Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic through Community Gardens

Udall Center: The Udall Center’s Dr. Stephanie Buechler, who also holds a position with the School of Geography, Development, and Environment (SGDE), is leading the Tucson-focused applied research project "Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic through Community Gardens: A Lifeline to Food Security" in collaboration with the Community Gardens of Tucson (CGT) NGO. Twenty qualitative interviews are being conducted with under- and un-employed gardeners to investigate the effect of gardening on vegetable-produce accessibility for gardeners and their household members, limitations experienced gardening under COVID-19 and climate change conditions, and strengths and weaknesses of social and institutional networks related to gardening during COVID-19. These interviews were complemented by four others with CGT staff on the financial effects of water meters subsidized by the Tucson Water. Funding for the project comes from SGDE, the Udall Foundation, the Spicer Foundation, and the University of Arizona Center for Regional Food Studies.