<p dir="ltr">New cultivars of compact tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>) and pepper (<i>Capsicum annuum</i>) plants are available to consumers, creating niche market opportunities for greenhouse growers who produce vegetable bedding plants for spring sale. However, production guidelines for these crops are limited. We conducted two experiments to evaluate non-chemical means of height control for these plants. In the first experiment, we treated ‘Siam’ tomato and ‘Basket of Fire’ pepper plants with 0, 50, 100, 150, or 200 mg·L^–1 nitrogen (N) during the “production” phase and used a similar or higher N concentration during the “fruiting” phase. Our results show that although height of these plants can be controlled with lower fertilizer concentration, their yield will likely be affected by limiting fertilizer availability. In addition, our findings suggest that these plants can be grown without the addition of fertilizer during production, provided that the substrate has a starter fertilizer charge, and that sufficient fertilizer is applied during the fruiting phase. In the second experiment, we characterized the effects of fertilizer use and substrate volumetric water content (VWC) during production using the same compact plants, and evaluated post-production carryover effects on growth and yield. Plants either received water-soluble fertilizer (100 mg·L^–1 N) once a week, or were irrigated with tap water only, relying on the starter fertilizer charge in the substrate. In addition, plants were irrigated when the substrate VWC reached 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, or 0.60 m³·m^–3. Overall, our results show that substrate VWC had minimal effects on growth and yield, but plants that were not fertilized were shorter, had less biomass, and produced less fruit than those treated with fertilizer. These findings suggest that growth and yield of these compact tomato and pepper plants are affected to a larger extent by fertilizer use than by substrate VWC.</p><p dir="ltr">In effort to better understand consumer preferences for these new compact plants, we used a citizen-science approach in another experiment. Approx. 300 participants from three states in the USA (IN, IA, and TN) compared three compact tomato cultivars (Red Robin, Cocoa, and Micro Tom) started from seed or as transplants. In addition, we compared pre- and post-experiment survey responses to assess potential changes in behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes towards gardening as a result of the experiment. Cocoa was the preferred cultivar, closely followed by Red Robin. Our results indicate participants valued plant appearance, fruit yield, and fruit taste when making these preference choices. Approximately 70% of participants preferred plants started as transplants compared to those from seed, regardless of cultivar. Most participants reported they would be willing to pay between $1.00 to $7.49 more for a transplant of their favorite cultivar compared to tomato plants available at local nurseries. Results for dietary behaviors show that participants increased their consumption frequency of fruit, lettuce salad, vegetables, and food mixed with vegetables at the end of the experiment, but few differences were measured for beliefs and attitudes towards gardening, likely due to previous positive biases towards gardening among project participants. In conclusion, results from our experiments show that growth and yield of compact tomato and pepper plants can be controlled by adjusting fertilizer management practices. In addition, citizen science was shown to be an effective research method to assess plant-performance and consumer-preference data, and to measure potential changes in behavior of project participants.</p>

The Youth for EcoAction (YEA) Program is a project of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg involving youth at risk in after-school programming. The program focuses on urban agriculture and gardening projects and was developed using the circle of courage model of youth empowerment. This research used participatory methods, including participatory video to analyze the program and its benefits. The YEA program creates positive change in the lives of participants and at a community-wide level. These benefits include skill building and job training, improved self esteem, nutrition and food security, increased environmental awareness and behaviour, and greater community strength. Youth serving agencies, community development organizations and government policy makers should look to the YEA program as a model for youth empowerment and community revitalization. This thesis also explores benefits of participatory research, specifically participatory video, and documents the personal learnings and journey of the author from researcher to practitioner.

The Youth for EcoAction (YEA) Program is a project of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg involving youth at risk in after-school programming. The program focuses on urban agriculture and gardening projects and was developed using the circle of courage model of youth empowerment. This research used participatory methods, including participatory video to analyze the program and its benefits. The YEA program creates positive change in the lives of participants and at a community-wide level. These benefits include skill building and job training, improved self esteem, nutrition and food security, increased environmental awareness and behaviour, and greater community strength. Youth serving agencies, community development organizations and government policy makers should look to the YEA program as a model for youth empowerment and community revitalization. This thesis also explores benefits of participatory research, specifically participatory video, and documents the personal learnings and journey of the author from researcher to practitioner.

Food insecurity refers to the lack of reliable access to nutritious and affordable foods for people of all backgrounds (Meenar and Hoover, 2012) and is a problem faced by approximately 50 million Americans (Smith, 2011) and thirteen percent of North Carolina households. Food security and poverty have been directly linked and North Carolina's poverty rate (14.3%) is above the national level (13%) (Curtis, 2010). Community gardens have been recognized globally by many experts including health professionals, community organizers, environmental activists, and policymakers, as an "important contributor to economic development, food security, and environmental management"(Baker, 2004). Together, these professionals use gardens as a means to educate the public about food production and nutrition. Empirical research has documented many community garden benefits, however, the examination of educational programs associated with these gardens is limited. The purpose of this case study was to examine the development and implementation of a beginner gardening program and its influence on program participants in an area known to be food insecure within North Carolina. The researcher utilized multiple means of qualitative methods including: 1) semi-structured pre- and post- interviews with program coordinators and participants, 2) content analysis, 3) a reflection journal used to observe the program, and the facilitation of a 4) focus group with program participants. The findings revealed the challenges program coordinators encountered throughout the development and implementation, as well as the effects of the beginner gardening program on program participants. / Master of Science in Life Sciences