University of Connecticut
IN-27: Innovation D

In Spring 2017, UConn’s Spring Valley Student Farm began the Perennial Project, an ongoing entirely student-run program to redesign their gardens in a sustainable manner. In March, the students educated themselves on the process of permaculture: accounting for topography, human traffic, and environmental factors. They also learned about implementing ethics, such as preserving and restoring natural systems, promoting mental wellbeing, and avoiding overconsumption. The April meeting occurred at the EcoGarden site, where participants conducted a site assessment, which consisted of soil pH sampling, dimensional measurements, wind speed, and solar path finder use, to create basemap overlays. A second April meeting began the process of in-depth site design. Students learned to implement the concepts of Permaculture Zones, the 12 Permaculture Design Principles, Webs of Connections, and Functions, Systems, and Elements. The garden restructuring will be applied with student volunteers this Fall, and are incorporating many different permaculture design elements including: Rainwater harvesting Drip irrigation Solar-powered compost tea Sheet mulching Starting an edible forest garden The Perennial Project will also continue into the Spring and Fall of 2018, as students from EcoHouse work to implement permaculture into the Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP) as part of an edible landscape project. The food grown at Spring Valley Student Farm is utilized in multiple restaurants throughout the UConn campus, including Chuck & Augie’s and Whitney Dining Hall. This allows for even greater community engagement with the projects. Furthermore, students developed a website to educate the larger UConn community about the benefits of planting perennial gardens and to encourage other students to become actively engaged in the food growing process.