VCU Learning Gardens
VCU Sustainability manages two ADA-compliant and accessible Learning Gardens on VCU’s campuses. The gardens serve to create a sustainable and equitable community space invested in public health and wellness by:
- Helping alleviate food insecurity at VCU and in Richmond via regular produce donations to our community partners.
- Providing hands-on, educational opportunities related to gardening, food access and food systems.
- Providing growing space for VCU students, staff and faculty on campus.
- Creating universally-accessible spaces that enrich the lives of those in our community.
Food insecurity in our community
Many individuals in the City of Richmond and on VCU’s campuses experience insufficient and unreliable access to fresh, nutritious food. Food access can be impacted by a number of factors, like proximity to a grocery store, transportation, education/information and financial strain. With over 25% of Richmond's population experiencing poverty, and many neighborhoods located in food deserts, access to healthy food has become a significant issue in our community.
The Learning Garden contributes to RamPantry, which ensures food security, human dignity and well-being on campus by providing in-need VCU students with food.
Monroe Park Learning Garden
After learning that nearly 60% of surveyed students at VCU felt that they had insufficient access to fresh, healthy food, VCU Sustainability was awarded partial funding in 2015 through an internal grant offered by the Council for Community Engagement.
The Monroe Park Learning Garden also provides a full harvest's worth of produce bi-weekly to the RamPantry, which is dedicated to helping financially-strained students get healthy, culturally-appropriate food.
Get involved
The Learning Garden is constantly growing and changing and it relies on community support.
- Volunteer opportunities are offered weekly and include weeding, watering, harvesting, planting and support with larger projects.
- VCU employees can use their community service leave hours to volunteer in the garden, with supervisor approval.
- Faculty with a class with a service-learning component can partner with the garden for study, service and hands-on opportunities related to their coursework.
- The Learning Garden accepts physical material donations, such as gardening and building supplies, but is unable to accept monetary donations.
For more information about these opportunities, email learningarden@vcu.edu.
MCV Community Garden
VCU's MCV Community Garden, initiated by Green Unity in 2012, is located on the east side of the Larrick Student Center. The garden offers a shared space for students, faculty and staff to grow their own food and flowers, while building community and making our campus greener.
Learn more about the MCV Community Garden here.
Engagement
Community engagement opportunities are an important part of the learning garden program's mission. The Adult Day Services program is a part of an intergenerational daycare center, located on the MCV Campus and serves older adults that need assistance, supervision and social opportunities during the day. The Learning Garden donated two ADA accessible, table-top style beds to the program so that those with mobility devices can garden. The garden provides participants with the opportunity grow their own food, a safe outdoor space to get physical and mental exercise, build relationships, and learn new things. The Learning Garden representative works with program participants weekly to help this group get the most out of their garden.
More information
For more information, email learningarden@vcu.edu.