Economic Value of Home Vegetable Gardens in an Urban Desert Environment

Abstract

Two home vegetable gardens (77.4 and 58.3 m 2 ) in Tucson, Ariz., yielded an average of 1.24 and 2.31 kg/m 2 of produce per year over 3 and 2.5 years, respectively. Average net returns were $109 and $123 per year, $0.72 and $1.11 per hour, or $8.80 and $7.75 per dollar of water used. Thus, in the southwest desert, a weekly investment of 2-to-3 hours in a home garden can provide savings.