The purpose of this research was to investigate the prevalence and depth of food-related programs currently offered by members of the American Public Gardens Association. This research is comprised of two parts, survey and interviews. The survey was implemented first, as it was designed to generate a basic understanding of the activities, education program focus, impacts and barriers connected with food-related programming offered by public gardens. The survey was sent to all 584 members of the American Public Gardens Association in February 2016, and the analysis of the survey data was submitted in April. Shortly after, interviews were conducted with program administrators or executive directors/CEOs of 16 public gardens of all sizes with active food programs. The purpose of these interviews was to get a richer description of food program activities, goals, program collaborators, program outcomes, methods for evaluating outcomes, impacts, and the role that the American Public Gardens Association could play in supporting these programs. Taken together, the survey data and the interview responses offer a snapshot of how public gardens currently understand and value their food-related programs in the context of institutional mission and operations.
Food-Related Programming in Public Gardens

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