Review of the Nutritional Implications of Farmers' Markets and Community Gardens: A Call for Evaluation and Research Efforts
Abstract
The development and promotion of farmers' markets and community gardens is growing in popularity as a strategy to increase community-wide fruit and vegetable consumption. Despite large numbers of farmers' markets and community gardens in the United States, as well as widespread enthusiasm for their use as a health promotion tool, little is known about their influence on dietary intake. This review examines the current scientific literature on the implications of farmers' market programs and community gardens on nutrition-related outcomes in adults. Studies published between January 1980 and January 2009 were identified via PubMed and Agricola database searches and by examining reference lists from relevant studies. Studies were included in this review if they took place in the United States and qualitatively or quantitatively examined nutrition-related outcomes, including dietary intake; attitudes and beliefs regarding buying, preparing, or eating fruits and vegetables; and behaviors and perceptions related to obtaining produce from a farmers' market or community garden. Studies focusing on garden-based youth programs were excluded. In total, 16 studies were identified for inclusion in this review. Seven studies focused on the impact of farmers' market nutrition programs for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children participants, five focused on the influence of farmers' market programs for seniors, and four focused on community gardens. Findings from this review reveal that few well-designed research studies (eg, those incorporating control groups) utilizing valid and reliable dietary assessment methods to evaluate the influence of farmers' markets and community gardens on nutrition-related outcomes have been completed. Recommendations for future research on the dietary influences of farmers' markets and community gardens are provided.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
A handful of cross-sectional and quasi-experimental studies found WIC participants receiving vouchers because of enrollment in the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program reported eating more fruits and vegetables.
“A handful of cross-sectional and quasi-experimental studies found that WIC participants receiving such vouchers because of enrollment in the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program reported eating more fruits and vegetables.”
From Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2012) · cites this paper as [319]
Cites
Food, nutrition, physical activity, and the prevention of cancer: a global perspective
Marmot, M. G., Atinmo, T., Byers, T., Chen, J., Hirohata, T., Jackson, A., James, W., Kolonel, L. N., Kumanyika, S., Leitzmann, C., et al. (2008) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.45-5024 · Cited by 5,365 · see citing works
Larson, N. I., Story, M. T., & Nelson, M. C. (2009) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2008.09.025 · Cited by 2,003 · see citing works
Self-citationOverview of the Health Benefits of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption for the Dietetics Professional
Duyn, M. A. V., & Pivonka, E. (2000) · Journal of the American Dietetic Association · doi:10.1016/s0002-8223(00)00420-x · Cited by 814 · see citing works
Most Americans Eat Much Less than Recommended Amounts of Fruits and Vegetables
Guenther, P. M., Dodd, K. W., Reedy, J., & Krebs‐Smith, S. M. (2006) · Journal of the American Dietetic Association · doi:10.1016/j.jada.2006.06.002 · Cited by 629 · see citing works
Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Urban Community Gardeners
Alaimo, K., Packnett, E., Miles, R. A., & Kruger, D. J. (2008) · Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2006.12.003 · Cited by 576 · see citing works
Environmental determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption among adults: a systematic review.
