A creative multidisciplinary approach towards the development of food gardening

The Mangaung-University of the Orange Free State Community Partnership Programme (MUCPP) is a comprehensive health care project established in April 1991 in the Free State province. It is largely funded by the W. F. Kellogg Foundation, United States. The partnership is a triumvirate consisting of the Mangaung community, the University of the Orange Free State (UOFS) and the Department of Health of the Free State province. The Food Garden Management Programme is a very important programme in MUCPP. In 1996, the MUCPP food garden was awarded 'Peace Garden of the Year' in the corporate class of a national competition. The definition of a food garden in this article is a piece of land ( - 100 m 2 ) at the back of a resident's house that is used for the production of vegetables, chickens and rabbits, mainly for own consumption. The focus here will be primarily on vegetable gardening and its influence on community development programmes.