The Ithaca College Community
Garden: Past, Present, and Future
This document was designed to be used by leaders, volunteers,
professors, classes, and anyone else involved in the Ithaca College
Community Garden. We are glad that you are undertaking and participating
in such a fantastic project that we have put a great deal of our hearts,
souls, minds, and bodies into. We wish you luck with the journey and hope
that the garden will be both an educational and a communal resource for
years to come.
Best wishes,
Taryn Hubbard, Ithaca College Environmental Studies ‘10
Emma Hileman, Ithaca College Environmental Studies ‘10
A Brief History of the Garden Project
Fall 2008:
Early in the fall semester an assignment was given out in Anne Stork’s Environmental
Science Class to write a grant proposal for the Commit-to-Change grant, created by the
Environmental Studies and Sciences Department. All groups were given the option to
turn their grant in and work on the project or to just simply write the grant as a class
exercise. We decided to create a proposal for an on-campus organic garden, an idea
that had already been developing in our minds. A Pilot Lab Project was also required by
the class and for this we interviewed many students on campus. As a result the lab
showed that there was student interest across campus to have a community organic
garden and access to fresh, local food on campus.
As we decided to make this dream of a garden real, we met with Roger
Casterline and Chris Demkovich of Grounds and with their help scoped out potential
garden sites on-campus. We had originally thought the hill near Emerson Hall looked
good, but upon meeting with Roger, realized that this valley would be transformed into a
dirt pile from the construction of the A&E Center. Though we were disheartened by that,
Roger then showed us a plot of land located near the old Compost center on campus. It
was big enough to grow food for many people, had a source of running water near it
and was just a short walk through the woods. We decided to claim this spot as the
future site of the IC Community Organic Garden.
Spring 2009:
In the spring semester we finalized our Commit-to-Change grant and turned it into the
committee. We would not find out until April if we got the $500. In late March we knew
that if we didn’t start seeds soon that we would not have much of a garden for the
growing season. We started several seeds – peppers, eggplants, and leeks – in the
CNS Greenhouse and continued this throughout May. At the beginning of April we were
awarded the HSBC Commit-to-Change grant and began to acquire more seeds, plants,
and tools with the money at the local Agway store in downtown Ithaca. We made sure to
buy as many certified organic and heirloom seeds as possible with our limited funding.
We were excited to finally have funding from the school to push this project forward.
In April we also created a Listserv through the school for those students and
faculty interested in gardening and set-up a Gmail account for the garden. Both of these
have been our primary way of contacting others in the group on a consistent basis. On
April 14th we also made the effort to reach out for help in the community, meeting
Melissa Madden from Dilmun Hill farm at Cornell and Monika Roth from Cornell
Cooperative Extension. They both came to look at the area we were working with and
gave their suggestions about how to go about recreating the space into a productive
and long-lasting garden. They suggested we make raised beds, because of the very wet
soil, and told us to start real small for the summer. We took their advice on the raised
beds, but decided that we were going to persevere and build as much as we could for
the first growing season.
On May 2nd we had our first garden work-day to begin building the raised beds.
We had at least ten other students join us from all different schools and programs on
campus – the Park School of Communications, Health Sciences and Human
Performance, Humanities and Sciences, etc. We worked together to begin building the
first raised bed out of cinder blocks and giant rocks. It was muddy, messy, and so much
fun. It was great to see all of us working together, thinking things over, making decisions
and taking action to create our own food. Everyone was exhausted by the end of that
work-day.
Our turn out for the two other work-days on May 9th and 10th were slim, but the
semester was soon coming to a close. We continued to work on the raised beds and
eventually made three of them side by side. After the beds were made we put up a deer
fence (with some material donated from a community member) and had created a fully
functioning garden space.
Summer 2009:
Near the beginning we had a water pump and hoses bought with help from Marian
Brown. We were planning to use the pump a bit farther upstream and then have it
pumped to the garden with the hoses. Unfortunately, our pump was stolen a week after
and we had to come up with another way to get water easily to the garden. Our question
was answered when Chris Demkovich gave us permission to use the faucet in the
greenhouse near the garden to hook up to our hoses. We now have a reliable water
source all year round.
