University of Cincinnati
IN-7: Community Garden

The Soiled Hands Learning Garden is a collaboration between the UC Office of Sustainability and Early Learning Center. Its mission is to engage students of all ages in experiential environmental education, foster interest in gardening and sustainable land use, and build community, all while inspiring deeper connections with nature. There are designated raised beds for the use of the students and professors from the school next door. They are able to plan the garden to grow the plants of their preference.

The UC Early Learning Center Children's Garden was founded in 2005 as a collaboration between the Center and the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati. The UC Early Learning Center provides daycare for UC faculty and staff as well as community members, for children 3 months to 5 years. The garden was created to provide hands-on nature education for the children.
In 2010, UC students, faculty, and the Office of Sustainability developed a new collaboration with the UC Early Learning Center to expand and improve the Children's Garden so that it could become a more active environmental education opportunity for both the daycare children and UC students.

In October 2010, a charrette was held and UC students, faculty, and staff worked with UCELC children, parents, and staff to learn about urban agriculture and organic gardening and then create a vision for what the garden could become. Several work days in Autumn and Winter terms drew dozens of volunteers who helped build raised beds out of reclaimed ash wood, create a path and planting mounds, clear the site, and plant a small orchard.

The 5000 sq. ft. space is now a place on the Uptown Campus that allows UC students to have hands-on experience with urban agriculture. Several student groups and class projects have become a part of this exciting project. For more information or to volunteer, please contact the green@uc.edu.

Present Day

Since the Fall of 2016, the UC Garden has undergone a revitalization with the Offfice of Sustainability working to maximize the potential of the space. The Office has adopted a more holistic, permaculture based approach to the deisgn, maintenance, and utility of the space by working with, rather than against nature through using companion planting, planting a variety of bioregionally appropriate edible perennials, working to create pollinator pockets, and harvesting water from the tool shed. The Office of Sustainability is increasingly being more programatic with the space through organizing educational workshops and community building work days.
Bearcat Food Pantry

Beginning in the Spring of 2018, fresh food from the Soiled Hands Learning Garden is donated directly to the Bearcat Food Pantry. Recognizing it's role in the community, UC Sustainability strives to ensure access to food for every person. We hope to do so through this partnership with the Bearcat Food Pantry. To learn more about the pantry and how to donate here.

In 2022, the office of sustainability budgeted for a new community garden on the main campus; which will be larger in size and will include a green house. This new location will allow more students and community members the access to learn and grow more food. The construction will start in Spring of 2023.