By Emily Sitton
Whenever senior Anne Carey walks into the produce section of a grocery store, she doesn't just see rows upon rows of fruits and vegetables. Instead, each individual fruit and vegetable represents something more personal.
After working on the University of Portland's student-run community garden, she's learned all about the hard work and dedication that goes into agricultural production.
The SLUG Garden, or Student Led Unity Garden, is a community garden on campus that aspires to bring the UP and University Park communities together through growing organic produce.
Carey said that the garden is completely student-run and student-inspired, dependent on the efforts and members of the current group.
"It was created, originally, as an honor student freshmen project, but soon grew into a group of CEC (College Ecology Club) members and other students on campus," Carey said. "We raised over $ 1000 from different departments, professors and organizations on campus our first year in order to initially build the garden."
Carey said that it also is a tool to teach UP students as well as community members about how to grow their own fruits and vegetables organically and hopes to teach the benefits of growing your own food.
According to senior Tiffany Candelaria, head of SLUG publicity, over 30 different plants are being grown at the SLUG garden, including pumpkins, tomatoes and garlic.
Candelaria said that the SLUG Garden is also making an effort to collaborate more this year with other clubs and educational departments. She said that this is important because there is potential for mutually beneficial relationships.
"If we can team up with other groups of people we feel a lot more will get accomplished and both parties will gain more recognition and involvement," Candelaria said.
Also, there are some planned events throughout the school year including a potluck harvest festival. Scheduled for October, Candelaria said, the festival would feature food made with ingredients from the garden, music, crafts and pumpkin carving.
"We had a similar event last October and it was a great success," Candelaria said.
According to Candelaria, SLUG is also hoping to get a greenhouse built on site to house some of the plants, but mainly to provide shelter for the seed starts.
There is also serious talk of constructing a sustainable garden or play-scape at UP's new child care facility sometime this semester.
According to senior Andy Wuest, co-president of SLUG, the SLUG garden is a place to relax. Located on the corner of North Warren and North McKenna, Wuest said the garden provides a unique view of the school's new riverfront property as well as "stellar views of the Willamette River and the St. John's Bridge."
According to Wuest, students can get involved by helping out with chores around the garden, like weeding, watering and keeping up with current projects. Some upcoming plans for SLUG include collaborating with the College Ecology Club to implement a composting program for the row housing dormitories.
"For the gardening community, the SLUG project is an opportunity for students alike to learn about organics, how to grow food, and to social network with people with similar interests," Wuest said.
For Carey, the SLUG garden is a passion. She came to UP with little gardening or composting experience, but she said that she thinks she can help anyone start a garden or grow vegetables anywhere.
She says that it is a fun activity where you can learn about how to grow vegetables, get free food and actively take part in local food systems.
"It has taught me a lot about the challenges of agriculture and really put food into perspective for me," Carey said. "I now walk into a grocery store and don't just see a bunch of foodstuffs I could possibly buy, but a collection of hard work and beautiful fruits and vegetables that my own veggies may or may not live up to."
Carey feels that the SLUG garden is an example to the administration of what the student body would like to see more of at UP.
She would like to see more student involvement and enthusiasm for SLUG. The group has many projects that they are currently working on, including starting a large-scale composting program in the Village, in many offices around campus and eventually into the dorms.
"We are also working on a native restoration of The Bluff near the garden to help with erosion and the many invasive species present," Carey said.
Carey said that there are many opportunities for students to become involved in SLUG. The garden needs a strong group of students during the summer, when the garden is at its busiest.
"If anyone is around during the summer, we would love to have your help," Carey said.