After all of our drawbacks, we knew that we had to press on and plant all that we
could. We did it all in nearly one day. On June 10th we had our big planting day; twelve
hours were spent moving from bed to bed, transplanting tomatoes and directly seeding
greens. It was simultaneously one of the most exhausting and rewarding days. It was
also bit disappointing because we didn't have much volunteer help (this also had
something to do with the fact that it took us 12 hours to plant), but a wonderful day
nonetheless.
As plants grew and there were fruits and vegetables ready for picking, a nasty
weed known as Horsetail decided to grow just as fast as our delightful harvest. The
weed took over the garden entirely. We believe that the horsetail likes the wet soil that
was originally in the area, and we could not figure out a good way to eradicate it. We
spent a lot of time weeding the garden and getting rid of wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow
of this prehistoric weed.
Although Horsetail seemed to be growing the best in our garden, the fruits,
vegetables, and herbs started to flourish. We decided that anyone who had worked on
the garden, students and faculty alike, would be able to reap the benefits. We were able
to eat summer squash, zucchini, tomatoes (until the blight reached them and they
began to die), peppers and cucumbers. As the season grew longer we were able to
start eating our beets, onions, leeks, and carrots, and eventually moved on to some
wonderful butternut squash in the fall. In August we got together and had a garden
dinner with salad greens from our garden, cucumbers, squash, herbs, onions, and even
delicious shitake mushrooms from the mushroom farm just up the trail near the garden.
It was a scrumptious and fulfilling meal. We continued to keep track of the garden up
until the start of school.
Fall 2009:
Taryn began independent research with Michael Smith on food systems. We read
works on the problems of industrial agriculture, the benefits of a localized and
homegrown food system, and more. In addition, we tried to coordinate with the Honors
Program. She learned a great deal throughout the semester through thinking critically
about food issues and horticulture. On the 5th of September we had our first work day of
the fall semester. New students came (including a few first year students) and we were
able to share the harvest with a few new faces. We also tabled at the Organization Fair
for the new semester, showed off our still producing harvest, and acquired more names
for our Listserv of potential growers. Additionally, Tristan Fowler of the Ithacan came to
interview us and take pictures for The Ithacan's EcoBlog. This was our first opportunity
for press, and we were glad to get the word out.
Throughout the semester, we also worked with a group from Paula Turkon's
course Sustainability: Practices and Principles. They worked on outreach and a fall
crop rotation plan for the garden. Although it was confusing at times, a solid crop
rotation plan will come in handy when we begin to plant the following year, although we
will have to adjust it for any summer crops that we wish to include. Outreach, however,
is still an issue.
In October we submitted a proposal for an H&S Research Grant. In the grant
proposal, we essentially discussed why we needed funding and how it would benefit
ourselves and the college's efforts towards sustainability. We were not awarded
funding, but have since learned many new essential tips on grant writing.
On November 1st and 8th we had our final fall work days. We composted plants
and covered the plot with leaves delivered from grounds. A few new faces showed up
for these days, again, and it was great to witness new people get involved. These work
days were supposed to be in conjunction with The Honors Program, but no members
showed up.
Spring 2010:
In Early February, Taryn registered The Organic Growers of Ithaca College as an official
Ithaca College student organization. This was to give us access to SGA funding and
greater outreach and accessibility within the campus community. We held an initial
meeting for the spring semester and many new people – of all years and majors – were
interested in being a part of the garden. As we began the semester we first tried to
apply for several grants but were denied funding from any of them. In the end we
managed to write up a budget proposal to the Student Government Association for
funding and received upwards of $3,000 dollars. We began to create an expansion plan
for the garden and ordered seeds from Seed Savers Exchange. Many of the seeds we
ordered were of heirloom varieties. Taryn and Emma continued to work on horticultural
research with Michael Smith and used practical hands-on material while supplementing
that work with research from various sources. We started seeds in the CNS and
Grounds greenhouse and watched our garden begin to grow. We also constructed a
trail down to the garden from the bottom of Ithaca College and painted rocks with
various vegetables that were lay down on the sides of the trail to invite others to the
garden.
In early spring we began to build the garden. It was a slow process at first – but
eventually grew momentum. We started by taking down all of the fencing and cinder
blocks from the previous garden and laying out the size of the plot we intended to build.
