Rice University, TX Community Gardens

Type: Program

Status: Launched in 1999

Source File: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rsvpgard/about.html

Description:

What is the Rice Community Garden?
The Rice Community Garden is a volunteering and learning space for all members of the Rice community. It was created by students in 1999 with the help of the Rice community and Houston gardeners. It consists of six raised beds for vegetables, herbs, flowers, and a lime tree. It is sponsored by the Rice Student Volunteer Program (RSVP) and the Center for the Study of Environment and Society (CSES), with additional support from Facilities Engineering & Planning. The garden is maintained using an organic approach by a group of volunteers from the Rice community. The harvest from the garden is donated to Rice serveries for use in student meals. (See cool pic of pesto made from 3 differenty types of basil all grown at Wiess.)

Where are the Rice Community Gardens?
There are 4 community garden sites. One behind Martel along Sunset Blvd, two beside both Hanszen and Wiess, and the herb garden is located adjacent to Sid Richardson College facing Wiess. Map of Rice campus

What is a community garden?
A community garden is a garden, which may include anything from a small orchard to a small pond, that is maintained by a community of people (in our case, the extended Rice community). Community gardens have been established all over the world for various reasons. Many communities build gardens to beautify their neighborhoods, to create a space in which their members can gather. In urban areas, with few or no areas of green grass and trees, the gardens are particularly important for individuals and families that may have limited access to fresh produce. In economically disadvantaged communities, the gardens may not only provide healthy nourishment and inspire a sense of unity, but the communities may also sell their surplus for profit that may be invested in other community improvements. In Houston, Urban Harvest provides educational and organizational assistance to community gardens, including ours!

Rice Community Garden Goals
The goals of the Rice Community Garden are:

• to promote volunteer service within the Rice community
• to promote social, healthful, and educational benefits of organic gardening
• to promote awareness of hunger in the local community

Articles about the Community Garden

October 12, 2007 - "A Greener Rice: Moving the community garden from Hicks Kitchen to Wiess College will help provide organic foods to students and serveries " by Lily Chun (Rice Thresher)

October 10, 2007 - "How does your garden grow?" (Rice News)

October 3, 2007 - "Rice community garden breaks ground in new location" (Rice News)

March 23, 2006 - "Rice Community Garden looks to involve faculty, staff" by Arie Wilson (Rice News)

April 15, 1999 - "Garden of Good Will" by Dana Durbin (Rice News)