By: Gretchen Allie
A group of Milligan students have come together to put their dreams and ideas of a community garden at Milligan into a reality. Helen Biard, Erin Brewer, Katie Cachiaras and Kayla Hatcher have been researching and planning this community garden since the beginning of the 2011 fall semester.
The passion the four girls have is evident on their faces and in their voices as they hopefully dream together. They have developed a tangible plan for Milligan, including a landscape design for the garden.
“I really like the idea of seeing the fruits of my labor and working with other people with my hands,” Cachiaras said. “People are coming together to be apart of it.”
As a part of their research, they looked at colleges around the US with community gardens, such as Berea College’s Gardens and Greenhouse. With help from faculty member Heather Hoover, they have written a proposal and will submit it to President Bill Greer for approval.
Before the garden can be built, Milligan has to approve the proposal and set aside a small plot of land to be used for the garden.
“Now we’re just in the wait and see phase,” said Hoover.
If the garden is approved and built, the group sees many different uses and purposes for it that will benefit the student body and college as a whole.
The community garden would be used as a teaching tool for certain classes. Students would be able to volunteer to work in the garden, alongside a Garden Club that would primarily take care of the garden. The garden will also provide faculty, staff and students with organic food to eat.
The reason this is called a “community” garden is because it would belong to the Milligan community, instead of individuals and it will also be another outlet for community to be built on Milligan’s campus. Students and faculty will have the opportunity work side by side in the garden, physically sowing seeds and reaping its benefits.ooHoo
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