the years or from friends or family. They’re using climate smart adaptations without knowing it. They’re the ones experiencing it in their gardens firsthand.”

Alexa Lamm, a professor of Science Communication at the University of Georgia, said her research revealed that there is some food security challenges in Georgia.

“I worked on a five-year interdisciplinary project with our College of Public Health that was funded by the Center for Disease Control,” said Lamm. “The goal was to try and address some of the food security challenges in some of our rural counties. These are communities that wrestle with chronic disease related to lack of access to high quality food. … They also don’t have access to grocery stores. So these community gardens, specifically those Olivia was looking at, are ones that serve in that capacity.”

C. Joy Brown, volunteer gardener at Belle-Terrace community garden located at Belle-Terrace Presbyterian Church, said the garden offers an array of crops including blueberries, tomatoes and collard greens.

“We added wood chips throughout the garden to help suppress weeds,” said Brown. “The wood chips also help with combating climate challenges by retaining moisture in the soil.”

Brown said the community garden is a resource to those in the community.

“We are located in a food swamp,” said Brown. “The garden helps to increase access to fresh local produce that hasn’t traveled many miles. It’s also a way to promote agriculture. It teaches us how to care for our mind, body and soul.”

Elliot Price, chief volunteer for Vineyard Giving Farm, said the impact if climate change is tangible, especially in the wake of Hurricane Helene and other extreme weather events.

“The rain here in January especially (was) overwhelming for us,” said Price. “We try to keep a year-round garden. But we were out about a week or two until we were able to get our fall crops in.”

Price said the community garden located across from Vineyard Church of Augusta averages about 1,400 pounds of produce. 

“The produce is provided to the food pantry to be given to families in need,” he said. 

Price said climate change impacts when to plant.

“When we talk about cold weather versus warm weather plants, it depends on the temperature of the soil,” said Price. “Because of climate change we are unable to know by the month when we’re supposed to plant things. We have to take the soil temperature before we plant. Right now, we’re waiting for the soil to reach about 65 degrees. Warm weather seeds will not germinate in cold weather.”

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Partners.

Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@gannett.com or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.