University of Saskatchewan
ER-T2-2: Organic Garden

The University of Saskatchewan has two student gardens: the Seager Wheeler Residence community garden project, and the U of S Horticulture Club garden project. SEAGER WHEELER PROJECT: In 2006, the U of S initiated a community garden project at the Seager Wheeler Residence complex. This residence houses year-round students and their families and is a very international complex. The response to the community garden was great. In 2008 the community garden area was doubled to include 40 individual plots each measuring 4 X 49 feet. Plots are assigned through a lottery process only when a plot becomes available. There is a one-time $10.00 non-refundable fee that is applied towards the purchase of tools and hoses. CHEP (Child Health Education Program) provide seeds and gardening advice and instruction to students. The University Residence department provides all of the gardening tools gratis. The University provides the water gratis. There is a $20 annual fee which is a refundable deposit - refundable as long as the participating students attend the few community meetings called during the summer and that they clean their plot at the end of the season. Being that a large variety of crops are grown, it is not feasible to apply a general fertilizer regime to the entire garden, so individual plot owners are responsible for their own soil fertility. Much of the fertility comes from the community compost pile. Pest control is also up to the individual gardeners and because of close proximity to other plots, this is usually very organic in nature. In 2011, an undergraduate student conducted a survey of the community garden participants. The survey indicated that having the ability to garden was of great value. In particular, students valued the ability to grow crops they could not obtain locally, and could grow crops in a manner they preferred (organic production). The social benefits of the gardens were many and were positive. The garden was a social gathering place where gardeners could exchange gardening information, could socialize and meet new residents, and encourage children to intermingle. Ethnic potluck meals were also listed as a very positive social benefit of the garden project. HORTICULTURE CLUB PROJECT: The U of S Horticulture Club is open to all students on campus who want to learn more about the field of horticulture. Some Hort Club projects include: wine and cider making using campus-grown produce, vegetable & fruit gardening, fruit and vegetable preserving, greenhouse vegetable & ornamentals production, and plant propagation. Students may be involved in club sales, volunteering at hort trade shows, and potluck suppers made from local produce. One major project is the vegetable garden project which involves approximately 25 students who are responsible for starting transplants in the greenhouse, field seeding, transplanting, maintaining (weeding), harvesting and storing of produce. Some produce is designated for sale to cover the cost of inputs, however the students consume the majority of produce. A faculty adviser plus student coordinators assist the students in learning more about vegetable production. Decisions regarding choice of crops to be grown, pest management methods, plus sale of produce are by group consensus. A variety of pest control options are utilized, with an emphasis on organic, sustainable practices. The use of pesticides only occur if pests in the student gardens jeopardize nearby research projects. The students are aware of this and have done an excellent job of controlling pests without having to resort to the use of pesticides. The students are able to observe the use of trickle irrigation and overhead irrigation. To further enhance the growing conditions, plastic mulches are used and students learn the science behind this technology. Students also learn the science of using floating row covers for the control of specific insect pests. A pre-emergent synthetic fertilizer is applied to the entire garden, with some areas receiving more fertility than others based on the cropping plan. Organic materials from the garden are incorporated back into the soil to help increase both organic matter and soil fertility. The use of organic materials to control weeds also contributes to the soil fertility. The garden, located on the Department of Plant Sciences research plots is roughly 5,000 square meters. A garden this size allows the students to produce a large volume of food. In years when growing conditions allow for very high yields, excess produce is donated to local charities.