Cultivating Food Security: Low-Resource Iowans’ Perspectives on Food Gardening

Perceptions of food gardening are key to increasing the practice of food gardening among low-income individuals. Though the benefits of food gardening have been widely investigated, perspectives on the practice and related dietary issues have not been adequately explored. This article describes how low-resource Iowans perceive different aspects of food gardening and food security. This population is generally positive about all issues, although they are least positive about the process of gardening and most positive about gardening outcomes. These data create a compelling picture of the strategies that may be most effective in influencing gardening rates among low-resource Iowans.