16. Urban Bounty

Project Description

Note: This project will take place online and in person

Context/Background

History of Urban Bounty

• 2002: Established by the Richmond Poverty Response Committee under the title Food Security Task Force
• 2009: Became an independent society called the Richmond Food Security Society
• 2021: Rebranded to Urban Bounty.

Community gardens play a vital role in urban food systems, offering numerous benefits such as promoting local food production, enhancing community cohesion, and providing access to fresh produce. However, these valuable communal spaces are not immune to challenges, with theft emerging as a recurring issue threatening the sustainability and growth of community gardens. This project aims to understand theft in community gardens while exploring potential solutions, and the future potential of these gardens as an essential component of urban food projects within broader food systems.

Urban Bounty manages 15 Community Gardens on public park land in partnership with the City of Richmond. This project aims to engage all members of the Richmond Community Garden Program which are City of Richmond residents, and other stakeholders. These individuals actively participate in the gardening activities, passionately tending to their plots, and collectively contributing to the growth of the community gardens.

Food Systems Issue(s) Addressed in this Project

Theft in community gardens is an ongoing source of frustration, discouragement, and anger for garden members. These negative experiences can result in poor member retention, and generally undermine community garden objectives such as belonging, cohesion, and connection. As more municipalities incorporate community gardens into their parks and recreation programs, Urban Bounty is exploring questions surrounding the effectiveness of community garden in achieving goals of belonging, cohesion, and sustainable urban food production.

This project focuses on theft in community gardens, as an example of a significant challenge to sustaining community gardens as sites of urban food production and community connection. One question addressed in this process is, "What are the main challenges you have experienced while growing food in this space?"

This project will help us understand the experiences of members, and provide some mitigation solutions. The project findings will contribute to the broader understanding of urban food systems and help develop evidence-based policies and initiatives to address challenges of growing in public spaces.

Main Project Activities

• Research and review grey literature and peer-reviewed scholarship on urban gardens, theft, and interventions (including data already gathered by Urban Bounty)
• Develop interview questions to gain a deeper understanding of garden members' experiences (positive and negative)
  • E.g. Do members feel their positive experiences outweigh the negative?
• Facilitate one focus group with garden members (participants to be recruited by Urban Bounty)
• Analyze data collected
• Summarize findings and recommendations in a short report

Main Project Deliverable(s)

• 1 focus group and set of guiding questions
• 1 final report with recommendations
• 1 summarized and visually appealing report for a quick read by community members

Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)

We can provide training and mentorship for all students.

Required

• Familiarity with Google Suite - Sheets, Drive, Docs
• Ability to communicate with members of the public
• Ability to conduct research and analyze data related to theft in community gardens and urban food systems
• Effective project management skills to plan and coordinate project activities

Preferred

• Using data analysis to assess the impact of challenges. For example, how much of a positive or negative experience can impact someone wanting to remain or leave the program.
• Capacity to identify challenges and propose innovative solutions for securing community gardens
• Experience using design tools (e.g. Canva or Adobe)
• Awareness of cultural diversity and inclusivity in community engagement

Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?

• 1 site visit to a Richmond Community Garden (a tour will be offered by staff)
• Only the date of the focus group which will be decided by students.

Is a criminal record search (CRS) required?

• No

How much self-direction is expected from the students?

• Deciding on the project deliverable(s): Equal leadership between students and community partner
• Developing the activity plan and timeline: Equal leadership between students and community partner
• Scheduling and initiating the communication plan (e.g. weekly Zoom check-in, biweekly email update, etc.): Equal leadership between students and community partner
• Implementing the activity plan (e.g. surveying stakeholder groups): Equal leadership between students and community partner
• Finalizing the deliverable(s): Equal leadership between students and community partner

Related Volunteering/Community Service Opportunities for Students

• Students may volunteer in any of our programs with volunteering opportunities - Community Gardens, General Events, Fruit Gleaning.

Required Reading

Project/Partner Orientation Materials

Students should review the following materials prior to the first partner meeting. Additional orientation materials may be provided at the first partner meeting.

• Urban Bounty Website - About Us, Community Garden, Reporting Theft
• Community Gardens in Richmond: Backgrounder (2021)
• The Role of Allotments and Community Gardens and the Challenges Facing Their Development in Urban Environments—A Literature Review
• 'Massacre' at Terra Nova Community Garden (2023)

Additional Materials

• Nettle, C. (2014). Community Gardening as Social Action (available from UBC Library)
• List of resources for planning a new garden (City of Vancouver)
• Cohen, N.& Ilieva, R.T. (2020). Expanding the boundaries of food policy: The turn to equity in New York City. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.102012
• Tools for Accessible and Inclusive Event Planning (UBC Equity and Inclusion Office)
• Respectful Dialogues Guide (UBC Equity and Inclusion Office)

• Riley, D.A. (2018). Place-based Storytelling as a Foundation for Neighborhood Planning and Community Development