Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Eva Rocke
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Sustainability Coordinator
Abstract / Artist's Statement
The Future of Food Production at UM: Learning from the Past & Envisioning the Future of Campus Gardens
From 2010 to 2022, the Lommasson garden was a 3,600 square feet plot of land on the University of Montana’s campus in Missoula, Montana. The space produced mixed vegetables, herbs, native plants, a beehive, and seasonal duck occupants. It was used for educational purposes, internships, and employment, including 2-6 garden interns each year. In spring 2022, the garden was demolished to make room for a new campus dining hall and the start of a new student life center. Having a space centrally located on a college campus is a great way to promote healthy eating, teach students about food system sustainability (or unsustainability), and connect campus community members to their food. My research answers three questions related to campus food production and its social and educational impacts: (1) Given the loss of the Lommasson garden space, what can/should the future of on-campus food production look like?, (2) How will student engagement and education be designed to accommodate any new garden space?; and (3) In what ways can future on-campus food production and garden spaces consider equity and justice? From research on campus farms and gardens and surveys of UM affiliates, I will develop recommendations for the future of on-campus gardens To inform this recommendation, I will administer and analyze a survey of UM students and employees to assess how people felt about the old Lommasson garden and their thoughts about a new space. My analysis will include the practicality, budget, location of the garden, and use of technology in creating a new garden space on campus. Determining these aspects will be beneficial to UM’s campus to create a space for inclusion, equity, and community.
Category
Humanities
The Future of Food Production at UM: Learning from the Past & Envisioning the Future of Campus Gardens
UC South Ballroom
The Future of Food Production at UM: Learning from the Past & Envisioning the Future of Campus Gardens
From 2010 to 2022, the Lommasson garden was a 3,600 square feet plot of land on the University of Montana’s campus in Missoula, Montana. The space produced mixed vegetables, herbs, native plants, a beehive, and seasonal duck occupants. It was used for educational purposes, internships, and employment, including 2-6 garden interns each year. In spring 2022, the garden was demolished to make room for a new campus dining hall and the start of a new student life center. Having a space centrally located on a college campus is a great way to promote healthy eating, teach students about food system sustainability (or unsustainability), and connect campus community members to their food. My research answers three questions related to campus food production and its social and educational impacts: (1) Given the loss of the Lommasson garden space, what can/should the future of on-campus food production look like?, (2) How will student engagement and education be designed to accommodate any new garden space?; and (3) In what ways can future on-campus food production and garden spaces consider equity and justice? From research on campus farms and gardens and surveys of UM affiliates, I will develop recommendations for the future of on-campus gardens To inform this recommendation, I will administer and analyze a survey of UM students and employees to assess how people felt about the old Lommasson garden and their thoughts about a new space. My analysis will include the practicality, budget, location of the garden, and use of technology in creating a new garden space on campus. Determining these aspects will be beneficial to UM’s campus to create a space for inclusion, equity, and community.