News Editor
After years of planning and searching for a location for a university garden, ASI President Derek Stotler said at the Associated Students Incorporated meeting on Friday, May 15 that a campus garden is in the final stages of approval.
Stotler and Jennifer Sanchez, the vice president for university affairs, said the garden would be located near the Facility for Animal Care and Treatment, which is located on the southeast corner of campus.
Both said the garden would consist of an acre of land, but only a quarter or half of an acre would be grown at first.
Sanchez said the garden would consist of native plants and trees and employ water-efficient irrigation systems to conserve water during the current drought.
“It will be watered by a drip irrigation system – so the most efficient way to use water because we are in a drought,” Sanchez said. “It will be all California native plants and trees as well.”
Stotler also told the board of directors that a number of funding sources are being considered for both the construction of the garden and the staff necessary to maintain the garden.
Options included a potential partnership with the Student Recreation Center, ASI funding and grants dedicated to wellness projects like the university garden.
“A couple of the things that we’re looking at are: How are we going to finance the people that are going to maintain the garden, and how are we going to finance the actual building of the garden?” Stotler said.
“There’s a couple of different models we’re looking at,” Stotler added. “One of them is including the Student Recreation Center as a health and wellness type of deal because they deal with health and wellness. We’re reaching out to them to see if there’s any interest in that. Also ASI could be an option to see if the board of directors will be interested in contributing to that, as well as see if there’s any grant funding out there. We actually know that there’s grant funding for specific projects like this.”
Stotler said he hoped campus clubs and organizations would contribute to the maintenance of the garden. Afterward, a number of ASI members presented on potential trees and vegetables that would be featured in the garden.
Over 50 different fruit trees and 50 vegetables were listed.
Genesis of the garden
Stotler said the idea for a university garden was birthed in part out of a study about California State University, Bakersfield in which the researchers discovered that 40 percent of CSUB staff, faculty, administration and students were food insecure.
Food insecurity is defined as a state in which someone does not have reliable access to nutritious food or is uncertain of where their next meal is coming from. Previously, the University Garden was to be planted on a plot of land between the SRC and Science III, but Stotler said that the PEAK department used that land for activities.
Layout of the garden
Stotler said the garden would be designed in a rectangular patch of land divided into four pieces by walkways. In each of the four smaller squares, he said the garden would feature elevated beds where the vegetables and plants would be planted.
The fruit trees, he said, would be planted along the edges of the garden.
A gazebo would be located in the center of the garden, and it would include benches for students to sit, eat and relax. Stotler said he hoped the garden would become a location in which clubs and organizations would want to host events.
Sanchez said the garden would be fenced to prevent vandalism.
