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Creating community through food: the ithaca college organic garden project

Creating community through food: the ithaca college organic garden project. Environmental Research: Michael Smith Spring 2010. Emma Hileman Taryn Hubbard. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GARDEN. Fall 2008: Pilot project in Environmental Science

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Creating community through food: the ithaca college organic garden project

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  1. Creating community through food: the ithaca college organic garden project Environmental Research: Michael Smith Spring 2010 Emma Hileman Taryn Hubbard

  2. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GARDEN Fall 2008: Pilot project in Environmental Science Spring 2009: Recipient of Commit-to-Change research grant through Environmental Studies & HSBC Spring/Summer: Construction, Planting and Harvest Fall 2009: Horticultural Research (Taryn & Professor Michael Smith) Spring 2010: Organic Growers of IC, Horticultural Research (Taryn, Emma, and Professor Smith)

  3. THE ITHACA COLLEGE COMMUNITY GARDEN

  4. Urban, suburban, or rural • One community plot or many individual plots • Anywhere: school, hospital, neighborhood, city • Sold to market or kept by gardeners • Things typically grown: Vegetables, fruits, flowers, community • Anyone can participate What is a community garden? Any piece of land gardened by a group of people.

  5. Why a community garden? Benefits to Campus Community: “Community gardens increase a sense of community ownership and stewardship. They foster the development of a community identity and spirit.” Different groups of students interacting with one another Interdisciplinary education Increase well-being (it’s fun!) Free congregation of ideas Celebrate food Sustainability (Social, Environmental, Economic) (Gardeningmatters.org)

  6. Connection with ithaca community Can work with larger community of Ithaca Farmers, volunteers, children, families Participation in production of food for all Can lead to further neighborhood organizing: Physical location for people to meet, socialize, and learn about community issues Increase volunteer and service activities for students Fresh produce to community Working with programs to supply healthy food to BJM, GIAC, and South Side Community Center

  7. Health benefits “A ten percent increase in nearby greenspace was found to decrease a person’s health complaints in an amount equivalent to a five year reduction in that person’s age.” Gardening: one of the most commonly practiced types of exercise Can eat healthier, more nutrient-rich diets Pesticide and fertilizer-free: Organically grown foods are healthier Consumption of local pollen can decrease seasonal allergies Horticulture therapy: Reduce stress, increase sense of wellness and belonging Encourages self-reliance & community reliance Working with fresh food  increase well-being Medicinal plants (Sherer, 2006)

  8. aesthetics Add beauty to community and “heighten people’s awareness and appreciation for living things.” 83% of residents surveyed in Chicago believe that gardens enhance the beauty of their community Can create greenspace for students, faculty, and staff to enjoy (Gardeningmatters.org)

  9. Biodiversity enhancement Motivation to conserve biodiversity: closer connection with land can enhance ecological consciousness Evidence shows that people who establish personal connections with natural areas are more highly motivated to protect such environments Awareness of ecosystem services (i.e. pollination) Native plant cultivation “Even the smallest of town gardens can provide a rich and valuable sanctuary for a whole host of wildlife.” (qtd in Gaston, 2009).

  10. or… Food production at ithaca college Encourages locally grown organic produce Community can access nutrient-rich foods that may be otherwise unavailable Small-scale agriculture can be up to 100 times more productive per acre than standard large-scale farming CSA Program for faculty and staff Garden support Knowing where your food comes from & exactly who is producing it Food supply for volunteer community Community sharing the harvest Food culture

  11. Other Direct benefits to ithaca college Engage with local community & cultivate community on campus Service and experiential learning foster a better education Increase diverse student interaction Connect IC to its land Educational opportunities: course development, research projects, new learning facility Connection between students & staff (Ithaca College Grounds Department)

  12. Future opportunities Expansion of plot & increased production Research opportunities: apiary, seed saving, native plants… Compost, vermicompost, and soil fertility Integrate into IC Food, Collaborate with other foodgroups on campus & Williams garden Permaculture demonstration plot Established internship Season extension (hoop house, greenhouse, cold frames) Provide percentage of food for community Marketing & selling of fresh & dried produce Collaborate with forest garden & mycology research

  13. “The single greatest lesson the garden teaches is that our relationship to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still shines and people still can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world.” Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma

  14. Thank you! Questions and discussion Volunteer opportunities Contact gardenIC@gmail.com

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