Cal Poly’s Campus Health & Wellbeing — along with the Honors Program and Energy, Utilities and Sustainability staff — dedicated a new community garden Tuesday, June 4 at 11 a.m. on the lawn in front of the Health Center.
Cal Poly was given a $130,000 grant in 2018 by the California State University (CSU) Chancellor’s Office designated for The Sustainable Food Hub Project. The project provides resources and support for the Cal Poly Farmer’s Market and Food Pantry, as well as the new community garden, according to a Cal Poly news release.
“I’m hoping that this will be a nexus point for students to come in and learn about healthy eating and how to garden and how to grow your own food, and then also just starting to instill healthy behaviors and a healthy lifestyle into each of our students’ lives,” CSU Director, Student Wellness & Basic Needs Initiatives Denise Bevly said.
The garden will bring awareness to food insecurity on campus, educate the community about the freshness of local foods and build a community among everyone involved, according to the release.
“Ideally, it’d be really cool some years in the future if this community garden could grow and produce for the farmer’s market,” software engineering senior and Food Pantry Garden team member Christina Daley said. “We are just looking at the emphasis and importance of sustainability.”
The garden will open at the beginning of Fall 2019, but applications for a plot are open now, according to the release.
Students, faculty and staff members may apply for a 4-by-4-foot plot and campus group may apply for a 4-by-8-foot plot.
There are no requirements to apply for a plot, but once accepted, there is a $15 fee each quarter for students and a $30 fee for faculty and campus groups. The fees will cover tools and upkeep during academic breaks, Daley said.
“[The garden] will allow students to have a mental break and garden and actually be where their food is produced,” Daley said. “We can always use people who want to try it out, want to grow their own food or just want to garden.”