Garden Evaluation
MEASURE: NUMBER OF PEOPLE FED
Method 1: Sign-up Sheets
Have a sign-up sheet or log to count individuals who visit the garden or are part of distributions. Once again, a simple head count will be less descriptive because it won't tell you how many unique recipients you have.
This might be a very simple method for gardens that have a veggie box or subscription program that already requires a sign up. Also, programs that give produce to volunteers can easily count people fed in their volunteer data.
If you can only do a head count to respect participants’ privacy or don’t have enough volunteers to manage, just be sure to note that your total is not unique.
Method 2: Divide the Yield
Another way to calculate number of people fed is to divide your actual or projected yield by estimated consumption per individual. This is a less accurate measurement, but may be useful if you're unable to use a sign-in sheet.
For example, if your garden donates 10 pounds of tomatoes to a church dinner, and you expect each person to eat 1/4 pound, you can divide 10 by .25 to estimate 40 people fed.