SU Garden Club has always worked towards making the Southwestern community more sustainable through its understanding of local farming and production. When they applied for the Mosaic Mini-Grant, we were happy to fund their project for the second year in a row. The Garden Club held their annual plant giveaway event during the 2020 spring semester. They gave away plants and seeds to the community and educated people on how to take care of them.

In her reflection about the event, the president of the Garden Club Leah Horick ’21 emphasized the importance of such events. “These giveaways allow the Garden Club to raise awareness of its work while providing students, staff, and faculty a free opportunity to engage with agriculture in their everyday lives.” She highlights that by fostering engagement with agriculture, one is able to develop on many levels; “As plants and agriculture touch every aspect of life on Earth, practicing sustainable agriculture at home is a great way to connect with the wider biosphere and contribute as a global citizen, right from your backyard or windowsill. Caring for another organism can also foster responsibility and contribute to a well-managed life, while gardening is a way to incorporate an environmental ethic into one’s sense of identity.” She ends her reflection by stating that the “need for sustainable alternatives to harmful production practices has come to define the 21st century” and through events such as this one, “the Garden Club aims to give people the skills to make the future of food production sustainable.”