The next process involved buying locust wood from Tom Brown out in Newfield and
constructing 32 raised beds in the Compost Facility on campus. We then started on the
fence and sunk and cemented cedar posts every 5 feet along the edge for the fence –
but was sure to leave room for the doors. We then stapled the deer fence to the posts
and hinged the doors to the fence posts and tried to make them as even as possible.
The next step in garden construction included putting down the beds in order, laying
cardboard along the whole year, pounding stakes into the corners of the beds to keep
them secure and then filling them up with the 50/50 soil and compost mixture from
Cayuga Compost. We then put wood chips down on all the paths – as well as cardboard
underneath. In the area of the original garden (where there was already soil) we carved
out the beds and pathways and left the soil in these beds as well as the garlic that was
already doing well.
Summer 2010:
At the beginning of the summer we were still trying to finish up the construction of the
garden while putting in the beginning of the plants at the same time. Things definitely
got a bit hectic and frantic. We put in many of our young seedlings before the fence was
completely finished – but we were already a bit behind on the growing season and
wanted to be sure that our plants had enough time to grow. At this time, many of our
student volunteers had left the area for the summer and the garden was now primarily
maintained by the two paid garden managers – Pat Haggerty and Emma Hileman. We
planted all of our seedlings and many seeds (such as lettuce) and also went down to
the Ithaca Plant Sale and bought many herbs and pepper plants that were also put in
the garden.
The season went fast and pretty soon we had delicious tomatoes, ground
cherries, beans and even corn! We tended to each plant as best we could by putting
straw mulch around the base of them and helping the tomatoes stand upright with
different types of trellises or simple tomato stakes. The tomato stakes seemed to work
the best in keeping them up right. The summer was busy and we made the garden look
as nice as possible while still doing little construction jobs here and there to make it the
best garden it could be for its first season. We had one harvest dinner at the end of the
summer before school started. Up until then we had been using the produce for
ourselves, giving a small portion to a couple CSA members and donating the rest to
Loaves and Fishes downtown.
Fall 2010:
As fall rolled in we had a harvest dinner with delicious produce from our garden to
welcome the new club members back. Throughout the fall semester we had various
workdays and workshops that included simple things like weeding but other more
complicated things such as cover crops, hoop house construction and planting a spring
crop of garlic. We built two hoop houses and had fresh lettuce and spinach well into late
fall. Unfortunately, after the first snow the hoop houses collapsed – but they can easily
be reconstructed next year and made even sturdier. We had our first annual harvest
festival where we celebrated the growth of the garden and painted garden flags that can
be flown above the fence. We also had several harvest dinners (at least 5) during the
semester at both Garden Manager’s houses and all shared in creating and consuming
the delicious meals. We also were able to preserve some of the food we grew including
some tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and squash. The harvest dinners were a great way to
take a break and enjoy the work we put into the garden over the past year. The club met
every week and had a workday or workshop almost every weekend during the
semester. One club member even carved a sign for the garden trail over his
Thanksgiving break. We were also able to hold one event near the end of the semester
–a screening of a documentary called The Real Dirt on Farmer John – a movie about a
farmer who creates a CSA of well over 200 people in the Midwest. Our last meeting
ended with a recap of the semester and a new executive board that will take over
garden duties in the spring.
Goals of the Project & Its Founders
The ultimate goal of this garden is to create an educational and communal site to
be used by Ithaca College students, faculty, and staff for years to come. Food is
fundamental; by developing a site of organic, sustainable food production on this
campus we can begin to revolutionize our failing and exploitative food system in our
society. For both of us, coming to college has opened our eyes to how disconnected our
culture, especially the youth culture is, with the production of our food. By allowing all
members of the campus community to come together to grow and participate in all
aspects of the food system our hope is that this disconnect can be overcome. For our
food system to ever become sustainable, all generations should be active participants in
the production of food and understand that food is a communal, human effort.
Specific to the Ithaca College Organic Community garden, we hope that students
will carry on the role of active and dedicated participants in the local food system at
Ithaca College. The garden can be used for research, education, and community
building with students, faculty, and staff. In addition, community connections can be
further established with the surrounding Ithaca community. The food that is produced
cannot only be shared by student volunteers and given to faculty CSA members during
the growing season, but can also be donated to the Ithaca community through venues
such as Loaves and Fishes or through relationships with areas such as Parkside. We
wish for students to be intricately connected to not only the food they are growing, but
also the relationships between community members that will be fostered from this
learning opportunity.
