Community garden to spring up on campus

January 27, 2010

There is good news for those with green thumbs at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus. A community garden will open for business on campus next to the intersection of Tahoe Avenue and Twining Street in March. Students, faculty and staff are invited to be a part of it.<separator></separator>“We’ll have eight plots that are 20 by 30 feet – large enough to divide into several smaller plots,” said Jehnifer Niklas, program coordinator with the Global Institute of Sustainability. “We encourage first-time gardeners to split the plots, as they are quite sizable.”<separator></separator>Niklas said that initial construction is being funded by an infrastructure grant the Garden Advisory Board received. The projected fee for the first year’s growing season – March through May 2010 – is $70, which includes a refundable $20 deposit to cover water use and plot care as well as a $10 fee for ongoing improvements to the garden. In the future, the growing season will cover the full academic year, from September to May, and the fee will be $130.<separator></separator>“We are following a classic model for community gardens,” Niklas said. “Plots are awarded on a first-come first-serve basis. A wait list will be formed once all eight plots are filled, and the Garden Advisory Board will provide both guidance and seasonal workshops for the community.”<separator></separator>According to Niklas, the Garden Committee plans to work with campus engineers and artists to create a recycled-metal garden fence for security and to discourage wildlife. Composting facilities also will be available to produce organic fertilizer for gardeners’ use.<separator></separator>Polytechnic’s Sustainability Committee, established a year ago as part of a university-wide effort to improve sustainable practices coordinated by the Global Institute of Sustainability, identified the creation of a community garden as one of its three primary goals. The committee also has worked to facilitate student involvement with sustainability initiatives and seeks to create a more effective, inclusive recycling program at the campus.<separator></separator>The Garden Committee hopes to establish an arrangement with Mesa United Food Bank in order to allow gardeners to donate any unwanted or excess produce from their plots.<separator></separator>Community gardeners and volunteers will install drip irrigation and fencing, build planting beds, and spread mulch on Jan 30. A ribbon cutting is planned for March to kick off the spring growing season.<separator></separator>If you are interested in becoming a part of the garden community, contact <a href="mailto:polygarden@asu.edu">polygarden@asu.edu</a>. Further information about sustainability efforts at all three ASU campuses can be found at <a href="http://sustainability.asu.edu/campus/">http://sustainability.asu.edu/ca… Stallcop, (480) 727-1173 Public Affairs at ASU Polytechnic campus

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