To show your support:
paw this post
like us at https://www.facebook.com/growumbc
The Garden began a year ago today. That was my first full semester at UMBC, and as a commuter I desperately wanted to feel closer to this campus. But for a bunch of different reasons, like so many students here I ended up going to class, going to the library, and then going home. I had never felt farther from my surroundings or myself.
The picture below is of me responding to a myUMBC thread titled "Community Garden interest!" on a Sunday--March 24th, 2013:
~~
~~
The idea of a community garden has been brought forth many times before, and over the past year our group of 20 undergraduate students, in partnership with Scholars programs, the INDS department, Facilities Management, and others have looked at previous proposals, recognized the shortcomings, and worked to establish the robust and varied campus partnerships to address every single issue for a student-run space to be possible:
~~
~~
We'll be growing food--a ton of it. If a master gardener were to run the space we've been allotted, we could grow close to $39,000 a year worth of food, right here on UMBC's campus.That's incredible, and we've become closer and closer to the transformation of Baltimore's entire food system. Our members are negotiating with UMBC's Dinings Services to move toward more REAL food all over campus:
~~
~~
We believe in the profound power of food to bridge gaps, create bonds, and transcend the differences that separate us. Everyone has a place at the table.
We'll be growing other things too. How different my path as a commuter could have been if I had simply had a little part of campus that I could actually say was mine. We hope everyone can have that, and we believe that if people have ownership of even the smallest sliver of UMBC, they'll take more care and have more pride. Imagine Dr Hrabowski handing each and every freshman a seed at convocation, saying "If you plant this seed, and you care for it, and it bears fruit, then it's yours. Because on this campus, in this community, if you care for something you will reap what you've sown...Because your thoughts become your actions, your actions become your"--you know the rest =)
It brings me to tears, to think about the amount of care and sweat that has gone into this work:
Our sustainability team, Plants (+) People, working to legitimize our efforts by establishing the operations of The Garden--who grows what when and how--and ensuring that it all happens smoothly. They've been lucky enough to work with gifted and caring Graduate Students, Shriver Peaceworkers and folks in the Interdisciplinary Studies (INDS) department. So caring that the INDS department has worked to create a Living Learning Community that will come online next semester, with its mission tied to The Garden.
Our academics team, Writers (+) Researchers, establishing ties with the Shriver Center's SUCCESS program, pushing through URA proposals so that students can see that research doesn't only have to occur in a lab. As students we can create opportunities for research.
Our design team, Artists (+) Engineers, working tirelessly to bring this space to concrete reality.
There is so, so much more. We hope we've earned your vote, and your support. Thanks for reading.
If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please post to the facebook page, we would love to hear from you.
We'll be growing other things too. How different my path as a commuter could have been if I had simply had a little part of campus that I could actually say was mine. We hope everyone can have that, and we believe that if people have ownership of even the smallest sliver of UMBC, they'll take more care and have more pride. Imagine Dr Hrabowski handing each and every freshman a seed at convocation, saying "If you plant this seed, and you care for it, and it bears fruit, then it's yours. Because on this campus, in this community, if you care for something you will reap what you've sown...Because your thoughts become your actions, your actions become your"--you know the rest =)
It brings me to tears, to think about the amount of care and sweat that has gone into this work:
Our sustainability team, Plants (+) People, working to legitimize our efforts by establishing the operations of The Garden--who grows what when and how--and ensuring that it all happens smoothly. They've been lucky enough to work with gifted and caring Graduate Students, Shriver Peaceworkers and folks in the Interdisciplinary Studies (INDS) department. So caring that the INDS department has worked to create a Living Learning Community that will come online next semester, with its mission tied to The Garden.
Our academics team, Writers (+) Researchers, establishing ties with the Shriver Center's SUCCESS program, pushing through URA proposals so that students can see that research doesn't only have to occur in a lab. As students we can create opportunities for research.
Our design team, Artists (+) Engineers, working tirelessly to bring this space to concrete reality.
There is so, so much more. We hope we've earned your vote, and your support. Thanks for reading.
If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please post to the facebook page, we would love to hear from you.