Kamphuis, C. B. M., Giskes, K., de Bruijn, G., Wendel‐Vos, W., Brug, J., & van Lenthe, F. J. (2006) · PubMed · doi:10.1079/bjn20061896 · Cited by 410 · see citing works
Have Americans increased their fruit and vegetable intake? The trends between 1988 and 2002
Casagrande, S. S., Wang, Y., Anderson, C., & Gary, T. L. (2007) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2006.12.002 · Cited by 372 · see citing works
Impact of Garden-Based Youth Nutrition Intervention Programs: A Review
Robinson-O'Brien, R., Story, M., & Heim, S. (2009) · Journal of the American Dietetic Association · doi:10.1016/j.jada.2008.10.051 · Cited by 324 · see citing works
Self-citationHerman, D. R., Harrison, G. G., Afifi, A. A., & Jenks, E. (2008) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.2005.079418 · Cited by 306 · see citing works
5 A Day Fruit and Vegetable Intervention Improves Consumption in a Low Income Population
Anderson, J. V., Bybee, D. I., BROWN, R. M., McLEAN, D. F., GARCIA, E. M., Breer, M. L., & Schillo, B. (2001) · Journal of the American Dietetic Association · doi:10.1016/s0002-8223(01)00052-9 · Cited by 218 · see citing works
A dietary, social and economic evaluation of the Philadelphia urban gardening project
Blair, D., Giesecke, C. C., & Sherman, S. (1991) · Journal of Nutrition Education · doi:10.1016/s0022-3182(12)81191-5 · Cited by 215 · see citing works
Brown, A. (2001) · Geographical Review · doi:10.1111/j.1931-0846.2001.tb00246.x · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Kropf, M. L., Holben, D. H., Holcomb, J. P., et al. (2007) · Journal of the American Dietetic Association · doi:10.1016/j.jada.2007.08.014 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
Walker, J. L., Holben, D. H., Kropf, M. L., et al. (2007) · Journal of the American Dietetic Association · doi:10.1016/j.jada.2007.08.004 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Johnson, D. B., Beaudoin, S., Smith, L. T., et al. (2004) · PubMed · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Evaluation of the South Carolina Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Education Program☆☆☆
Kunkel, M. E., Luccia, B. H. D., & Moore, A. C. (2003) · Journal of the American Dietetic Association · doi:10.1016/s0002-8223(03)00379-1 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Integrated Program Enhancements Increased Utilization of Farmers' Market Nutrition Program
Conrey, E. J., Frongillo, E. A., Dollahite, J., et al. (2003) · Journal of Nutrition · doi:10.1093/jn/133.6.1841 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
An evaluation of the Connecticut Farmers' Market coupon program
Anliker, J. A., Winne, M., & Drake, L. T. (1992) · Journal of Nutrition Education · doi:10.1016/s0022-3182(12)81152-6 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Brown, A. L. (2001) · Geographical Review · doi:10.2307/3594724 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Gardening's Socioeconomic Impacts
Patel, I. C. (1991) · Journal of Extension · doi:10.66752/1077-5315.8300 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
The Farmers' Market Coupon Program for Low-Income Elders
Balsam, A. L., Webber, D., & Oehlke, B. (1994) · Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly · doi:10.1300/j052v13n04_05 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Smith, L. T., Johnson, D. B., Beaudoin, S., et al. (2004) · PubMed · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Johnson, D. B., & Smith, L. T. (2006) · PubMed · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Massachusetts Sponsors the First Statewide Farmers' Market Coupon Program for Elders
Roseman, J. I. (1990) · Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly · doi:10.1300/j052v09n02_05 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Mozaffarian, D., Afshin, A., Benowitz, N. L., Bittner, V., Daniels, S. R., Franch, H. A., Jacobs, D. R., Kraus, W. E., Kris-Etherton, P. M., Krummel, D. A., et al. (2012) · Circulation · doi:10.1161/cir.0b013e318260a20b · Cited by 601 · see citing works
Harvesting more than vegetables: the potential weight control benefits of community gardening
Zick, C. D., Smith, K. R., Kowaleski-Jones, L., Uno, C., & Merrill, B. J. (2013) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.2012.301009 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Freedman, D. A., Choi, S. K., Hurley, T., Anadu, E., & Hébert, J. R. (2013) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.01.018 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
Jilcott, S. B., Keyserling, T., Crawford, T., McGuirt, J. T., & Ammerman, A. S. (2011) · Journal of the American Dietetic Association · doi:10.1016/j.jada.2011.01.010 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Kharel, S., Sharifiasl, S., & Pan, Q. (2025) · Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board · doi:10.1177/03611981241254382 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Christian, M. S., Evans, C. E., & Cade, J. E. (2014) · Public Health Research · doi:10.3310/phr02040 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
- Authors
- McCormack, L. A., Laska, M. N., Larson, N. I., & Story, M.
- Affiliations
- South Dakota State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Laska, Melissa Nelson
- Venue
- Journal of the American Dietetic Association
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2010-03
- Volume
- 110
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 399-408
- ISSN
- 0002-8223 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2007801263
- Cited by
- 380
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 25
- FWCI
- 45.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the American Dietetic Association (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Open PRAIRIE (South Dakota State University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Urban Agriculture and Sustainability
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Keywords
- farmers' markets, community gardens, fruit and vegetable intake, dietary intake, nutrition programs, WIC program, older adults, health promotion, research evaluation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Agriculture, Commerce, Diet, Food Services, Food Supply, Forecasting, Fruit, Health Education, Health Promotion, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Poverty, Public Assistance, United States, Vegetables, Program Evaluation, Gardening, Nutritional Sciences
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
