It sounds impressive: a 3000 square foot garden that produces food for students to eat in Barone.
When Fairfield’s community garden began, the university was already late in joining the green movement. The garden is now in its third year and, while it is used by some science classes, there have been few improvements and additions since its start.
In contrast, Connecticut College’s garden is located in the hub of campus and is sized at 9,500 square feet, more than three times the size of Fairfield’s.
Quinnipiac University operates its garden so effectively that they have weekly farmers’ markets. While in Vermont, Middlebury College’s garden has a massive 3-acre radius. Its enormous size allows for it to provide produce for not only its dining hall, but also local restaurants and delis as well.
At Fairfield, it seems that the garden has more good intentions than good food for students to eat.
Pretty as a picture
The boutique garden is visually stunning during the summer and fall months, prime harvest time at Fairfield where the plants are in full bloom and the fenced plot is green and luscious.
During the garden’s peak, the vegetables harvested are juicy cherry tomatoes, summer and butternut squash, spicy jalapenos, carrots and a variety of herbs.
Vice president of student affairs at Fairfield, Jim Fitzpatrick, said the garden supplies “over 300 pounds” to Barone yet noted the limitations of having such a small plot of land. “We’re probably using as much now as the garden can produce for us,” he said.
Faculty disagrees about future
One of the garden’s co-directors, biology professor Tod Osier, strongly defended the garden, its progression since its start, and its overall purpose.
“Our goal was never to provide significant percentage to Barone,” he continued, “it’s mostly been an opportunity for people to engage in the process of growing things…it’s about generating experience.”
Osier, defiantly, clarified “there’s not a plan for going out and making the garden bigger and bigger.”
Another Fairfield biology professor James Biardi, however, sees things differently. When asked if he thinks the garden is fulfilling its role to the best of its ability he said, “No I believe the garden is still on an upward trajectory, he believes this issue could be solved with some “additional institutional support.”
The university’s marketing office, too, seems to view the garden differently than Osier. While, on its website, Fairfield does recognize the learning factor the garden offers, it mainly highlights its other purposes.
The PR team highly boasts about that the garden’s purpose of providing food to Barone as well as donating some of its harvest to a hunger relief program, Harvest Now.
The Campus Garden
The idea for a campus garden was initiated by Fairfield, now, alum Dana August ‘11. Administrators including Fitzpatrick, were thrilled with this initiative and, after receiving funds for it, the garden was born.
Spring 2010 saw great changes as the community garden, located alongside the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, began and finished construction. The growing and harvesting process began shortly after and transgressed into the fertile summer season.
The garden’s third year does look similar, in many ways, to its first. Though new crops, like lemon balm and cucumbers, have been introduced in the past year its size and production rate is comparative to spring 2010.
Improving each year
Jesus Nunez ‘14, is extremely passionate about the garden, as he has been working in it ever since it was built in 2010.
Interning over the past two summers in the garden, Nunez has seen the garden transform from a start up project to one that is constantly growing new herbs and vegetables and even introduced a beehive community.
“I would definitely like to see the garden grow even more,” he said. “I think that if the students are not aware of it we need to do a better job of bringing it up to them”.
Despite a lack of publicity, the chief garden intern triumphantly said, “We’ve done better every year because we are always learning more things about the plants and how to best care for them.”
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