Dominican community goes green

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Rebecca Lauris and Marta Padilla plant peppers in the Dominican University herb and vegetable garden.

Updated: September 30, 2011 10:47AM

Dominican University is building a new community ­— with every asparagus, carrot, potato, green bean, squash and tomato it grows.

The university opened its first herb and vegetable garden on campus in late May.

Monica Halloran, associate director of academic advising at Dominican University, said the garden was developed by students, staff and faculty who belong to Supporters of Sustainability.

“One of the issues that came up [in SOS] was, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we did something regarding local food sourcing?’ ” Halloran said.

The idea blossomed from there, she said. Plant experts put together an exterior to protect the plants from damage. With the help of local community garden donations as well as seeds from the Forest Park Seed Exchange, Halloran began planting veggies and herbs.

Halloran said no pesticides or herbicides will be used in the DU garden, and all reserves and extras will be composted.

Some veggies and herbs in the garden include sage, oregano, asparagus, carrots, collard greens, potatoes, green beans, four different types of squash and tomatoes. Most of the food is high in vitamins and easy to incorporate into cooking, such as in a stir-fry.

During the summer, the garden was maintained by staff and faculty. Now that school is in session, students will also get a chance to volunteer. The Eco Club and other student groups will play a role in taking care of the garden, Halloran said.

Halloran hopes the garden will bring about learning opportunities for the campus.

“We’re trying to work this in with a Nutrition Walk and Talk program that they’re running out of the Nutrition and Dietetics Division,” she said.

Students from the program would receive a tour of the garden, helping them learn about healthy eating.

“We’re trying to make this an outdoor educational lab for that people can learn about growing health food, eating healthy food, picking healthy activities,” she said.

Halloran said she wants to invite the childcare center to see the garden and have children identify some of the plants and discuss their own favorite foods.

Once the food is ready to be harvested, the university will donate some of the produce to local food pantries.

Halloran said she hopes the garden will help change some ideas about food.

“One of the ideas I’d like to promote is Meatless Mondays – trying to help people learn that they don’t have to eat meat all the time,” she said.

Rebecca Lauris is a cashier for Student Accounts at Dominican. She’s excited about the vegetable and herb garden.

“As more people get to know about it, the more we’ll be able to get some more donations or people to commit time to keeping the garden up,” she said.

Amy McCormack, Dominican University’s Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration, gives credit to all the people that provided the soil and the hands to make the garden grow.

“This is just the first year of what I hope will be a thriving garden for years to come,” she said.

Halloran is hopeful about what the garden will bring to the Dominican community.

“I hope people will learn more about local food and sustainability and ways we can gently utilize the Earth without damaging it,” she said. “We want to increase the composting in the university and work with the food services company to see what we can harvest and what we can keep here on campus.”