Community Garden


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UMBC is home to a student-led community garden that is open to all members of the UMBC Community. The community garden is located by the UMBC Police Station and the Food Forest. The Garden”, a student organization, describes the mission of the garden as “seeking to re-imagine the role of higher education in addressing problems of the world through the creation and engagement of our food garden that enables creativity in research, applied learning, campus-community partnerships, pedagogy, social equity, diversity, and food sovereignty.”

The Garden is responsible for the maintenance of the physical community garden and for the allocation of plots to campus groups/individuals.  The group also provides plot recipients with an orientation to learn how to grow in their section of the garden’s raised beds. The groups choose what to grow and do with the food they grow in their plot. The garden also provides a tool-share, garden-related composting, fun events, and community workdays.

Students led the creation of the Garden by developing and proposal and gaining approval and support over a two-year process. In the spring of 2014, the student body voted on SGA Prove-It grant funding for a campus improvement project. 70% voted for a community garden on campus. The garden is has been built by student volunteers along with a broad network of staff and faculty advisers and mentors.