Gettin’ Dirty for Dinner
New garden to produce food for use in campus dining facilities
Walking through campus near the Williams Center and Herty Building, passersby may notice a freshly planted, greener space on campus.
The space is a newly established campus garden--the product of a joint effort from the Center for Sustainability, Department of Facilities Services and Eagle Dining Services.
“This is a great educational opportunity as it will demonstrate how to grow food sustainably in a central and highly visible location,” said Lissa Leege, director of the University’s Center for Sustainability. “Students will play a critical role in the development and maintenance of the garden and will have a chance to learn by doing.”
Inspiration for the project began some time ago, Leege said, but has just come to fruition this summer. Volunteers are working to plant a variety of produce and herbs in the garden, including cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, summer squash, winter squash, snap beans, swiss chard, watermelon and basil. And what exactly will happen with what the garden produces?
“Much of what we grow will go directly to catering events and dining services so that students and other members of the University community will be able to enjoy fresh produce grown right here on campus,” said Scott Blair, a graduate assistant with the Center. “The campus garden produce used in the dining halls and catering events will be labeled as such so consumers will know that is what they are eating.”
“We often hear about the benefits of local food: low transportation cost and consequently reduced fuel use and emissions and knowing how the food is grown,” Leege added. “We can’t get more local than growing food on our campus.”
While many universities are making strides in the area of sustainability, including planting campus gardens, Leege said this garden will provide a unique aspect to Georgia Southern’s sustainability efforts.
“The garden’s central location makes it unique, along with the fact that the rich soil/compost for the garden will originate in the dining hall as food waste,” she said. “That will then be composted on campus and brought back to the garden to grow food that will go back to the dining hall. It is a nice example of a closed loop system that reduces our impact on the earth and benefits campus diners with healthy, local food.”
Blair added the garden has benefits beyond producing consumable goods.
“The garden will not only serve as a space to cultivate fruits and vegetables, it will also cultivate the hearts and minds of students interested in sustainable food production,” he said.
James Grigg, director of facilities operations for the University, agreed.
"I am glad that Facilities Services could partner with the Center for Sustainability to create another hands on learning opportunity for Georgia Southern's students,” he said.
Students, faculty and staff are welcome to volunteer at the garden on one of several workdays. The next scheduled workday will be Thursday, June 18 from 8 a.m. to noon. To ask about other workdays or volunteer opportunities, contact the Center at cfs@georgiasouthern.edu.
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