The Homeless Garden Project (HGP) provides transitional work and support services to those facing homelessness through their 3-acre organic farm and related enterprises. They also provide job training, transitional employment, and support services to those experiencing homelessness. A crucial part of the support offered is the psychological and social benefits of agriculture work.
Trevin Dace, a 2022 UCSC Sociology BA graduate, began his involvement with HGP by volunteering, which led to a summer internship. Inspired by his involvement, he wrote his senior thesis in collaboration with the Homeless Garden Project Farm from May 2021 to May 2022. His goal was to understand the physiological and social benefits of agriculture for the trainees (those affected by homelessness working through the program), volunteers, and staff who work on the farm.
Key collaborators who supported the involvement of the author on the farm were Darrie Ganzhorn (Executive Director), Evan Jones and Francesca Elezovic (Lead Social Workers), and Mike and Ella (Farm Managers). Associate professor of Sociology, Rebecca London, served as Trevin’s advisor and mentor throughout the project, providing support and guidance to make it possible and continuing to lend support and advice in the author’s pursuits in this field.
Project goals
Dace’s goals for the project were twofold: to investigate how agricultural work on the HGP farm affects individuals’ relationship and connection to nature, as well as their psychological and social well-being, and to identify factors that mediate the benefits agriculture provides. To achieve these goals, he conducted in-person interviews with trainees, volunteers, and staff using open-ended questions that pertained to different areas of psychological and social well-being. With funds from a UCSC Koret Scholarship, Dace was able to pay his respondents for their time. He then coded and analyzed the responses, putting his own findings in conversation with the literature on nature therapy.
“The homeless Garden Project Farm Provides an avenue for Agriculture Therapy. It is a site for the community to come together and experience healing growth and solace.” – Trevin Dace
Collaboration
Dace expressed he was fortunate in his collaboration with HGP, as he had already built a solid relationship with those involved through volunteering and interning. Before conducting interviews for his thesis research, he sought approval from key staff members and asked potential participants if they were interested in participating in the study. To ensure ethical research practices, Trevin asked participants to sign consent forms before moving forward with the interviews. Community-engaged research requires transparency and giving back to the community/site being collaborated with, and Dace was aware of this. To fulfill this ethical responsibility, he presented findings to those involved in a short presentation and wrote a blog post for the HGP website summarizing the study and its results. Professor Rebecca London advised Dace throughout the project, providing the inspiration, support, and guidance he needed to complete this project. Professor of Psychology, Heather Bullock, also provided inspiration and advice for this project. She has and continues to conduct her own research with HGP.
“This place gives people hope and the ability to uplift the individual which uplifts society as a whole.” – Trainee
Outcomes
The research highlighted key benefits of participating in agricultural work on the HGP farm, including deepening one’s relationship with nature, experiencing positive emotions, decreased stress, achieving a flow (meditative) state, feeling fulfilled, increased self-confidence, experiencing spiritual inspiration/transcendence, and forming social connections. The study also identified several factors that mediated these benefits, including, being involved in the entire process of plant cultivation, staff support of positivity towards agricultural work, acknowledging the psychological and social benefits of agricultural work, the agency provided by the farm in enacting positive change, the teamwork necessary in agriculture, and the tangible metaphors and life lessons provided by the work. These findings suggest that agricultural work can be an effective form of nature therapy, and that staff attitudes and approach to the work are crucial in mediating the benefits that participants accrue. These findings suggest that more than just a job training program, Homeless Garden Project is a site for healing among their vulnerable trainee population.
“What made this project so moving was hearing how vital and beneficial the farm was to participants. The passion and shared importance in the interviews I conducted is something that will always remain with me.” – Trevin Dace
Future directions
In the future, the Homeless Garden Project aims to establish connections with additional farms and organizations that are engaged in socially driven work. They hope to further explore the benefits of agricultural work on well-being and to ultimately promote the establishment and support of more sites like HGP that emphasize the positive effects of agriculture on both individual and societal well-being. Trevin Dace continues to learn about agricultural work through internships in Europe and the U.S. and remains in contact with HGP. His goals are to continue to work in and broaden the field of nature and agriculture therapy. He envisions supporting the creation of more structures such as HGP throughout society, especially in spaces with high necessity.
Questions? Contact us.
Trevin Dace at tdace@ucsc.edu | Homeless Garden Project at info@homelessgardenproject.org.