SSU student working to start community garden

College students often struggle with nutrition, whether that is due to time constraints or the cost of healthy food. Diets of ramen and energy drinks may be good for students’ wallets and schedules, but they are definitely not sustainable or healthy. It is especially a financial struggle in our area. One student saw this issue and came up with a solution – a community garden at Shawnee State University. 

Clarissa Watson, a junior majoring in psychology, began this project after struggling to access fresh produce for her meals.

“Since I have dietary restrictions and haven’t had access to the meal plan, I am responsible for making all of my meals at my dorm,” she said. “The main thing that prompted the idea was going to buy fresh produce at the store and realizing how expensive it has gotten, even at a low quality. Plus, it is rare to have fresh produce available at the Bear Pantry.”

Watson has always loved gardening and often brings potted plants to her dorm but found them a struggle to care for compared to outdoor gardens. Some of Watson’s friends were experiencing the same issue of affordability and quality of food, and they gathered to draft a proposal for a community garden in the spring of 2025. Since then, Watson has been focused on the logistics and finances of this project. 

The team behind the community garden project has compiled a list of benefits that the garden would bring to Shawnee State University, all based on evidence from extensive research both performed and found by them. Perhaps you took part in the campus-wide survey asking about the garden. If so, your participation helped to back up the claims made by Watson and her team for our campus specifically. According to Data USA, 86 percent of Shawnee State students received financial aid through grants in 2023. With this information, Watson suggested that a large portion of our student population faces financial strain, making them especially vulnerable to rising food costs. A garden would provide fresh produce to students at a fraction of the cost found in grocery stores.  

The garden would also provide a space for students to connect with each other.

“We want the garden to be a place of community connection and gathering, and to create opportunities for outreach,” Watson said.

The team also gathered evidence on the mental benefits of gardening and community gardening. Plus, the garden would provide a calm outdoor place to study, which was one of the highest rated benefits in the student survey.  

Sustainability is also one of the bigger issues that a community garden would fulfill.

“There are strong statistics that show students deeply care about this when selecting a university,” Watson said. “With eco-anxiety on the rise, the garden could provide something to set us apart as a university, combating the statistics that show universities underestimate sustainability factors as important for recruitment.” 

So far, Watson and the garden team have nearly finished an incredibly detailed document outlining all of the procedures, context and logistics that the university would need to consider when looking for a plot of land for the garden to be planted in. Donations have also been committed if the plan is accepted, though more are needed and welcomed. Currently, Watson and the team are awaiting benchmark reports from universities with similar demographics to SSU that have started gardens. Once they have access to those reports, the team will be able to propose the idea to SSU higher-ups. 

Watson expressed a need for projected student leadership — students who would be willing to run the garden.

“Most of my team is graduating in spring, and I will be the following year, so we need to have a clear plan to give to the university about how we will upkeep the garden long-term,” she said. “Without that, we risk the chance of immediate rejection.”

Along with leaders, Watson is seeking committed volunteers who live on or around campus to work on upkeep over the summer when fewer classes are in session. She is also looking for a volunteer or two to finalize details of the budget who have experience in the logistics of landscaping and raised-bed gardening. 

Students interested in being part of the update email list or interested in becoming a leader or volunteer in the future can email Watson at [email protected]. Students can also email Watson about volunteering donations or suggesting places to get donations or assistance.