“Gardening is a revolutionary act…”

In studies designed to evaluate the benefits of gardening, gardeners often note reductions in stress, tension, and anxiety. Research proves this is more than a feeling. One study had participants complete a psychologically stressful task and then measured cortisol, a hormone the body produces in response to stress. Periods of gardening or reading followed. While both groups showed lower levels of cortisol after these activities, the gardening group was significantly lower, indicating greater physical relief from acute stress. They also reported greater improvement in their moods.

Community gardens show great promise as effective extensions of therapy for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and drug or alcohol dependency, and even for children and adults faced with the typical stresses of modern urban life.1 Working together, tending gardens and growing food, in particular, yield remarkable benefits. These include improvements in self-esteem, teamwork, social interaction, planning, problem solving and coping skills, as well as a passion for gardening and community that may continue throughout life.

Three months of growing fruits and vegetables in a therapeutic communal gardening program resulted in significant decreases in depression and cognitive distortion for patients diagnosed with clinical depression. Those findings still held true three months after the program's end. Children in a juvenile rehabilitation center who participated in a gardening program learned to manage their emotions and behaviors more effectively and emerged with vastly improved opinions of themselves. Most of them also indicated they intended to continue gardening after their stay.

These findings validate our cause. Firmly Rooted Farms has a unique opportunity to make an immense impact on the socioeconomic landscape of the black community and the overall diversity of the hemp industry.