The Garden House: The Economics and Health Benefits of Gardens

The Garden House
2023
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Gardens are something many people engage in and enjoy as a past time as well as a micro farming method. Not only do they improve the aesthetic value of the properties but also seem to enhance other aspects of the area. Food security rises and general health increases. Some may opt for personal gardens and others may desire a more community approach. I think both are just fine.

I talked to two people about gardens in the past week. 1.) Wanted to start a garlic farm on his shared family property and the other said he had 10 pints of herbs come out of a relatively small space. I experimented with my garden box and think I will be adding at least three more (to be built during the winter), 4 apple trees and 2 cherry trees. Escanaba has a community garden and seems to be putting more in (They are volunteer). You can see it HERE.

Anyway, here are some benefits of gardens....

1. Healthy Lifestyle: Gardening as a general lifestyle brings benefits that include exercise, stress, and social connection. Review a meta analysis on gardening. 'Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis'

2. Economic Benefits: It would appear that gardening also increases the community in many ways that range from property values all the way over to better weight health. A few bucks seem to go a long way in our pockets and our tummies. I took the information below from 'Community Garden Statistics in 2023 (Latest U.S. Data)'

1. Community gardens increase surrounding property values by up to 9.4%.
2. Average community garden yields about 20.4 servings of fresh produce per 11 sq. ft.
3. Community gardens can lower household food security concerns by up to 90%.
4. Every $1 invested in a community garden yields around $6 worth of produce.
5. Community gardens have a positive impact on neighborhood security.
6. There are over 29,000 community gardens in the 100 largest U.S. cities.
7. Community gardeners eat 37.5% more fruits and vegetables than non-gardeners.
8. Common reasons for garden participation are access to fresh foods, health benefits, and to enjoy nature.
9. Women community gardeners are 46% less likely to be overweight than their neighbors.