Campus Food Gardens

Abstract

Through this report, our group attempted to provide students, faculty, and the surrounding community of Dalhousie’s campus with an image of sustainability consistent with Dalhousie’s greening the campus goals. This report is meant to assess the economic, physical and social feasibility of implementing food gardens on Dalhousie’s Campus. Measurements of the physical and environmental parameters were taken to assess if the proposed location, the gravel plot west of the Killam Library, was suitable for such a project. A focus group was conducted along with interviews and email questions to assess the social feasibility of the project while costs relative to similar university projects and relevant equipment were tabulated. Support from DUSUSO and the university would supplement the initial cost of this project, and can further be mitigated by charging a small fee for the use of the garden. The information obtained from interviews and the focus group indicated there was adequate interest to fill the suggested number of plots. The results indicate a project of this type is feasible on the southwest corner of the Killam library. The collaborators of this report recommend further research into social, environmental and educational benefits of campus food gardens and highly recommend their swift implementation into the campus community.