Eastside Edible Schoolyard Proposal

REVISED 10/17/07

COMMUNITY GARDEN PROPOSAL

Drafted: August 25, 2007

Intended For: The Department of Housing and Residence Life

By: Lacy E. Nichols

PROPOSAL

What: A long-term community garden similar to that of the LLC’s Edible Garden for the East side of Appalachian State University’s campus.

Objectives:

1) To create and maintain a space that students and residents can be proud of.

2) To promote sustainability and to educate residents of ways to be self-reliant.

3) To have a good source of organic vegetables for students and residents who find it difficult to purchase these items on campus.

4) To build community through service by providing fresh vegetables to organizations like the Food Bank and the Hospitality House.

5) To build community between the residents of both East side areas: Pinnacle and Eastridge.

6) To make this an on-going project, lasting year after year.

Location: The proposed location of this garden would be the grassy area behind White Hall. There are several reasons for this choice:

1) The sunlight hits this area perfectly, and there is no shelter.

2) It is a low traffic area.

3) It is near the residence halls, not an academic area.

4) It is centrally located for the East side of campus.

5) It is somewhat hidden, reducing the chances of vandalism and destruction.

Needed materials and storage: It is proposed that all materials would be stored in the Hall Office of whichever Resident Assistant or Resident Director (or resident) is overseeing the garden.

Planned items to grow: Because this would be our first year, it would be beneficial to keep it simple. The plan would be to plant:

1) tomatoes

2) lettuce

3) okra

4) peas

5) squash

6) cucumbers

7) 1-2 raspberry bushes

8) watermelon

9) a small variety of flowers

10) zucchini

Possible Issues/Concerns:

A) Season Changes

a. Because of the extreme weather conditions in Boone, it would be necessary to start this project in April and end it as soon as the first signs of snow arrive. This would mean that the majority of the gardening would be done during Summer, the first month or two of school and the last month or two of school. This shouldn’t be a problem, due to Summer Classes (usually housed in White.)

b. This has not been too big of a problem for the LLC, and the Community Guides and teachers in Watauga College could probably provide solid advice on how to deal with this issue.

B) Cost

a. Assuming that this would start in Cone Hall with Lacy Nichols getting it started, the initial costs could come from a hall or area budget.

b. One goal is to receive educational programming grants to help cover a few of the start-up costs. Since this program is educational in nature, this will hopefully be a fairly simple process.

C) Vandalism and Destruction

a. It is safe to assume that as with any Bulletin Board on campus, the garden would be subject to vandalism, but it is hoped that it will instead be a source of pride for all residents.

b. If the garden is vandalized, it wouldn’t be something to difficult to fix with a little extra work and some clean-up efforts.

D) Summer Maintenance

a. It is my intent to personally maintain the garden during the summer of 2008 with the hopes that each summer following, a summer school RA or RD will be interested in taking on this project as their responsibility. This would free Appalachian State University and the department of housing and residence life from the financial burden of having to hire someone.

b. There is also a possibility of forming an Eastside Garden Coalition through CRSA which could come up with other possible solutions for this problem.

c. I think that it would be a safe bet to assume that at LEAST 2 summer school students per session would be interested in helping to maintain the garden.

Faculty Involvement: It is proposed that a professor from the Biology department be recruited to offer advice and assistance during the weeks prior to the start of the garden. It is also proposed that a faculty member be present during the preparation of the space to ensure that the garden is being created correctly and that it is an educational experience.

Eastside Garden Coalition: Once this garden gets the go-ahead, the next step would be to form an Eastside Garden Coalition. This would consist of students and hopefully, one faculty member. The Coalition would meet as needed and would attempt to gain status as a University Funded Club/Organization. The goal of the coalition would be to maintain the garden and possibly hold occasional fundraisers for both the garden and local sustainability efforts.

Dear Reader,

It is my hope that this proposal answers any questions and fully addresses every aspect of this garden. I feel as though this is a good, solid idea that has many benefits for residents and the department as a whole. Our society seems to be moving more and more toward accepting the idea of working to create a more green and sustainable environment. Not only would this garden help to achieve that goal, but also I feel as though it would be a great thing to be able to offer to Appalachian’s incoming freshmen (more and more of whom are joining this sustainability movement.) From personal experience, I can attest to the fact that gardening has made me more self-reliant, confidant, and competent. It is my hope that others will be able to acquire these traits through hard work on a group project that yields tangible results.

Lacy E. Nichols,

Resident Assistant, Cone Hall