The Role of University Food Gardens in Higher Education

Sustainability

Sydney Klein

April 3, 2014

Community Gardens• “An environmental intervention that is collectively created and

sustained by community members.” (Hale et al. 2011)– Gardens are reactionary

• Benefits:– Health (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual)– Social

• Community Building• Civic engagement

– Educational• “eco-literacy”

– Sustainability• Indirect• Direct

*What about on university campuses?

University Food Gardens and Higher Education Sustainability

• Call for “Sustainable” Higher Education• Need for sustainability curriculum

– Interdisciplinary– Hands-on– Involves research– Incorporated into all systems of institution

• Institutional Constraints– Rigid traditional structure– Different Perceptions of “sustainable”– Private funding of research

• How do universities become sustainable?:– Series of incremental and systematic changes– Strong leadership– Networking– Collaboration between small initiatives

• Campus food gardens

Research Questions:• What are the demographic characteristics of

university food gardens?• Do university gardens serve as sites for

informal and formal education?• What obstacles and benefits occur within

university food gardens?• What factors affect the resilience of

university food garden initiatives?

Methods• Mixed-Methods• Email Survey

– Campus garden managers– Closed and open-ended questions

• Total of 194 Potential Schools– AASHE

• Total Return Rate: N=52 (27%)• Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

– Descriptive statistics– Qualitative coding

Findings: RQ1 (Demographics)

• Strong variability• Young• Average Size <1 acre• Practice sustainable agriculture• Student and Faculty have strong role

– Initiation– Management– Participation

• Diverse uses and participation– Focuses:

• Sustainability• Environmental studies• Agricultural education

• Diverse marketing and advertising• Heavily reliant on one funding

source (69%)– Within university

FindingsRQ2: Formal Education

• Quantitative Data– 81% sites utilized as formal

teaching sites– 46% supplement

classroom learning– 62% offer workshops– 43% conduct academic

research– Focuses:

• Sustainability• Environmental studies

Qualitative data

What are the focuses of classes linked to the garden? (Mark all that apply)

Participants Percentage Sustainability 35 66.04% Environmental Studies 25 47.17% Education 14 26.42% Health/Medicine 11 20.75% Production Agriculture 10 18.87% Physical Science 9 16.98% Culinary 9 16.98% Social Science 8 15.09% Other 6 11.32%

FindingsRQ2: Informal Education

• Quantitative Data– Knowledge outside of a

specific discipline• “Eco-Literacy”

– 76% offer tours

• Qualitative Data– Individual skills– Experiential Education

As a result of participating at the garden do participants: (mark all that apply)

  Participants Percentage

Work towards more sustainable lifestyles 43 81.13%

Gain broader life-views from interaction with other garden and/or farm participants 42 79.25%

Broaden their worldview 36 67.92%

Become active in other campus groups with environmental or sustainability focus 35 66.04%

Become leaders in other aspects of their lives 27 50.94%

Become politically active 13 24.53%

Other 7 13.21%

None of the above 2 3.77%

FindingsRQ3: Benefits

Benefits Derived from Garden Sites

Participants Percentage Providing Food 24 46.15% Community Building 22 42.31% Formal Education 22 42.31% Networking 20 38.46% Institutional Sustainability 19 36.54% Experiential Education 18 34.62% Individual Skills 18 34.62%

Total Responses 143

FindingsRQ3: Obstacles

Obstacles Encountered at Garden Sites

Participants Percentage Participation 32 61.54% Funding 25 48.08% Agroecological Systems 21 40.38% Infrastructure 20 38.46% Institutional Support 17 32.69% Management/Leadership 13 25.00% Lack of Knowledge (inexperience) 13 25.00%

Total Responses 141

FindingsRQ 4: Garden Resilience

Will Garden Exist for the Long-Term?

Participants Percentage Yes-certain 38 73.08% Yes-conditional/ Unsure 12 23.08%

No 2 3.85%

Factors Ensuring Garden Resilience

Participants Percent High Interest/Demand 13 34.21% Institutional Support 12 31.58% Significant Infrastructure 8 21.05% Secured Funding 3 7.89% Secured Management 2 5.26%

STARS Rating and Resiliency

 Perceived Resilient

Unsure/NoResilient

Gold 75% 25%

Silver 81% 19%

Bronze 44% 56%

Recommendations

• Institutional Support– Inclusion into long-term plans

• For on-campus location• Secured Infrastructure

– Consistent Funding Source• Full-time manager (with agricultural experience)

– Greater Faculty and Administrative Participation

*Must assert value of sites (record keeping)

Recommendations

• Increase Participation/Maintain Consistent Participation– Include more academic disciplines– Continual advertising– Collaborate with student groups– Enhance student leadership opportunities

• Internships• Training Programs

– Include broader community• Markets• Workshops

Recommendations

• Networking and Diversification– Diversify funding (increases networking and

reliability of funding)– Seek out partnerships within university and

outside community• All levels• Strengthens initiative• Amplifies provision of benefits• Increases participation

Conclusion

• University food gardens enhance the overall sustainability of their institution

• Though obstacles exist, they are not perceived as limiting factors

• Strong institutional support, active participation, and networking create resilient gardens

Questions??

Photo Credits: Dania Laubach