University of Georgia
PAE-T2-12: Farmers' Market

UGArden seeks to promote the social, environmental, and nutritional benefits of sustainable gardening through the creation of a student-run community garden. Such a unique outdoor learning experience encourages engagement with the natural world, fosters interdisciplinary pursuits at UGA, and offers a meaningful sense of place to a largely transitory student body. This student organization is dedicated to the management of a 1-acre garden plot. It began as a simple idea- to provide a place for students to learn to raise food and promote sustainable gardening. With this in mind, a group of dedicated students developed a plan and sought approval for a place to garden. After a year-long process, and a lot of hard work by many students and faculty advisor, David Berle, the garden found a home. The garden is located on South Milledge Avenue, on university land formerly dedicated to sheep farming. The first planting was in May of 2010. Professor Berle has led an enthusiastic group of UGArden members and student volunteers to establish a garden that now includes a tilapia aquaponics demonstration, permanent fruit plantings, bee hives, and a woodland mushroom demonstration area. UGArden has a produce stand open Wednesdays from 5:00pm to 6:30pm, where it sells its produce to members of the community.