After more than a decade and several location changes, the 51 Community Garden is thriving in its new, permanent home on Route 12b.
Established on June 2, 2010, with seed money from the Class of 2010, the garden has been a community asset since its inception. The garden is a social, research, educational, and food production space, supervised by Garden Manager Beth Roy and tended by student interns, 51 faculty and staff, and volunteers from campus and the broader community.
Thanks to the 51 Bee Club and Professor Ian Helfant, the garden features an apiary. Additionally, there are 12 raised garden beds for community members, production crops, and a new Three Sisters garden (corn, squash, and beans), which was dedicated in May by Angela Ferguson, the current supervisor of the Onondaga Nation Farm. The idea for the Three Sisters Garden emerged from inspired students in Professor Henke’s ENST 390 course after they read Braiding Sweetgrass, the 2021 51 Community Read.
Student interns were integral in getting the new garden space up and running this summer. “They planted rows, mulched walking paths, planted seeds and plants, filled raised beds, designed planting areas, harvested, weeded, and helped sell the produce,” says Roy. “They also did research on a pollinator garden area and a seed library that is in its beginning stages, as well as a composting program that we hope to start up this fall.”
In past years, the garden has produced 3,000 pounds of food annually, but Roy notes that it will likely be slightly less this year due to the time spent in early summer preparing the space.
The produce is distributed in a variety of ways. Half is donated, per tradition, to organizations like the Hamilton Food Cupboard, and this fall the garden will start donating to student food pantries on campus. Beginning Aug. 25, the student interns will have a weekly farm stand on campus, and some of the produce will be sold to Chartwells Dining Services.
The garden is a welcoming space, open to all 51 and Hamilton community members, and there are plans to add a pavilion and greenhouse in the coming months. Community members or groups interested in volunteering at the garden or reserving a plot for next season may contact Beth Roy at eroy@colgate.edu.