Gardening options for college kids

Callieslamb · #1 05/08/11, 09:48 PM

For the last MANY years, we have had kids in colleges across the country. It's interesting to note that many of them have made gardening spaces available for students. A DS in KY gets a 20x40 plot free each year. The college tills and provides water and tools. The garden spot is next to trials of corn s they are instructed not to plant corn - they can pick what they want when the corn is ready. It is a bit of a drive for them. This year they opened up plots near their married student housing. They have doubled the spaces available each year for the 3 yrs DS has been there.

A DD in Idaho, paid $15 this week for a 10x20 garden spot (depending on demand, they might be able to get two). The $ covers the fee for water nd they can have up to 50 plants grown in the college greenhouses as well as 10 packets of seeds. Watering will be automatic. They are offering gardening classes and support also.

2 DDs in Utah-different colleges - the same thing almost. One was too late - one has her own yard. One of these DDs is moving to PA for her DH to finish his PhD. We hope Penn State will have something similar or be willing to start one.

If you have college kids interested in gardening - you might have them check. Or ask about starting something. Most colleges have horticulture programs and these would be natural extensions - if space is available.

Plainswalker · #2 05/08/11, 10:35 PM

My college does not have a spot for gardening. When I asked a member of the student government about it in January he said they would write a proposal for the Board of Regents but they aren't planning on writing it until next year. They want to, "study what other schools have done so they can write a good proposal" because they "will only get one shot at this." Basically, he was hoping I would lose interest or he could keep putting it off until either he or I graduate.

Well, I'm not taking this laying down!

Next week I am going to start a guerrilla gardening campaign. Pumpkins in the pasture! Corn by the culvert! Turnips by the trees! Flowers in the forest! Wherever there is an un-utilized patch of dirt on this campus, there will be a seed. They can never stop me.

MaineFarmMom · #3 05/09/11, 07:33 AM

My DD2 will attend a college with a sustainable ag major (not her major). They have a high tunnel and garden the students can use. It's one of the things that made her feel at home on campus.They're composting 800 lbs of food waste, paper, etc. a week so that they have all the compost they need.