WCU is a University of North Carolina Campus
During the Homecoming Day of Service in October, students gathered at the garden to construct a compost bin, assemble a shed, and prepare the beds.
Campus Kitchen Garden Project
The WCU Campus Kitchen Garden Project is a Center for Service Learning initiative, supported by the Department of Facilities Management. The primary purpose of this project is to provide a service-learning opportunity for students as they help to meet the nutritional needs of community members. We have regular work days during the growing season. If you are interested in helping with the garden, please contact us at servicelearning@wcu.edu or 828-227-7184.
Project Goals:
- To provide resources to help combat hunger and meet nutritional needs in local communities
- To create a new opportunity for students to apply academic knowledge and skills in a “real-world” setting and learn such values/virtues as collaboration, patience, and a sense of caring
- To expand the University's partnership with social service agencies in Western North Carolina
Participating students will learn the following skills:
- Technical skills:
- Preparing soil and constructing beds
- Propagating plants from seed and planting out
- Making compost
- Applying mulch
- Employing organic pest management techniques
- Conserving water and developing watering systems
- Drawing up a calendar for gardening through the seasons and rotating crops
- Interpersonal skills:
- Participatory problem solving and decision making
- Conflict resolution
- Meeting facilitation
- Negotiation
- Helpfulness, tolerance, and a sense of humor
- The ability to develop innovative and creative solutions and make do with what is at hand
Crops:
- We are growing a variety of vegetables, including lettuce, cabbage, potatoes, onions, carrots, radishes, turnips, beets, squash, cucumbers, peas, beans, corn, peppers, and tomatoes