On a personal level, as founders of this garden, we wish for this project to be a
core site of educational, community and personal development for all members of
Ithaca College. Though we won’t be here to see this garden at its full potential, by
having created a brand new classroom for Ithaca College students, faculty, and staff,
we know that we have made a difference for those that will come after us. All of our
efforts have been worth it when one person can visit the garden and begin to consider
their personal relationship to food and the relationship of our food system to all other
areas of our society. If one person realizes the power they have to change our
detrimental and abusive food system in this culture, as we have, we can begin to move
forward to a brighter and healthier future.
Through all of the sorrows and joys that came with this garden we have had the
wonderful opportunity to develop our relationships with the land we inhabit, our food, the
Ithaca College community including students, faculty, and staff, and ourselves. Each of
these connections will continue to benefit us for our lives after college. Establishing this
garden has been the highlight of both of our college experiences and has enriched the
knowledge of our power and place in this society to reverse our failing food system. We
could not be happier to leave this garden for the use by future generations of Ithaca
College students.
Practical Information
We have learned a lot about our horticulture, our community, management, and more
since creating a community garden.
Sources & Suppliers
Our goal for this garden is to use as many local and organic sources as possible in all of
our purchases. If tools are needed that are not owned, first check with the Grounds
Department. We try first to get our supplies free, and then use sources online like Ithaca
Freecycle and Craigslist to look for community members with the items we might need.
Below are listed local sources and suppliers for garden materials.
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Grounds Department, Ithaca College
o Chris Demkovich, demkovich@ithaca.edu
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Black Locust Wood for Raised Beds
o Tom Brown (607)564-7557
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Craigslist
o http://ithaca.craigslist.org/grd/
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Ithaca Agway for garden questions and supplies including potting soil, trays,
tools, gloves, cedar fence posts, deer fence, chicken wire, etc.
o (607)272-1848, 213 South Fulton St.
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Ithaca FreeCycle
o http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IthacaFreecycle/
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Free Deer Fence and other farming materials
o Mark in Newfield (607)227-8179
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Willow wood for trellises
o Planstmen Nursery: Daniel Segal (607) 533-7193, 482 Peruville Rd.
Groton, NY
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Cayuga Compost for Compost and Soil
o (607) 387-6826, www.cayugacompost.com
For seeds we prefer to use as many organic and heirloom varieties as possible. By
doing this we are helping to save plant biodiversity and explore the many different
varieties of vegetables and fruits that exist. We first will check the local seed bank at
CCE for hearty varieties of seeds that are free for the taking and then look to heirloom
varieties available online. We always try and by organic varieties if possible. Seeds and
transplants can also be obtained from community members at Ithaca College and within
the greater Ithaca Community. In early spring when we are ready to plant we also go to
the Annual Ithaca Plant Sale to pick up more transplants and herbs ready for the
planting.
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Seed Savers Exchange
o http://www.seedsavers.org/ (563) 382-5990
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Free Seed Bank at Cornell Cooperative Extension
o (607) 272-2292 tompkins@cornell.edu
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Annual Ithaca Plant Sale (2nd weekend in May)
o www.ccetompkins.net/events/more.html
Other seed sources to be explored:
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Heirloom Seeds: www.heirloomseeds.com
Baker Creek: http://rareseeds.com
Victory Seeds: www.victoryseeds.com
Heirloom Acres Seeds: www.heirloomacresseeds.com
Johnny’s Selected Seeds: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/
Freedom Seeds: www.freedomseeds.org
Fed-Co Seeds: www.fedcoseeds.com
Community Resources
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Cornell Cooperative Extension:
 (607) 272-2292 tompkins@cornell.edu
 Offering the Master Gardener Program:
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/education/mgprogram/index.html
o Monika Roth - Extension Educator Agriculture Programs.
Provided initial suggestions in garden planning. Can be contacted with
questions regarding all aspects of the garden.
 E-mail: mr55@cornell.edu
o Jemila Sequeira- Community Development Special Projects Coordinator.
Can be contacted with questions regarding the donation of food into the
community and with the establishment of educational opportunities within
Ithaca.
 E-mail: es538@cornell.edu
o Josh Dolan – Community Food Educator.
Very knowledgeable about everything garden: crop rotation, season
extension, etc. Also knows many sources for wood and other garden
materials that are needed.
