How Does Your Garden Grow?
Did you hear the one about the single-credit course that helped feed nearly 3,000 Rice students? It’s not a joke — it’s Environmental Sustainability: The Design and Practice of Community Agriculture, a course taught by biology professor Jennifer Rudgers and Faculty Club Director Ann Swain in fall 2007. Throughout the class, students designed, prepared, planted, maintained and harvested the recently relocated Rice Community Garden, alongside the volunteers who regularly donate their time and talents toward its upkeep and care.
Originally planted in 1999 between Mudd Lab and Hicks Kitchen, the garden was relocated to a new plot at the southwest corner of Wiess College in October 2007. Faculty, staff and student volunteers use organic methods to nourish the soil and control pests and weeds, and the garden’s harvest is donated to campus serveries for use in student meals. This allows students to gain an appreciation for local, organic food — and literally to enjoy the fruits of their labors.