Garden Corps redesigns gardening sites

After a long winter in the greenhouses, Campus Garden workdays are moving outdoors this Friday.

The Garden Corps welcomes new volunteers as it implements its new permaculture designs for the garden, Campus Garden coordinator Audrey Brinkers said.

“It’s exciting because it’s going to make the garden process more efficient, and it’s a new learning opportunity for volunteers to be exposed to a new type of gardening,” Garden Corps member Alicia Richhart said.

From 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, the group will implement the design. The group has scheduled a work session from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Both days are open to new volunteers.

Sophomore and Garden Corps member Ellie Symes said she’s excited for the event after all the hard work the group has put into planning it.

“I’ll be proud to see the garden built from the ground up,” Symes said. “It’s going to be a good time with food and music.”

The garden redesign is based on the individual projects each Garden Corps member plans and executes throughout the year. Symes plans on introducing bees to the garden, and Richhart is working on a recipe book of meals grown there.

“I hope we can grow out and organize the Garden Corps program, which just started last semester,” Richhart said. “A lot of the individual projects is what brings these new innovations to the garden and helps us improve our leadership skills. I really think it’s
the right direction to go.”

The Garden Corps is a group of dedicated volunteers at the campus garden who not only volunteer several hours each week, but also come up with individual projects to constantly improve the garden.

The corps manage two gardens, the Hilltop Garden and the Bryan House Garden. The Bryan House garden started first, in 2011, with 900 square feet. The Hilltop Garden was built in 2012 and spans 8,500 square feet.

Because of construction, the Bryan House garden isn’t in bloom this season, Brinkers said.

Brinkers said a campus community garden can teach valuable lessons.

“The purpose is to demonstrate to students how they can live more sustainably by growing and eating their own food,” Brinkers said. “Lots of college students want to know where their food comes from, and this is an important place to make that connection.”

Food from the gardens goes to campus dining halls to use as soon as it’s harvested. Volunteers are also allowed to bring home whatever food they would like after a day’s work, Brinkers said.

“I call it the best free food club on campus,” Symes said. “You get to come and put in whatever work amount you can and take home free fresh vegetables. That’s honestly the incentive that got me into it.”

Symes also plans to have free yoga classes at the garden in order to offer more incentive for community members and students to come out.

She said her favorite part of the garden is how it brings people she wouldn’t normally interact with together.

“Sometimes you get isolated in your major and the things you are really interested in,” she said. “But it’s so exciting to talk to other people about what they’re doing. We get new people here every Friday, from all majors and walks of life.”

Brinkers said breaking away from the books and spending time in the soil is most rewarding.  

“I think the best part is we get so many students who wouldn’t be growing food before,” Brinkers said. “Because we partner with clubs and classes, we get people who otherwise would not be getting their hands in the dirt.”

Follow reporter Suzanne Grossman on Twitter @suzannepaige6.