Sustainable (Urban) Gardening Program

Contact:

Dr. Ganga Hettiarachchi, Department of Agronomy,

Description:

This EPA funded project is combining research and outreach to establish safe gardening practices on brownfields by evaluating the uptake of metals, metalloids and organic compounds into food crops grown in community gardens established on mildly contaminated brownfields sites. The goal of this project is to identify and quantify potential human exposure to soil contaminants through direct soil ingestion and indirect food-chain transfer and to educate community gardeners on how to safely grow crops on brownfields sites by implementing best management practices.

Program Partners:

K-State Department of Agronomy, K-State Department of Horticulture, Forestry and Recreation Resources

Institutional Impact Area(s):

K-State Research and Extension

Audience:

All individuals interested in or assisting with the conversion of brownfields to gardens: community-based gardening initiatives nationwide, urban gardeners, local governments, state and federal agencies and extension services representatives.

Tags:

Food and Fiber Production and Safety, K-State Research and Extension