U.S Universities frequently feature a campus garden, typically described as a garden on campus that engages in community building and sustainability education. This can be as small as one garden plot managed by a club or as big as a whole farm managed by a whole department. Regardless of size, campus gardens provide several benefits; they inhabit positivity in students' sense of place, they offer self reliance in food production, and they provide numerous educational opportunities for students and staff (Baur 2020) (Ridgeway & Matthews, 2015).

Michigan State University (MSU) is particularly renowned for its use of campus garden spaces. The university's campus boasts a 14-acre horticulture garden, an arboretum home to over 20,000 trees, and  a student organic farm spanning seven acres and featuring 20,500 square feet of solar panels. Whether walking through the arboretum on their way to class, reading by a flower bed, or volunteering at a greenhouse or farm, students can enjoy a campus environment that fosters well-being. MSU’s garden spaces also serve as living classrooms where, students gain hands-on experience in subjects like agriculture, botany, and soil science.

While MSU’s garden spaces are undeniably impressive, campus gardens can drive meaningful change even on a smaller scale. At Vanderbilt University, a medical school in Nashville, members of the Vanderbilt Educational Garden Initiative (VEGI) cultivate community gardens that have a significant impact. The produce grown in these gardens is distributed to patients at Vanderbilt’s student-run free clinic and the greater Nashville community. In addition to providing fresh food, VEGI hosts educational events for children and community gatherings for Vanderbilt students. Though their gardens may not be as large or intricate as MSU’s, the work of VEGI remains highly impactful. The initiative gives medical students a meaningful way to spend their free time—offering both personal fulfillment and stress relief—while also giving back to the community. 

Our Campus Garden Project is focused on bringing fresh, homegrown produce to GVSU with the help of SAP and a team of volunteers. After identifying and starting the garden beds, regular maintenance such as watering, weeding, and monitoring plant health will ensure healthy growth. As harvest time approaches, produce will be distributed. This will provide fresh food and create a foundation for future expansion and sustainability efforts on campus.