AASHE Campus Sustainability Hub

The Stewardship Garden (SG) at the University of St. Thomas (MN) is an innovative urban agriculture project that combines undergraduate-driven research, teaching, and community engagement. Established in 2010, the SG consists of community-garden-style plots embedded in an on-campus gathering space. As a research resource, the SG has supported the work of over 50 undergraduate and high school researchers on questions relevant to local agriculture communities and the broader fields of ecology and environmental science. Data from the site have contributed to 8 peer-reviewed science publications with undergraduate authors and a major research grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). As a teaching resource, the SG has provided tangible and accessible opportunities for developing core STEM competencies through experiences in non-major, core, and upper-division courses, while helping students make connections between STEM, the liberal arts, and social/environmental challenges. These educational benefits led to the development of a NSF-funded network that connects undergraduate biology education to pressing social and environmental issues. Finally, as a community engagement resource, the SG site has produced ~2,000 lbs of produce donations each year, has hosted workshops and other gatherings with campus members and the general public, and has spawned a nationally-recognized non-profit (BrightSide Produce) that distributes fruits and vegetables to corner stores in underserved urban neighborhoods. By integrating research, education, and community engagement in one project, the SG has fostered interdisciplinary collaboration and helped students, researchers, and community members find common purpose.

The Stewardship Garden was established in 2010 in response to growing campus interests in sustainability issues and to student requests for an on-campus community garden. Initial discussions among faculty and students in the Biology Department recognized the value of such a project because it complemented growing student and faculty interest in ecology and environmental science. However, preliminary discussions with administrators revealed that a project would likely only get administrative approval if there was long-term faculty and staff commitment to project maintenance and if there was an internal funding mechanism for the project. A key innovation was the recognition that project maintenance would be feasible if garden activities contributed to faculty-student research activities, which are well supported and are an important part of faculty annual evaluations. One faculty member (Dr. Adam Kay, Biology) then developed a formal proposal with two undergraduate student collaborators (Megan Sheridan and Aaron Hays). After several months of discussion, the project was approved by the University President’s Council.

The Stewardship Garden (SG) was developed to integrate undergraduate-driven research, teaching, and community engagement around the theme of urban agriculture. The project’s goal as a research project is to support faculty-undergraduate collaborations in biology and related disciplines that would attract external funding, yield publications and conference presentations, and engage many emerging undergraduate scholars. The goal as a teaching resource is to provide tangible and accessible field experiences for students in courses from diverse disciplines. As a community engagement resource, the goal of the project is to connect students to local and global food system challenges, raise awareness of food insecurity and other social injustices in the community, and bring together community members and university personnel in common purpose. The overarching goal of integrating research, teaching, and community engagement in one project helps students and mentors appreciate context and allows them to focus efforts on creating positive change.

After approval from the President’s Council in 2010, an initial version of the Stewardship Garden (SG) was established in the back yard of a university-owned house near campus. Spearheaded by two undergraduate students (Megan Sheridan and Aaron Hays), a group of about a dozen students and a faculty sponsor (Dr. Adam Kay, Biology) removed turf grass and established simple garden plots. The group then maintained crops for one growing season and donated all grown produce to a local food shelf. After a year, the project was moved to a more accessible location on the south part of campus. In 2012, Kay and 2 collaborators (Dr. Dalma Martinovic-Weigelt and Dr. Gaston Small) in the Biology Department received a grant from the UST Campus Sustainability Fund to build raised beds and some basic infrastructure. Thirty-two raised beds were constructed by Kay and undergraduate student collaborators. In addition, a fence and floral boundary were added to contribute to the aesthetics of the site. Initial research on the site was organized around the relationship between crop biodiversity and yield. Since 2012, more raised and unraised beds have been added and a storage shed has been installed. Complementary projects have emerged from the SG, including BrightSide Produce, a fruit and vegetable distribution non-profit organization that delivers to corner stores in underserved urban neighborhoods, and the Pollinator Path (led by Catherine Grant and Doreen Schroeder), a series of gardens across campus designed to attract pollinators and engage students in pollinator conservation issues.

The Stewardship Garden was established in 2010 in the back yard of a university-owned house. It was then moved to its current location in 2011. In 2012, a grant from the UST Campus Sustainability Fund was used to build raised beds and some basic infrastructure at the current site. Initial research and teaching experiences were developed. In 2014, a grant from the UST Campus Sustainability Fund was used to create sister projects at two community centers in nearby neighborhoods. In 2014, BrightSide Produce was founded. In 2016, the Pollinator Path, a series of floral plantings across campus, was established. The Stewardship Garden anchors this project. In 2017, Dr. Gaston Small (Biology) received a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation to explore phosphorus recycling opportunities using urban agriculture. The grant supports long-term research carried out at the Stewardship Garden. In 2018, Kay and Small received an incubator grant from the National Science Foundation’s Undergraduate Biology Education (NSF-UBE) program to develop a Research Collaboration Network (RCN) focused on integrating urban agriculture into the biology curriculum, using the Stewardship Garden as a model. In 2019, Small, Paliza Shrestha, and student collaborators received funding ($15K) from the Environmental Protection Agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) program to study the removal of phosphorus from compost leachate using water treatment residual products. In 2020, Kay and 4 external collaborators received a full award from the NSF-UBE program to establish a national network “Training Undergraduate Biologists using urban Agriculture (TUBA)”.

