Community gardens are one way that residents have mobilized to beautify urban neighborhoods, improve access to fresh produce, and engage youth. Qualitative case studies were conducted of two neighborhood-based community gardens with youth programs. Data collection included participant observation and in-depth interviews with adult gardeners and neighbors, youth, and community police officers. Results suggest that the garden programs provided opportunities for constructive activities, contributions to the community, relationship and interpersonal skill development, informal social control, exploring cognitive and behavioral competence, and improved nutrition. Community gardens promoted developmental assets for involved youth while improving their access to and consumption of healthy foods.

Approximately 13 million American children and 23 million adults live in food-insecure households—households where there is “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate or safe foods”; and almost 10 million Americans experience hunger. During the past several decades, much progress has been made in our understanding of the prevalence, experience, and detrimental consequences of food insecurity and hunger for US families, adults, and children. This article reviews the latest research, offers a broad summary of the phenomena of food insecurity and hunger as they are experienced in the US, and proposes a policy-based research agenda for the future.