Even though NC State’s community garden has been around since 2009, it’s not well-known amongst students. The garden is located on campus in Lee Park, which is adjacent to Lee Residence Hall and Fountain Dining Hall. Students for Organic Living (SOL Garden, formally known as SOUL Garden) is beneficial for both NC State and the students who are members of the organization.
Learn about where your food comes from and improve your green thumb: If you have ever thought about starting a garden in your backyard, have herbs in your kitchen window or are confused why the succulent in your dorm died, SOL Garden is a great place for you. The student-led organization is filled with knowledgeable people who can answer your questions and teach you things you wouldn’t even know to ask about.
Meet new people and make new friends: Even if you aren’t a horticulture or environmental science major, you will meet a great group of people when you come to a workday, with students from a variety of years and majors. Working on the garden together can also take away some of the awkwardness of meeting new people and is a great way to bond. If you feel like you missed your chance to get involved in a campus organization earlier in the semester, SOL Garden is still accepting new volunteers for workdays every weekend, but you are not required to come every weekend.
Destress by spending time outdoors, away from your computer: As students, we are forced to spend a lot of time on screens studying, completing assignments and even attending classes now. Joining the community garden gives you a built-in time each week to work outside with your hands, away from scholarly demands. It really helps to prevent those Sunday night scaries where you feel you didn’t have a weekend that was productive, fun or relaxing enough. Getting my Saturday or Sunday started with time in nature puts me in a great headspace for getting work done later in the day. I especially enjoy getting a chance to work with my hands for a change instead of typing away on my computer, like how I spend most days.
Help your NC State community: Several of SOL Garden’s beds grow food to go towards NC State’s food pantry, Feed the Pack. According to a report from this February, on homelessness and food and housing insecurity among NC State students during the COVID-19 pandemic, almost 25% of students experienced food insecurity. Fresh produce is one of the hardest things for food pantries and food insecure people alike to get their hands on because of the inherent problems of perishability and high prices. SOL Garden and the organization’s volunteers help to fill in the gaps for Feed the Pack.
Create a beautiful space on campus: There is no shortage of gorgeous plant life on NC State’s campus, but there are not as many places where students are in charge of the entire process of planning, planting and upkeeping a green space. Club members get to vote on what is planted in the garden and where. Once the plants begin to bear fruit, they are also able to benefit from what is grown based on their number of service hours during the semester. While sitting in the green grass in the Court of North Carolina is nice, sitting amongst organic plants that you helped grow is a different feeling.
To learn more about how to volunteer or become a club member contact solgarden-org@ncsu.edu or visit the SOL Garden website.
