Garden Evaluation
MEASURE: CHANGES IN INDIVIDUALS
What changes are you measuring?
This is probably the easiest and most common thing garden programs try to measure.
Participants can demonstrate what they've learned in several different ways. Consider these examples:
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Pre- and post- surveys
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Observation from program staff
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Demonstrations of new skills (i.e. leading a class)
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Writing or presenting personal reflections
Skills and Knowledge
(i.e. how to cook)
Behavior - things you DO
(i.e. increased consumption of fruits & veggies)
Pre- and post-surveys are an easy way to measure behavior changes. Ask participants how often they do certain activities (like cook at home, eat local produce), and see if that frequency changes after participating in your garden/ program.
You can also ask self-assessment questions.
If you have the capacity to re-assess participants again later in the future, that'll give you some great data on how long-term your impacts are.
Attitude/Opinion
Changes in attitude can be captured in surveys that ask about preferences towards certain foods or activities.
One popular format is the Yum/Yuk test, in which children are asked to rate certain foods on a scale from Yuk to Yum after tasting a sample. You can record their results and see if they change after your program. Or, you can have children predict whether they think a food is yucky or yummy, then see if their predictions match!
How to Measure these Changes
Pre- and Post-Tests
One way to measure changes in individuals is to have program participants fill out pre- and post-tests. For example, let's say your market has a youth job skills camp for 8 weeks during the summer for 10 youth. You might survey them about their business knowledge/money skills before and after the camp to track improvement.
Click the button below to download an example pre/post test. Edit the questions so they are relevant to your program.
Storytelling/ PhotoVoice
Self-assessment example questions:
As a result of this program my consumption of fruits and vegetables has:
1 (decreased) 2 (stayed the same) 3 (increased)
As a result of this program, my physical activity has:
1 (decreased) 2 (stayed the same) 3 (increased)
As a result of this program, my mental health has:
1 (worsened) 2 (stayed the same) 3 (improved)
As a result of this program, I feel more equipped to grow my own food. Yes / Somewhat / No
As a result of this program, I am saving money on groceries Yes / No
As a result of this program, I am considering a career in the environment and/or natural resources
Yes / Maybe / No
As a result of this program, I care more about the environment Yes / Somewhat / No
Self-Assessments
You can also ask participants to self-report changes in skills, behavior, and knowledge. These surveys might be a better fit for gardens that have continuous programming. See the box to the right for an example of some well-written self-assessment questions. These questions can be used to measure changes in knowledge/skill, behavior, and attitude.
You can make these assessments fun! Have participants include pictures of meals they learned to cook, or share updates from their home garden boxes!
Youth participate in workshops during a youth-led Food Justice Summit
Top: Youth engage in a session on writing effective op-eds
Bottom: Youth practice their public speaking skills as they present on what food justice means to them
A youth participant smiles as he holds a goat during a Peer Learning Visit with Growing Change.
Storytelling is an important, enjoyable, and often undervalued evaluation tool. Storytelling allows individuals to make sense of their own experiences. Strategies include journaling, photos, videos, and/or interviews.
Self-recorded videos can follow standard prompts, just like an interview. Self-recorded stories are flexible and lack outside pressure. If you use audio/visual media for evaluation, it is important that a media consent form is signed by participants (or parents/ guardians) before publishing their data. Even if the information cannot be traced to a single individual, it’s important to get consent before using someone's story for your organization. Sample prompts for videos/interviews, and a sample media release, are linked below. (These forms are from the California Endowment's Storytelling Approaches to Program Evaluation toolkit):
Resourceful Communities supports a number of garden projects that work to bridge cultural divides, connect youth with their heritage, and/or provide entrepreneurial opportunities that are tied to one's culture. Because the goals of cultural programming and gardens can be so varied, it's impossible to provide a comprehensive set of examples. However, cultural programming provides a great avenue for tracking changes in knowledge, behavior, and/or attitude using all of the tools mentioned above. Consider these examples:
Cultural Programming
Measuring Changes in Skills and Knowledge
i.e Increased understanding of [insert culture here]
"As a result of this project, what have you learned about Latinx culture and food? ______________________________"
"As a result of this program, I am more aware of Latinx issues within my community" Y/N
"As a result of this program, I feel better equipped to talk about Latinx issues within my community" Y/N
Measuring Changes in Behavior
i.e. Increased participation in the garden (with better reflection of community demographic)
i.e. Increased consumption of fruits & veggies among African American youth
Changes in demographics survey over time (click to download) :
After 1 year of weekly community dinners to engage the Hmong community, Hmong participation in the garden increased by 15%)
As a result of the Oldways African Heritage diet cooking classes, my consumption of fruits and vegetables has:
Decreased Stayed the Same Increased
Sweet & Savory Delights Bakery participants pose with their products; proceeds support scholarships and education pathways for Latina young women.
Youth with Diversity Nurtures Achievement (DNA) show off their harvest
Participants dig in to a meal at the end of an Oldways African Heritage Diet workshop