About Us

Our Mission and Vision

Here at SSLUG Garden, our garden coordinator, volunteers, interns, and community are dedicated to being part of the solution for a sustainable future. We have changed the way our current food system is by working with local ecosystems, instead of depending on methods that are not ecologically or socially sustainable.

The mission of SSLUG Garden program is to create a welcoming environment for people from all backgrounds to gather and learn about sustainable food methods through hands-on experiences. In addition to shaping bright minds, SSLUG is committed to innovation techniques of a sustainable future.

History

In 2008, a small band of dedicated students (SSLUG: Students for Sustainable Living and Urban Gardening) in the Sustainable Communities program, led by graduate student Ian Dixon-McDonald, established the “SSLUG Garden.” With the blessings of Dean Stevenson (Social and Behavioral Sciences) and Facility Services, a formerly neglected site was transformed into a thriving vegetable garden and community gathering place.

The SSLUG Garden is currently overseen and maintained by SSLUG Graduate Student Gardener Sarah Tabak, a student in the Sustainable Communities Program; by members of the student SSLUG Club; by a faculty/student committee; and by an large array of volunteers! Any student interested in gardening, as well as students in other programs with a service-learning component, are invited to participate. The garden serves as an outdoor classroom that provides students a unique opportunity to work as a team applying the principles of sustainability in a real-world setting.

Our Sustainable Gardening Practices

SSLUG Garden’s gardening practices include the use of:

• Rainwater harvesting
• Sunken and raised beds
• Cold frames
• Composting
• Intercropping and companion planting techniques
• Open pollinated heirloom crop varieties
• Locally adapted seed saved and shared with community gardeners