Link Between Gardening and Mental Health
Article: http://mental-health.families.com/blog/garden-your-way-to-peace
-“gardening utilizes the non-thinking right side of our brains (the side that is responsible for worrying, intrusive thoughts) and uses mainly the right side of the brain, which is responsible for handling our more creative aspects, including our senses. In short, gardening will help us stop worrying and start focusing on the “here and now”.”
Article: http://ezinearticles.com/?Gardening-and-Your-Mental-Health&id=2338202
- “For many women, getting out in the garden is a way to connect with nature. Being outdoors in the sunshine and fresh air is a mood lifter. The garden can also be a calming natural retreat”
- “Gardening provides a great way for families to work together on a rewarding project. You’ll have the opportunity to share the wonders of nature with your kids, while teaching them how to be responsible for garden tasks. The whole family can benefit from planning a garden together and watching as it grows.”
- “ Enthusiastic gardeners argue that producing one’s own food is a great tonic in a number of ways but specifically this project was interested in the benefits of increased exercise, increased knowledge and skills, and improved diet.”Importance of Growing Your Own Food
- Article: http://www.grist.org/article/food-smart-cities-are-unpaving-the-way-for-urban-farmers-and-locavores/P1
- About self-sufficiency projects all over the U.S. and how important growing your own food will be in the future
- Article: http://www.urbanorganicgardener.com/2010/06/how-you-can-make-gardening-cheap/
- Blog about man who started his own backyard garden with tips on how to do it cheaply and using household materials
- Article: http://growingourown.wordpress.com/2-literature-review/
- Mentions a lot of research on self-sufficiency and gardening
- Article: http://www.seedsnc.org/
- Community garden in Durham, NC; may be good contact resource
- Article: http://www.ingham.org/CE/hort/food%20production%20classes/Gardening%20for%20greater%20Self%20Sufficiency%20handout.pdf
- Slideshow on self-sufficiencyCommunity Gardens in NC
- Article: http://nccommunitygarden.ncsu.edu/gardens.html
- Lists community gardens in Mecklenburg County
- Article: http://charlottegreen.org/index.htm
- Community garden in Charlotte; may be able to look at their resources/projects to get ideas
Research and Content contributed by Samantha Newton and Sunya Folyan
epforum.wordpress.com 
