WCU is a University of North Carolina campus
During the Homecoming Day of Service in October, students gathered at the garden to construct a compost bin, assemble a shed, and prepare the beds.
Campus Kitchen Garden Project
The WCU Campus Kitchen Garden Project is a Center for Service Learning initiative, supported by the Department of Facilities Management. The primary purpose of this project is to provide a service-learning opportunity for students as they help to meet the nutritional needs of community members.
Project Goals:
- To provide resources to help combat hunger and meet nutritional needs in local communities
- To create a new opportunity for students to apply academic knowledge and skills in a “real-world” setting and learn such values/virtues as collaboration, patience, and a sense of caring
- To expand the University's partnership with social service agencies in Western North Carolina
Participating students will learn the following skills:
- Technical skills:
- Preparing soil and constructing beds
- P ropagating plants from seed and planting out
- Making compost
- Applying mulch
- Employing Organic pest managment techniques
- Conserving water and developing watering systems
- Drawing up a calendar for gardening through the seasons and rotating crops
- Interpersonal skills:
- Participatory problem solving and decision making
- Conflict resolution
- Meeting facilitation
- Negotiation
- Helpfulness, tolerance, and a sense of humor
- The ability to develop innovative an creative solutions and make do with what is at hand
Crops:
- Mustard greens, kale, lettuce, potatoes, onions, carrots, squash, peas, cabbage, corn, tomatoes, amongnd other crops