Research Library

Community organizations: n/a

Key recommendations:

• Expand the gardening space and create new community gardens for more newcomers.
• Alter policies that allocate most of the produce to the food bank, such that the newcomer gardeners themselves can take home more of their harvest.
• Provide formal recognition for volunteering at the garden, which can be used to support newcomers’ job applications.

Integration timeline: Not defined

Key populations: Newcomers to Lethbridge

Open access: No

Location: Lethbridge, AB

Future research / gaps identified:

Facilitate continued action surrounding newcomer community gardens in Lethbridge, as well as collaboration between newcomer serving agencies and these initiatives.

Key findings:

• Participants were motivated by the opportunity to learn about gardening, including seed to harvest processes, Canadian gardening conditions, and teaching gardening to their children.

  Health benefits such as socialization, access to fresh vegetables, and physical activity also motivated participants.

• Participants expressed high satisfaction with the gardening program, enjoying the opportunity to socialize, learn from each other, and engage in physical activity.
• Participants faced challenges related to access to produce, inconsistent group activities, and varying levels of gardening knowledge and experience among volunteers.