Campus Gardens

Unity College is growing!  Food, that is. 

We have a variety of gardens on campus where food is cultivated in a sustainable, responsible manner.  By maintaining campus gardens, our community can enjoy fresh, local food prepared in our Dining Services department.  Additionally, the gardens stock the kitchen and salad bar during our summer programs.

The Unity College Garden is a 2/5 of an acre plot that is managed using a permanent raised-bed system to maintain soil fertility and structure. Vegetables from this garden are raised using organic methods, although they are not certified.  We use cover crops, rotation, compost, and minerals to keep the soil productive.  We focus on crops for immediate use- such as Mesclun mix, spinach, cucumbers, and tomatoes, as well as crops to be stored for use during the school year- such as winter squash and onions.  Any excess is shared with our local food pantry.

We also utilize a season extending hoophouse, or high tunnel, and have several edible, perennial landscape installations around our campus.

In addition to crops grown for use by Unity College, we host a community agricultural project called Veggies For All on campus.  Veggies For All works to relieve local hunger by growing vegetables for those at risk of food insecurity.  They cultivate 1/2 of an acre on campus, which accounts for 1/3 of their production.  The veggies are distributed to our low-income neighbors through partner organizations, such as the Volunteer Regional Food Pantry.

All our garden projects are used as demonstration and teaching tools, as well.  It’s not unusual to see a class or student group pitching in with tasks or doing some research in our gardens.                    

Contact the Sustainability Office (ext.295) for more info or to learn how to get involved.