 E-mail: sapsquatch7@gmail.com
o Liz Karabinakis – Community Food Educator.
Can also be contacted with any questions regarding community outreach
and potential places to donate garden food.
 E-mail: evk4@cornell.edu
o Adam Michaelides – Compost Education Program Manager.
Contact with any questions about compost.
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E-mail: acm1@cornell.edu
Dilmun Hill Student Farm, Cornell University:
o 607-255-2552 CUAESreception@cornell.edu
o Melissa Madden – Garden Coordinator.
 E-mail: mam233@cornell.edu
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WestHaven Farm
o Todd McClain – Farm Manager.
Contact with any questions about gardening. Also a good person to have
come to IC to speak about local farming.
 E-mail: todd@westhavenfarm.net
Seed Starting and Transplanting
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Loosely fill a flat with moist seed starting mix
Sink the seed into the soil based on the depth detailed on the seed packet
Can keep a selection of flats in the CNS & Grounds department greenhouses
Keep evenly moist—do not let them dry out!
Once seedlings get 2nd set of leaves, or “true leaves,” transplant to a bigger pot
to allow further growth
Typically, plant deeper than originally—allowing the soil line to reach almost up to
the first set of leaves
Leave a 2-inch space at the top of the pot to allow for watering
Plant out when weather allows!
o Some crops can be planted out before our average last frost (May 15),
such as onions and brassicas
Plants can be “hardened off”—or given some time outside for about a week
before they are planted out in order to get them used to the unpredictable central
NY weather.
More information on specific plants can be found in Eliot Coleman’s The New
Organic Grower.
Additionally, the Grow Line & Master Gardeners at Cornell Cooperative Extension of
Tompkins County can provide a wealth of knowledge on any topic related to
horticulture—just call and ask!
Marketing & Financing
Many marketing techniques can be used to get the word out about the organization and
the community garden. These include:
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Intercom announcements (go out 3 times a week)
Organic Growers of Ithaca College Club
Garden Listserv
The Ithacan
Environmental Studies Listserv
Ithaca Today events
Student Organizational Fair
Brochures at the Williams Garden
FUSE magazine
IC View magazine
WICB Radio – 91.7
Fliers
Ithaca Journal
Word-of-mouth!
Ways to market the garden include:
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Logo
Garden Tours
Garden Open House
Seed starting workshops
Selling produce on-campus
Harvest Dinners
Canning and Food Preservation parties
Garden Workdays
Brochures at Williams Garden
Plant Sale
Local Food Fair
Film Screenings
Funding can come from many sources. The most reliable is from the SGA of Ithaca
College for club funding. Other grants exist in the school and from other community
organizations. More detailed information can be found in the Financing section of the
garden notebook.
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Student Government Association (During the academic year)
Humanities and Sciences Grant Initiative (once a semester)
Environmental Studies and Sciences Department (depends)
Community Supported Agriculture Faculty Program (upfront cost at beginning of
the year)
Other grants in the Ithaca community and online
Organic Growers of Ithaca College
The Organic Growers of Ithaca College is our student organization dedicated to owning
& operating the community garden. This is a way to integrate new students, host
events, and obtain potential funding from SGA.
Logistical information about accounts:
G-mail account: GardenIC@gmail.com
Password: sentinel51
Listserv account: garden-ic@lists.ithaca.edu
To access account: lists.ithaca.edu
Admin password: garden-ic.admin
Blog: gardenic.blogspot.com
Here is our organization description:
The Organic Growers of Ithaca College is for members of the IC community interested
in growing organic produce. We started and currently maintain the Ithaca College
Organic Garden, a large plot of land (over 3600 square feet) located below the Compost
Facility. We hope to experiment with many aspects of sustainable gardening and
farming including permaculture design, crop rotation, companion planting, four-season
food production, and heirloom seed saving. Organic growing on campus is a wonderful
way to interact with peers of varying interests and to connect with the land and food that
sustain us.
There are several officer positions that we developed in the spring of 2010:
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2 Garden Managers
2 Garden Apprentices
Educational Coordinator
Financing Manager
Marketing Manager
Community Coordinator
A master document detailing these positions is in the garden notebook.
These officers will lead teams focusing on specified tasks within the organization, but of
course, everyone gets to garden!
