Campus Garden

Mariah Albrecht and Kayla Pollard | Technical

Communication | 04/12/16

Table of Contents
I.

Abstract...............................................................................2

II.

Introduction.........................................................................2

III. Problem and Background....................................................2

IV.

Solution................................................................................3

V.

Conclusion...........................................................................4

VI. References...........................................................................5

Abstract
Today, more than half of the American population is obese. Why, Because of what we
are eating. This fact shows how important being educated about food and healthier
alternatives really is. The food offered on campus is far from healthy and there are few to
zero alternative places to eat fresh, healthy food. Having a garden would allow those
students searching for an alternative, to get those fresh fruits and vegetables.

Introduction
In modern day America, almost every piece of food that is put into our mouths has
been processed in some way. Even the food at the supermarket that is perceived as healthy
might have been mechanically separated or sprayed with pesticides and herbicides.
According to dailymail.co.uk, chickens are being pumped full of hormones and fields are
being sprayed with round up variants that end up in our food and ultimately in our bodies.
They are starting to show the effects of these substances, but we need more time to see
how these chemicals will really affect us in the future. One way to mitigate the amount of
chemicals that go in our body would be to grow food in the ground, and know exactly what
goes on and into it. With a garden, that is rented by homeowners or college students,
whoever is taking care of it can choose what chemicals end up in their food. College
students are the perfect age group to tend to a garden because they are young, active, and
ready to learn. If MSU Mankato were to enact a policy allowing students to volunteer or
even do work study in this community garden, that would give the students a real life
learning opportunity and be able to provide the cafeteria with fresh fruits and vegetables
that are not full of chemicals.

Problem and Background

The main problem that we have come across is that students are uninformed about
what they are eating and about what could possibly be in the food that they are eating.
MSU Mankatos Carkoski Commons is supplied their food from the company Sodexo.
Students at this age need to know what they are ingesting into their bodies so they can
make a change to benefit their bodies in the future. The chemicals that are in the foods that
students eat are going to have negative effects on their bodies, not positive effects. Yes, the
chemicals may help the fruits and vegetables grow faster and last longer once they are
picked, but they are doing more harm than good. Sodexo is a company that has many
services, one being food service. This company is not going to take time to grow chemicalfree fruits and vegetables, they are going to get the food grown as fast as possible to
provide to more businesses, but if food were grown on a personal level, there would be no
need for chemicals, as the person would have the time to tend to their garden.
Also, students need to know how to grow their own fruits and vegetables. According
to aashe.org, More than 100 higher education institutions have established community
gardens on campus. These gardens invite many and varied participants, and develop
communities that cultivate knowledge of place, along with numerous bushels of tomatoes,

corn, carrots and other delectable veggies. The art of farming is starting to fade as
corporate farming expands and machines are able to harvest more crops. The growing
trend (of campus gardens) may help lay the groundwork for a future where a network of
farmers markets, food co-operatives, CSA farms, and community gardens will greatly
reduce average food miles, and help us transition to a more sustainable food system, says
aashe.org. Most students never get the chance to see how food is grown, or get their own
chance to grow food or have a garden. The garden would be located in an area where every
student and staff member can see it, to remind them the importance of fresh food and
learning about what you put in your body. Below is a map of MSU, and it shows there is
plenty of area for a campus garden.

Solution
To help students learn about growing their own food, we are proposing that MSU
Mankato adopts a policy that allows a community garden on campus. We would partner
with other MSU students and/or staff to teach and inform the importance of fresh food. The
garden would have signs showing what is grown where, and what chemicals would
normally be used on the certain species, and what the effects are of the chemical. This
would allow the students to make more informed choices about what they put in their
bodies. Students will get the chance to see what crops are like without all the chemicals,
and realize that most of the time not having chemicals makes the food taste better.

We would set up a donation fund for people who want to help and learn more. This
garden will allow students to learn how food is made and be able to watch the whole
process from seed to ripe food. We plan on being in charge of the garden, and have workstudy students and volunteers help with the majority of the work. Having knowledgeable
staff will help educate anyone that stops by or helps. The staff will educate on what
chemicals are and what they do. The staff will also educate students on how a seed grows
into a plant, which bears fruit. Once the food has grown, staff would then take it to the
kitchen to be stored properly until it is served. The garden should be in a high visibility
area so students see it and are intrigued by it and come and ask questions.

Conclusion
Everyone needs food to survive, but not many actually know what all goes in their
food. College students are growing up being okay with having chemicals sprayed on their
food, and dont know the process of growing food very well. Our goal is to educate students
on what chemicals are, the effects of chemicals, and how they can be avoided by growing
your own food. By educating college students about growing their own food, they will be
able to take that knowledge home and pass it on to others and make the world a little
healthier.

References
Rawstorne, T. How drugs pumped into supermarket chickens pose a terrifying threat to
our health. DailyMail.com, 9, August 2013.
Valluri, V. Campus Gardens: A Growing Trend in Campus Sustainability. aashe, 20, July
2010.
Google Images.