By Kyle Kerns Staff writer
Susquehanna’s campus garden spans over 1600 square feet, divided into 25 individual plots.
Coordinators sophomores Hannah Johnston and David Huntzberry and junior Jacqui Meredith of Susquehanna run the garden.
Although the campus garden is an environmental project, the coordinators do not have to be a certain major to take part.
Johnston is a communications major and is working on a minor in photography. Huntzberry is an ecology major who also works at the Fresh Water Research Initiative and Meredith is an ecology major who works with the Community Food Action Team on campus.
The campus garden does not just provide a place for students to enjoy nature, but the garden also allows students to give back to the community. Each Sunday the coordinators deliver fresh produce to the Meals for Seals campaign in Selinsgrove. This program allocates the delivered produce to families in need so that they have meals.
The coordinators also help out with Meals for Seal’s packaging parties, which ensures that children do not go home hungry. The campus garden also helps by delivering food to St. Pius Church in Selinsgrove.
Greek life groups and various campus clubs often partner up with the campus garden to introduce new members, establish a community and try to provide support to the garden through community action groups.
Johnston said,” [The campus garden] means a lot to the garden co-coordinators and the helpers to be able to help the community.” She added that the garden has come a long way from where it began, and it is encouraging to see it grow more each year.
Meredith added that working in the garden, watching her plot of land grow and helping local community members “is a rewarding experience.” She also helps the Community Action Team collect food waste from Aramark and deliver it to the campus garden for reuse.
Huntzberry said people should come out to visit and help out at the campus garden. “It’s nice to know that you’re making a difference in the community and your campus with your hard work and dedication,” he added.
Students and faculty are able to take care of their own garden plot through the campus garden. The three coordinators all agreed that although the campus garden is filled with different vegetables and fresh produce at this time of year, there is still a lot to do to be prepared for next year as the garden moves toward the dormant side of the growing season.
All students are welcome to volunteer in the garden. The hours that students are able to come and help are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.
