Work underway at on-campus garden

The Marshall University Park and Recreation Organization for Students is beginning to move crops and seeds from the campus greenhouse to the student garden located behind the Career Services building.

PROS is a student fueled organization in which students can receive community service credit and campus organization credit, but not class credit.

The student garden beds were first installed last year with the help and direction of Rick Abel, assistant professor in the Integrated Science and Technology department.

Denise F. Hogsett, director of the Career Services Center, helped tend to the garden last spring.

“Once hearing about the project, I suggested using the space outback the career services building,” Hogsett said.

Currently there are four raised beds divided into 12 sections constructed of non-pressure treated cedar wood.

A plan to expand the garden to 18 sections is in progress.

Garlic was planted in the garden in January when students returned for the spring semester.

The garden will be filled with a variety of vegetables and herbs that may include radishes, tomatoes, squash, cabbage, lima beans and green beans.

Composting bins are also going to be installed. All the material and shrubbery left over from the garden will be placed in compost bins and can be saved to use alongside fertilizer in the future.

The plants are watered with rain that is collected in rain barrels outside Career Services. Sustainability Manager Margie J. Phillips helped install the rain barrels for the garden.

Last year, the food grown in the garden was distributed by PROS to faculty, staff and students.

Phillips discussed possible ideas of distribution for the gardens produce.

“One thing to look at is selling it,” Phillips said. “Wild Ramp is a co-op for local farmers to bring their items there and sell them, or possibly maybe even selling it here on campus at the student center so then students, faculty and staff are given the chance to purchase it.”

Kyle Thacker, sophomore natural resources and recreation management major and member of PROS, helps take care of the plants in the greenhouse that will be used in the garden.

“Last year, I helped with a lot of the presentation planting,” Thacker said. “We usually want a lot of people to pitch in.”

The garden is grown without chemicals to make the garden as organic as possible. Crushed eggshells and left over coffee grounds have been used to help fertilize the plants in the past.

Shannon Grener can be contacted at grener@marshall.edu.