The Campus Garden

The Campus Garden was established in 2009 as a partnership between Dr. Jamin Rowan’s First Year Writing Seminar and the Dr. Gloria K. Muday Biology Lab. The Muday Lab began and continues to grow research and heirloom tomatoes each summer. Annual vegetable production in the Campus Garden was initially coordinated by Campus Raised Organic Produce (CROP), a student-led organization established by undergraduate writing seminar students. The Office of Sustainability eventually took over responsibility for the garden, employing student interns throughout the year to tend to the garden. Today, the Garden is run by our Outdoor Learning Spaces coordinator with the help of trained student interns and leaders.

All WFU students, faculty, and staff are invited to enjoy a hands-on experience at the Campus Garden. Practice the fundamentals of gardening, lead your peers in productive work that helps alleviate hunger, and learn about the connections between regenerative agriculture and climate change. There are opportunities for every experience level! You can volunteer in the Garden, come with a class to explore specific disciplinary connections to your coursework, or attend one of our seasonal events hosted in the Garden.

Volunteer, Lead, Learn

Connect & Cultivate Volunteer Hours

Connect & Cultivate is our student, faculty, and staff volunteer program, led by trained student leaders. C&C volunteer hours are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00 – 6:00pm, and on Sundays from 3:00 – 4:00pm during the academic year. Track your hours on GivePulse or simply show up; no experience is required!

C&C volunteer hours will resume for the Fall 2024 semester on Thursday, September 26. Save the Date and we’ll see you there!

Connect & Cultivate volunteer hours are led by our Connect & Cultivate student leaders, who are selected through an application process and trained by our Campus Garden team.

More about Connect & Cultivate:

Connect & Cultivate is our volunteer opportunity designed specifically to help student, faculty, and staff volunteers connect with one another and the environment. You’ll help accomplish gardening tasks, learn about sustainable agricultural practices in the Garden, and meet new friends in a relaxed, outdoor setting. C&C volunteer sessions are a time to put your hands in the earth and unwind. 

What to Expect when Volunteering

Common Crops in the Campus Garden

Annual Crops are generally sorted by Cool Season (spring and fall) and Warm Season (summer). The Campus Garden also grows a number of Perennial Crops and flowers. Most importantly we grow Cover Crops every season. These annual plants are grown densely and terminated before they set seed. Cover crops protect and improve our soil in many ways.

Cool Season Crops

• Beets
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Lettuce and a variety of salad greens
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Radishes
• Specialty crops: cabbage, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, swiss chard, turnips

Warm Season Crops

• Heirloom and Research Tomatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Green Beans
• The Three Sisters: Sweet corn, acorn squash, pole beans
• Specialty crops: zucchini, eggplant, peppers, basil

Cover Crops

• Buckwheat
• Crimson Clover
• Millet and Cow Pea
• Rye and Vetch
• Sunhemp
• Sunflower

Perennial Crops

• Asparagus
• Strawberries
• Lemon balm
• Rosemary
• Rain Garden grasses and flowers
• Zinnias

Campus Kitchen Partnership

Garden volunteers are welcome to snack on organic veggies or take some home to cook. Most of the produce grown at the Campus Garden is delivered to The Campus Kitchen at WFU.

In addition to garden vegetables, Campus Kitchen prepares meals and redistributes fresh produce rescued from local grocery stores. These items are distributed to local social service agencies to help alleviate hunger.