The CSUN G.A.R.D.E.N. is a half-acre site managed by the Institute for Sustainability with support from California Climate Action Corps Fellows and hundreds of students and community volunteers who help care for the space each year. Seasonal vegetables and herbs are grown in over 500 square feet of bed space alongside dozens of fruit trees and a wide variety of California native plants, all without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. The mission and spirit of the G.A.R.D.E.N. is best understood through the full name itself:
- Growing: This is a living space and community that actively changes and evolves over the years and seasons.
- Accessible: Individuals of all abilities and levels of experience are encouraged to contribute to and learn from our public university garden.
- Resources: The garden provides healthy, organic, locally grown food directly to CSUN students and staff via the CSUN Food Pantry, while also serving as a resource for education and skill-building.
- Diversity: Of people, plants, and animals. The garden is a place for the proliferation of native plants and the species they support as well as a site for celebrating cultural heritage and community connection.
- Education: The garden is a space for students, staff, faculty, and neighbors to learn together through hands-on collaboration, formal workshops, and volunteering.
- Nourishment: The garden nourishes the body and mind through fresh food, interconnectedness with the wider ecosystem, and a community of caring people concerned for the well-being of our planet and one another.