As the semester begins, new ideas for innovation have been brewing among faculty, especially physics professor, Dr. Jennifer Pearce, who wants to jumpstart a campus garden that would be involved with the food studies minor.

Pearce said she became involved with this initiative because she is going to be teaching a food science class next semester which will have involvement with the garden. Additionally, her introduction to the food science course will also be able to count as a CORE 101 lab science course. 

Some of those involved include Bon Appetit, people who are involved with sustainability programs on campus and food science students. 

 According to Pearce, the gardens will most likely be food gardens, including herbs like mint, lemon balm and possibly some apple trees. She did not rule out the possibility of a flower garden when she said that she wants to take into consideration what the campus community wants as she has sent out a survey to faculty members and what the students in her class would like to be involved in. 

Since gardening is so seasonal, Pearce said she expects the fall to be a planning semester so the team can begin planting in the spring and begin to establish the plants, so that in another year to year and a half, a significant amount of food will be able to be harvested. 

“Getting out in the air and out in the sunshine and digging in the dirt is very good for you mentally and physically even beyond the food you get out of the garden,” said Pearce.
“I see it providing a lot of support for our campus community…growing those bonds between the students and the faculty,” 

Pearce has high hopes for the garden: “I think even if we didn’t get a lot of food out of the garden, just the act of all of us coming together with a shared goal that’s something that’s very visible on campus would help provide for that mental well-being of people that work here as well as the students”