The Motivations and Needs of Rural, Low-Income Household Food Gardeners

In local food systems research and practice, little attention has been given to the motivations and behaviors of low-income household gardeners as food provisioners. In this paper, we examine the motivations, barriers, and practices of food gardening among lowincome rural U.S. residents with the goal of informing policies and programs that might support these food provisioning activities. This work draws from ethnographic inquiry, including surveys, interviews, and garden visits with households in rural, Western Pennsylvania. Over half of those surveyed (n=124) grow some of their own food, with higher rates of gardening among higher-income households. Low-income gardeners are most motivated by three things; (1) a desire to save money, (2) pleasure from the practice of gardening and time spent outside, and (3) a connection to spiritual practice. For the low-income gardeners we interviewed, gardening creates and reinforces social connections and cultural a * Corresponding author: Kate J. Darby, Department of Environmental Studies, Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington University – MS 9085; 516 High Street; Bellingham, WA 98225 USA; darbyk@wwu.edu b Taylor Hinton, Environmental Science, Allegheny College; Meadville, PA 16335 USA. Hinton is now at Secondary Education, Mercyhurst University; 501 East 38th Street; Erie, PA 16546 USA; taylor.r.hinton@gmail.com c Joaquin Torre, Department of Communication Studies, College of Humanities & Social Sciences, Western Washington University – MS 9162; 516 High Street; Bellingham, WA 98225 USA; Joaquin.torre@wwu.edu Funding Disclosure This study was supported by funding from Allegheny College and Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the