(University of Oregon, 2011-06) Scafa, Stephanie, 1983-
The City of Eugene is advocating for garden projects by expanding their Composting Program to include Urban Agriculture. This research uses 19 in-depth, personal interviews with gardening experts in Eugene to explore the factors that make urban agriculture projects successful and sustainable based on specific areas for capacity building identified by the researcher and City staff. Using qualitative analysis, I found that each identified area for capacity building could be perceived as a barrier to establishing garden space. "Successful" and "sustainable" gardens confront multiple barriers to garden implementation and remain diverse and productive over time. The results of this study provide insight into how and why the City is choosing to remove barriers to people who grow their own food and justification for the need for the City's Urban Agriculture Program.
