Farm on campus concept lives in the present, looks to the future

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

welliott@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

About 20 Acadia University students, involved in the environmental society and sustainability office, are hoping to resume market gardening on campus.

They’ve been working on a garden project since October after attending a sustainable campus conference in Maine. “There they've managed to close the food production cycle; students are responsible for growing the sustainable, ecologically responsible food served in their dining hall in conjunction with active community members and local agricultural and horticultural experts. We're excited about the variety of opportunities that this project presents us with as students, but more generally as citizens of the Wolfville community,” says Alex Redfield. “The benefits of our project can last long past the four years we spend here,” he said. “If we can create a system that can directly reduce Acadia's ecological footprint, not only can we contribute to positive environmental change, but we can help start a cycle of sustainable education that can involve people from all walks of life and hopefully expand much farther than the confines of the campus.”

Tremendous opportunities

Staff at the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens supports the initiative. Redfield says anyone who would like to find out more can come to a public meeting Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Acadia Room of the Irving Centre.

Growing vegetables on campus naturally enables both production and educational components, says Redfield, and really opens up tremendous opportunities to engage many people in the Acadia and Wolfville communities. “We hope not only to grow vegetables, but serve as a resource for educators, community members and organizations throughout Wolfville and at Acadia, while providing a community green space where citizens, students and educators can interact.”

A working, teaching farm could be involved in university curricula for both arts and science researchers, an educational destination for primary and secondary students and teachers, ecologically-oriented summer groups, community food banks and aid organizations, the students suggest.

The environmental society would like to hear from those who think the idea has merit. “Whether you can see yourself saving your coffee grinds for us to pick up and dump in our compost pile; if you can see yourself taking your class or your kids to the farm to see how gardening can be done in the most responsible fashion; if you can see yourself helping develop community ties between the town and the university; if you can see yourself picking a few weeds come August; or if you can see yourself helping students learn how to farm, let us know.”

Acadia historian Dr. Barry Moody says the original farm on the Acadia campus existed well past World War I. “It was located south of Willett House, with the barn situated approximately about where physical plant has its building today.”