Student garden begins third year at Gettysburg College

Volunteers at work at the Painted Turtle Farm

Gettysburg College’s student garden, which provides produce for the local food bank and the campus Dining Center, has begun its third year of operation.

More than 60 members of the College community volunteered their labor during April 11’s opening day festivities at the Painted Turtle Farm, located on the northwest corner of campus between the West Building and the Observatory.

“We completed a tremendous amount of work,” said environmental studies professor Randall Wilson. “We had crews working on our fencing project, as well as preparing beds for planting, transplanting a variety of herbs and salad greens from the greenhouse, planting seeds, flowers, shrubs and potatoes, and general cleaning.” Volunteers included students, faculty and staff members.

The garden includes a wide variety of vegetables and herbs, ranging from corn, peas, and tomatoes to garlic, as well as flowers. Produce is delivered weekly to the local food bank and to the campus Dining Center, much of it ending up on the latter’s salad bar. In turn, waste from the Dining Center becomes compost for the garden.

Approximately a dozen student volunteers are involved in the 4,000-square-foot garden’s ongoing maintenance during the academic year. Most are environmental studies majors. Also participating on Opening Day were student organizations such as Gettysburg Environmental Concerns Organization, Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, the Peace Club, the RISE substance-free house, and others. In addition, three student interns tend the garden and greenhouse during the summer months.  This year the interns will be environmental studies majors Danielle Bates, Katie Gardner, both sophomores, and junior Heather Grace-Rutledge.

Wilson said the garden achieves four important objectives:
    • Community service by providing area residents in need with fresh rather than canned produce
    • Community outreach via education programs for local children on topics such as basic ecology, nutrition, and gardening
    • Enhancing the College’s sustainability efforts
    • Providing hands-on research opportunities for Gettysburg students on topics such as sustainable agriculture, environmental education, and community development

Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences with approximately 2,600 students. It is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. The college was founded in 1832.

Posted April 24, 2008

By Jim Hale 

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