TABLE 3—
Ranked Categories and Challenges by Category, Collected From a National Sample of School Gardeners: United States, June 2017
| Category and Challenge | Rank, Median (Mean) | No. (%) |
| Fundinga | 3 (3.26) | |
| Lack of funding | 54 (54.5) | |
| Unaware of funding | 35 (35.3) | |
| Poor allocation of funding | 18 (18.1) | |
| No funding challenges | 16 (16.1) | |
| Grant seeking | 13 (13.1) | |
| Distribution of funds | 2 (2.0) | |
| Time to seek funding | 2 (2.0) | |
| Staffinga | 4 (3.54) | |
| Inadequate number of volunteers | 64 (64.6) | |
| Teacher–faculty lack of interest | 59 (59.5) | |
| Lack of knowledge of how to incorporate gardening into school curriculum | 46 (46.4) | |
| Lack of knowledge about garden maintenance | 36 (36.3) | |
| Uncooperative administration | 16 (16.1) | |
| No staff challenges | 6 (6.0) | |
| No compensation | 2 (2.0) | |
| Timea | 4 (3.82) | |
| Time for all classes to use the garden | 65 (65.6) | |
| Time to train staff and faculty about gardening | 61 (61.6) | |
| Time constraints for garden maintenance | 48 (48.4) | |
| Time for lesson planning | 44 (44.4) | |
| Time to host gardening clubs | 2 (2.0) | |
| No time challenges | 2 (2.0) | |
| Curriculumb | 2 (2.46) | |
| Low teacher–faculty support | 13 (13.1) | |
| Garden not integrated into the school day | 11 (11.1) | |
| Classroom management | 10 (10.1) | |
| Student engagement | 9 (9.1) | |
| Curriculum design | 6 (6.0) | |
| Competing out of school time programs | 4 (4.0) | |
| Weather and seasons | 4 (4.0) | |
| No curriculum issues | 36 (36.7) | |
| Spacea | 2 (2.01) | |
| Lack of space to store gardening tools | 36 (36.3) | |
| Lack of space for indoor garden | 36 (36.3) | |
| Lack of space for garden outside | 27 (27.2) | |
| No space challenges | 19 (19.1) | |
| Security | 3 (3.0) | |
| Space for curriculum materials | 2 (2.0) | |
| Water source | 1 (1.0) | |
| Lack of space to present information about the garden | 1 (1.0) |
a
The data presented in this category are a synthesis from several questions. One question asked participants to rank each category. A second question asked participants to identify their greatest challenge within each category and presented several multiple choice options as well as a write-in option.
b
Unlike other categories, curriculum challenges were explored exclusively through an open-ended question.