Initial funding of ~$200/yr was used to rent equipment (e.g, sod cutter and tiller) and buy tools and seeds. This equipment and material were used to establish beds in the backyard location. Many students volunteered to establish and maintain the site. Faculty oversight occurred as part of scholarship and mentoring activities.

In 2011, ~$400 was used to cut sod and establish beds in the current location. Establishment and maintenance of the garden was carried out by student volunteers and faculty labor.

In 2012, a Campus Sustainability Fund grant of $5,600 was used to establish 32 raised beds and surrounding infrastructure (including fencing, garden furniture, and an entranceway). Two students were supported with work-study stipends (each at ~$4,500/summer) and faculty research funds (~$4,000) were used to support research activities. Several volunteers helped complete all work and maintenance. Starter plants were established in on-campus greenhouse space overseen by the Biology Department greenhouse manager.

Between 2013-2017, research and garden maintenance was supported by Biology Department research-support funds (~$5,000/yr), work-study funds (~$9,000/yr), and Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program grants (~5,000/yr). Over the years, Kay, Small, and other Biology Department faculty and staff contributed to Stewardship Garden maintenance as part of their expected scholarship and service activities.

In 2017, Dr. Gaston Small received a Faculty Early Career Development Program grant from the National Science Foundation ($699,000 over 5 years) to support work in the Stewardship Garden. Some of these funds were used to support student researchers, pay for research supplies, sponsor conference presentations, and support workshops and other outreach activities.

In 2018, Kay and Small received an NSF-UBE-RCN incubator grant ($75,000) to start the development of a national urban agriculture -biology education program inspired by the Stewardship Garden.

In 2019, Small, Paliza Shrestha, and student collaborators received funding ($15K) from the Environmental Protection Agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) program to study the removal of phosphorus from compost leachate using water treatment residual products.

In 2020, Kay and four collaborators received a full NSF-UBE-RCN grant ($500,000) to establish a national urban agriculture -biology education program.

Results from this project include: 1. Two major grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for ~$1.2M, an NSF-incubator grant ($75K), a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency ($15K), and two internal grants from the University of St. Thomas Campus Sustainability Fund (~$25K) 2. 8 peer-reviewed publications with undergraduate student authors 3. 30 conference presentations 4. Collaborations with 45 undergraduate researchers, 10 high school researchers, 2 high school teachers 5. Engagement with 2-10 classes per year in various disciplines including Biology, Environmental Science, English, Justice and Peace Studies, and Theology 6. Donations of ~2,000lbs of produce each year to local food shelves 7. Development of a nationally recognized non-profit (BrightSide Produce) addressing food insecurity

There are 3 main lessons we have learned from this project. First, we confirmed that urban agriculture provides multiple educational and practical benefits for undergraduate biology students. The educational benefits come from the fact that 1) urban agriculture serves as a relatable and solutions-based theme for undergraduate engagement by framing biology core concepts in the context of two pressing global issues: urbanization and sustainable agriculture, 2) food production is an easy-to-visualize outcome of urban agriculture and makes tangible biological concepts such as reproduction, development, and productivity, 3) urban agriculture is well suited for teaching experimental design, applied statistics, and other critical STEM skills, 4) the site is close to where classes are held and supplies are relatively inexpensive, and 5) because urban agriculture can provide a range of environmental and social benefits, educational experiences organized around urban agriculture can simultaneously help students identify opportunities for positive change in local communities.

A second lesson we learned is that there are benefits for students from combining research, teaching, and community engagement in a single project. One benefit is that it has provided a pathway for socially conscientious humanities students, who were attracted to the SG because of its community impact, to become involved as collaborators in ecological research. At the same time, science students working in the SG have found tangible opportunities for social impact through community engagement. The focus on urban food production has also increased awareness among all students about food security and nutrition challenges.

Finally, we learned the practical benefits of incorporating a community-oriented project into faculty research and teaching activities. By making the SG a research and teaching project, we were able to use Biology Department funds for supplies and student work-study activities. These funds helped maintain the project until external funding could be acquired for further development.

• Adam Kay - Professor of Biology | University of St. Thomas