A new community garden opened at Stony Brook University’s Southampton campus, serving as a space where both students and community members can grow produce for their fellow East Enders.
A collaborative effort between the FoodLab, Stony Brook Student Life, and the Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center, the garden was jointly built over the summer by students, apprentices from FoodLab’s Taste of the Trades program, and community partners, erected next to the already-existing greenhouse and showcasing “a shared commitment to growing and expanding access to fresh, nutritious food,” says a press statement from the FoodLab. Apprentices built the raised planting beds that make up the bulk of the garden with students tasked with doing most of the planting. Area residents are encouraged to contribute as well.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Sept. 1. Going forward, fruits and vegetables grown in the garden will be sent out to East End groups to distribute, including The Center, promoting and participating even further in a broader community-supported agriculture initiative. Situated on one fenced-in acre of land, the garden boasts raised beds available for individual people to tend to, as well as open spaces and picnic tables for students and others will use for educational purposes.
The garden received additional support from a $50,000 grant from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, which helped fund infrastructure and the distribution of produce to local families. A Stony Brook University Presidential Mini Grant enabled the construction of the garden’s first raised beds.
With a mission to establish the university as a national center for studying challenging food-related issues the world faces, specifically focused on how we feed a growing world population facing climate change and diminishing natural resources, produce grown at the FoodLab’s new garden will be sent out into the community
