The Carr Hall Organic Garden, also known as “The Carrden” is a hands-on learning space that was founded in 2013 as part of an ESS Department Junior Seminar. What started as a student project has since become a vibrant ecosystem that supports vital pollinators and contributes to the beauty of campus. The Carrden grows over 2,000 pounds of organic produce each year which are featured at Brooks Dining Hall and McKinley’s as herbal tea, hot sauce, salsa, elderberry syrup and more.
In addition to growing useful harvests, the Carrden serves as an opportunity for students to learn about sustainable, organic agricultural practices. Students gain hands-on gardening experience through paid student worker positions during the summer and academic year. The Office of Sustainability also collaborates with academic courses to use the Carrden as a case study for garden planning for ENVSC 241 – Small-Scale Sustainable Agriculture or a site to discuss sustainable grounds management in a first-year seminar.
Carrden harvests are also used for extracurricular workshops and events, such as a jewelry making, bouquet pop-ups, textile dyeing workshops, and creating skincare products infused with Carrden-grown botanicals.
Follow the Office of Sustainability on Instagram to stay updated on Carrden activities and events.
