VI. Food Assessment Research: University of Minnesota, Morris
UMM Campus and Community Gardening
Gardening Opportunities
A student-led Organic Gardening Club began in 2008 with a University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment grant; UMM Student Activities support, and University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center provided garden space. Students and community members supply leadership, labor, and enthusiasm. The garden’s vegetables are featured at the Student Activities Fair during New Student Orientation. Morris Healthy Eating convened interested students, staff, faculty, and community members in November 2009 to discuss challenges and opportunities for on-campus gardening.
Interest is high in fostering a “gardening culture” in Morris, to raise more fresh, healthy, and affordable food on campus and in the community. Approximately two acres of land is available for the garden, with water and composting onsite. Master Gardeners are potential gardening mentors, though some focus on flowers and ornamental plants rather than edibles, and not all Master Gardeners employ organic production methods, as would be required to meet student and emerging market needs. The Sustainability Floor in David C. Johnson Independence Hall has offered to supply some labor for the garden during the growing season. On-campus gardening could be a step toward an oncampus greenhouse, as encouraged by the Campus Master Plan. The Regional Fitness Center would like to work with MHE to develop a campus garden that links with the community. The West Central Research and Outreach Center conducts horticultural, high tunnel, season extension, and grazing research and has essential expertise and resources that will assist in developing a productive campus garden.
Key findings— • Student interest in the Organic Gardening club is high. • University faculty, staff, and community interest in gardening is high. • A more structured organization is needed to plan, coordinate volunteers, increase knowledge, and ensure continuity from year to year.
Gardening Challenges: The Student Organic Garden Club lacks formal organization and a means of passing on institutional knowledge. Contacting club leaders is challenging. Interested volunteers are not scheduled or trained; they would welcome more guidance and mentoring. UMM staff and community members want to get more involved but don’t want to overstep student leadership. Fewer students and staff are available in the summer to tend to the garden. Only limited outreach is conducted to first-year students, with no activities to maintain interest beyond the growing season.
An October 2009 Community Food Security Coalition conference presentation noted that successful campus gardens are supported through an ongoing structure and connected to the work of the institution. A formalized structure may be needed to effectively move forward, and assure continuity with student and volunteer turnover. Models of successful gardens on other college campuses are being gathered and considered. Dining Services may be interested in purchasing produce from a campus garden and has provided their quality assurance guidelines.
Desired Outcomes: A single model of gardening on campus is not likely to address all of the students’ needs, levels of commitment, or desired outcomes as stated at the November meeting. • Learning how to garden • Teaching others how to garden • Growing healthy organic food • Supplying food to people with low-incomes and those without garden access, perhaps at the Stevens County Food Shelf in Morris • Supplying campus Dining Services with fresh produce • Community-building and linking campus and community
MORRIS HEALTHY EATING INITIATIVE
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