Challenges, Achievements, and Learning Experiences
We have had many challenges, but none have come without a lesson learned.
Financing
We have worked on many grant proposals and seen many denied. Additionally, it is
difficult to find grants that directly apply to a garden on a college campus. However,
there is no sense in dwelling in these drawbacks. Instead, there are many opportunities
for other available funding. Becoming a student organization has helped us with that
immensely, as we are now able to work with SGA to obtain funding already allotted to
student organizations. Although we started with $500, one year later, we received to
lump sums of funding from SGA adding up to almost $5,000.
“Pests”
We have had some insect and mammal problems in the garden. Early in our first
growing season, we had an aphid infestation that wiped out our eggplant and broccoli
supply. Additionally, many slugs infested our melon beds.
There are many ways to deal with insects. We hope that these methods will
always be organic and never involve chemicals. The best way is to ensure that the soil
is healthy. If the soil is healthy, then the plants are healthy. Eliot Coleman details this in
his book The New Organic Grower. He explains the difference between a plant-positive
versus a pest-negative approach. “Plant-positive” is a focus on ensuring that the plants
are in optimum growing conditions. With this approach, there is no need for pest
eradication, since plants are healthy and therefore much less susceptible to swarm or
disease. “Pest-negative” is viewing insects as an enemy when they are really just
messengers, bringing news that the plants are unhealthy. He also expresses the
difference between feeding the plant and feeding the soil. When one feeds the plant, he
or she only focuses on the immediate with fertilizer or plant food. This may help the
plant, but only for one growing season and one plant. If one feeds the soil, she
improves the growing quality of the area and plants will flourish for years to come.
Feeding the soil includes good composting, green manures, crop rotation, and other
important practices. Feeding the soil and a plant-positive approach work hand-in-hand.
Sometimes this is difficult. In our first growing season, we tried to introduce
beneficial insects (ladybugs) to the garden to rid of aphids. However, this only worked
minimally. Other methods are planting seeds that attract these beneficial insects. We
also initially tried companion planting—placing plants strategically with other plants that
work together to benefit the soil and one another. Cornell University has a fantastic
Integrated Pest Management program that could provide a wealth of information on the
topic. But remember, healthy soil makes a healthy plant—if plants are not vulnerable to
begin with, then the harmful insects will probably look elsewhere.
One other “pest” that has entered our garden has been a female rabbit—in fact,
she gave birth inside our garden (unbeknownst to us)! It is important to ensure that the
fence is always closed. Additionally, rabbits and groundhogs can burrow underneath a
fence. If this becomes a problem, it is possible to bury chicken wire below the fence line
to prevent these outside intruders. Certainly it is nice to see a rabbit from afar, but it is
not nice when they eat all of your sunflowers, carrots, kale, beans, and more. :)
Weather & Its Effects
Our first growing season was probably one of the worst for new growers. It was
cold, wet, and dark. Some plants thrive in this weather; others suffer. Additionally, damp
weather can assist the spreading of diseases. In 2009, late blight spread across the
Northeastern United States, wiping out nearly everyone’s tomato plants. Of course, we
had this same issue and had a small tomato fruiting & limited potato supply (late blight
is the same disease that caused the Irish Potato Famine). This can happen to anyone.
Housing tomatoes (and other plants) in a hoop house or greenhouse for the growing
season can slow the spreading of the disease and it is something worth looking into. It
is important to work with the weather, however unpredictable it may be.
Campus Interest
We have had a very difficult time getting members of the campus community to
commit to putting in time to the community garden. Student interest has been lower than
we had expected, and faculty help has been slow going.
Increasing the marketing of the garden is essential. Many people may want to
use a campus garden but may not known of it. Speaking to classes, operating a blog,
and holding weekly meetings have been some ways that we have worked to garner
campus-wide interest. Interest is growing—it is all too important to get people out of
their desks and into the fields.
We hope that interest and use of the community garden will increase over time.
The garden has the potential to attract a wide variety of students—not just
Environmental Studies or Biology—and we hope that will occur. We hope that in the
future, student will be involved not only across disciplines, but also across cultural lines.
It is possible for the site to be an educational and communal resource for all.
Potential Research Projects
With the garden as a learning facility on campus, it has potential to be the site for a
variety of research projects. We have listed and detailed a few here, but options are
nearly limitless!
Soil Fertility
We have an opportunity to create soil fertility on site. We only operate one small
compost bin, but we hope to expand this in the coming years to decrease our upfront
costs and add a biodynamic quality to the garden. Naturally enriched soil is a result of
an exciting biological process that anyone can look into applied research with. Some
options include:
 Compost
 Vermicompost
 Green manure
 Biochar
All of these are viable possibilities for the on-campus community garden and we will
support any endeavor that can allow us to be more self-sustaining.
Crop Rotation & Companion Planting
There are many ways to grow plants—we choose to grow them organically. We do not
use chemicals for pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides. We try to enrich and feed the soil,
allowing plants to flourish to their true potential. Certain common practices can diminish
the quality of the soil, such as monocropping. Instead of monocropping, we grow many
different plants (in a polyculture) and try to allow them to work together.
The book Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte is an excellent resource on
companion planting. She details which plants grow best together and which may have
detrimental effects on one another. An experiment or exploration on companion planting
could help the garden thrive.
Crop rotation is also essential. Crops of the same type use the same nutrients from the
soil and attract the same insects, so it is important to rotate these crops in order to reenrich the soil and deter such pests. A great crop rotation plan is in Eliot Coleman’s The
New Organic Grower and one for fall crops has been developed by us by students in
the course Sustainability: Practices and Principles (this can be found within the
notebook). We hope to have mastered a full crop rotation for our spring, summer, and
fall crops. Developing a complete crop rotation plan can also be a great research
project.
Rainwater Harvesting
While there is controversy over using collected rain water for food crops, we also grow
many different types of flowers at the garden (native, annual, and perennial). There is
potential for these to be watered with harvested rainwater in order to further our efforts
toward sustainability. Ithaca College students have built rain barrels for research in the
past, but there is a possibility to actually test the viability of a rain barrel at the garden.
Native Plants: Edible & Medicinal
We have planted native plants in the garden in order to attract native insects and
enhance the beauty of the plot. We will always encourage more native plants both in
and outside of our fenced area. Researching the best plants for the plot (and actually
planting them) could benefit the area—especially if they can be planted outside of the
fence without getting eaten! A student or group or students could also research the
medicinal qualities of specific plants in the garden.
Heirloom Seed Saving
We have purchased only heirloom seeds that can be saved. We have not yet
successfully saved seed yet, but this is still a possibility for the end of the 2010 growing
season. Students can save seeds of varieties that grow best in the region, study the
practice of seed saving, and more.
Apiary
There has been student interest in managing bees on campus. We have a spot already
chosen, and there is great potential for this to be yet another fantastic research &
business opportunity related to food production.
Students working on this are: Hannah Whitehead ‘13, Marin Cherry ‘12
Orchard: Fruit & Nut Trees
We hope to plant fruit and nut trees at the garden in the near future, in a small plot near
the potential apiary. If someone wants to take this on as a research project, we would
love to see a small forest garden of fruit & nut trees, berry plants, and herbs just below
the vegetable garden. Other potential research involving trees is integrated pest
management, best varieties of fruit trees for this climate, and grafting.
Permaculture Design
As the fruit tree research section states, we hope to see a small forest garden on
campus in the future. This could be one potential for the use of the garden as a
permaculture design plot. We have considered other possibilities such as an herb spiral,
fertilizing the garden with animal manure (such as getting chickens at the garden), and
Three Sisters planting, but none of us have a background in permaculture. Anyone
experienced in permaculture design could choose a plot of the garden to be a test plot
for permaculture on campus.
Marketing & Business
In order to sell our food crops, we need to develop a concrete business plan. There are
also opportunities for marketing the garden to the campus community. The garden is a
great research opportunity for a student with experience in business and marketing
looking to get some hands-on experience and possibly even develop and run a
sustainable business.
Mycology
Students have already conducted research on mushroom cultivation on campus, both of
us included. Fungi-based fertilizer has been used in gardens for many years. There is a
potential to grow both mushrooms and vegetables in the garden plot, increasing the soil
fertility, aiding plants, and growing even more food! Additionally, certain native fungi can
compete with harmful insects and diseases. Anyone looking into mushroom cultivation
research can contact Professor Jason Hamilton.
Food Culture
Connecting students with growing food is one step—knowing what to do with the fresh
produce is another. There are many possibilities for working with classes and other
student groups to celebrate the culture of food, and the produce grown at the garden
can be the basis for this.
Additionally, in the future, we see a section of cultural gardens within the garden. These
can represent different food cultures that are already present on campus. We hope that
students in the future work with different groups on campus to develop plans for these
cultural gardens and unique plants. A great resource for seeds from around the world is
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
Season Extension
Research on season extension is something that we are most excited about. There are
many ways to extend the growing season, including:
 Hoop House
 Greenhouse
 Cold frames
We strongly suggest that students look into season extension at this garden as well as
the Williams garden. There is a possibility for four season food production! A great
resource for this is Eliot Coleman’s Four Season Harvest.
We hope to see a hoop house built between the garden and the potential orchard area.
Additionally, we could potentially utilize the Grounds Department’s greenhouse during
the off-season to grow greens and other cold-hardy crops in the winter months.
It is possible to have fresh kale and spinach in January if there is the interest in
researching and building a facility for such.
Another possibility for season extension is storage. We could build a root cellar to store
crops such as apples, potatoes, and carrots. Additionally, research could be performed
on food preservation methods such as canning, pickling, and dry-preserving. All of
these research projects could lead to further business opportunities. Additionally,
implementing new methods of season extension could increase the community aspect
of the garden by hosting build days, canning parties, and more.
A Future Vision
While we have a dream for the garden, we also want the area to be special and
available to everyone. Here is our vision:
The main garden, a 60 x 80 plot with many raised beds filled to the brim with
vegetables, berries, flowers, and herbs. A corner of the garden devoted to permaculture
design, another corner devoted to various cultural gardens, and the entire plot as a
fantastic place for people from all walks of life to get together. At the middle of the
garden are a few benches with planter boxes, trellises, and tee pees, all climbing with
plants and making the place a comfortable area to spend time in. Climbing plants such
as peas, beans, climbing nasturtiums, and more reach the top of the deer fence, giving
the illusion that the fence is entirely made of green.
Outside of the fence are some edible and non-edible crops, another seating area
at the foot of the woods that is the site for the annual Autumn Harvest & Food Culture
Celebration. The harvest festival will include live music, fundraising opportunities,
garden fresh food (raw and prepared in many different ways), garden tours, and some
kind of fall planting or harvesting. The festival will also mark the first harvest for our
market of dried herbs and herbal teas, and at the end of the festival, we will hang plants
to dry right on the inside of the fence.
Any surplus of food will provide for those who need it most in our community to
further our mission of food justice. We will continually work with these community
members as a constant, steady, albeit small supplier.
A small student-run CSA provides to Ithaca College faculty & staff during the
summer months and allows the garden to continually grow. There is also an Earth Café
on campus that sells fair trade coffee, homemade treats, and salads made entirely with
ingredients from the campus garden. We also operate a farm stand once a week on
campus and accept Bonus Bucks so that the campus community can have access to
fresh, healthy, local food right on campus for a small price. The campus has also
secured a plot to be a campus farm that supplies a greater portion of food to the dining
halls and the local community. The garden is still in full operation, as it is a site for
small-scale production, education, and community.
There is a hoop house, an apiary, an abundance of fruit and nut trees, bird
houses, a butterfly habitat, and a small root cellar. We produce a great percentage of
our own compost & vermicompost at the garden. We also have access to a larger
greenhouse that has been added to CNS for the purpose of organic food production.
Cold frames are used in the garden every fall and spring along with miniature hoop
houses.
Courses in various different disciplines use the garden as a venue for education.
Not just Environmental Studies, but also Writing (Food Writing), Politics (Food Justice),
Biology (Integrated Pest Management), Art (Art in the Garden), Anthropology (Histories
of food), Chemistry, Health Sciences, Music, Cultural Studies, and more! Everyone can
use the garden as an educational plot of land. This area is also a gathering place to
connect the campus community. Students, faculty, and staff can come together and
help grow, eat, and celebrate food.
People can work together to create something beautiful.
While we wish we could stay behind and watch the garden
flourish, we know that the dedicated individuals and community at
Ithaca College can ensure that the garden will continue to grow
indefinitely. Again, we wish you the best of luck and thank for the
participating in the continuation of this learning and community
facility. Be sure to have fun and smell the tomato plants!