Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Agriculture is an initiative sponsored by the Masters in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. The program manages and operates mutliple student gardens, including a large garden at the Stono River Preserve and three urban gardens at downtown campus. The gardens are managed by a team of graduate assistants and undegraduate interns. All students are able (and encouraged) to receive academic credit for their work with Sustainable Agriculture. While many of our students are receiving their education in Environmental and Sustainability Studies, there are opportunities for students in all fields to become involved as we have partnerships with many on-campus and off-campus organizations. The graduate garden staff provides a volunteer-base for our efforts and informs decisions about workshops, produce offerings, and marketing.
The mission of Sustainable Agriculture is to provide and support experiential education, research, and food production using sustainable lowcountry gardening practices for the College of Charleston, local schools, and Charleston regional community members. Our garden spaces are places where students can learn firsthand about agriculture, gardening, food systems, and holistic land management by engaging directly with a functioning market garden. The Student Garden at the Stono River Preserve aims to provide education in fields as diverse as soil sciences and business development by fostering a sense of ownership and encouraging students to become active participants. Volunteering and workshops are two outlets for students to literally get their hands dirty in our downtown gardens or at the Stono River Preserve, and both venues provide students with the opportunity to learn about everything from marketing strategies to the latest in sustainable agriculture techniques. By providing a stake in the life and health of the gardens, rather than mere access, these spaces will allow students to grow both mentally and physically, all while working to get good food to their fellow classmates.
Learn More!
-
Urban Gardens and Downtown Campus
Consisting of three distinct spaces, our urban gardens are ideal for attracting newcomers. Students without cars are able to easily participate in the hands-on activities required to produce fruits, vegetables, and herbs as well as attend workshops to broaden their agricultural knowledge. As their interest evolves, some students transition to joining our events at the Stono River Preserve.
Downtown Spaces:
View our campus map, or check out our Virtual Garden Tour!
Warren Place Garden
Location: Warren Place Parking Lot (WP Lot)WP is our largest garden on-campus. Home to vegetable production beds, banana trees, herbs, flowers, and our beloved compost worms! Our goal is to transform this space into an outdoor education center where students, staff and faculty can reap its harvest and enjoy its beauty. CofC community members are welcome to bring their home compost to the WP composting bin.
Pollinator Garden
Location: 7 College WayThis garden was given an overhaul as the Sustainable Ag Spring 2017 final project and is now a flourishing pollinator garden. Using skills developed throughout their internship, our interns planned and implemented a vibrant, lasting, interactive space on-campus. Several varieties of fruit as well as herbs and pollinator species can be found here.
Kitchen Garden
Location: 114 Wentworth StreetThis garden is devoted to herbs and spices. It can serve as students’ medicine cabinets or spice rack! With one bed full of herbs for healing, another with kitchen spices, and the last one for women’s empowerment, there is quite the variety! We hope this garden encourages people to use plants more and learn how they affect our bodies.
-
Partnerships
Sustainable Agriculture is proud to partner with the following groups in our community. Click on an organization to learn more about the work we're doing together. We are always open to forming new partnerships. If you are interested in partnering with Sustainable Agriculture, please email our coordinator Lucy Davis (davislh@cofc.edu).
Charleston Area Beekeeping Association
-
Education
Through the use of workshops and age appropriate curriculum, the Sustainable Agriculture Program puts educational outreach at the forefront of everything we do. With the growing concerns of food security and accessibility, it is not enough that we provide a source of food for the community. It is imperative that we build education into every avenue that we serve. All workshops are free of charge and open to all members of the CofC and Charleston communities.
Examples of educational outreach:
- Pollinator Workshop
- Vermiculture Workshop
- Partnership with Sociology of Food learning community
- Partnership with Sustainable Agriculture course
- Neighborhood House produce donations
- Crops in Pots Workshop
- FREE Campus Supported Agriculture Bundles
- Tours – SC Native Plant Society; Garden Club of Charleston; CABA Board Members
- Dorchester District II honey bee education visits
- Zero Waste Herb Infused Soap & Deodorant Workshop
- Kombucha Workshop
- DIY EcoBricking
Check out our Garden Workers' Educational Videos!
-
Donate to Student Gardens
Donations will support the research and education of College of Charleston students as well as fund the equipment, supplies, and training necessary to facilitate their learning. Whether you are a parent, alumni, or friend of the Sustainable Agriculture Program, please consider donating today!
You can also send a check to the department but please indicate fund R566 on the memo line of your check.
Department of Geology
College of Charleston
66 George Street
Charleston, SC 29424 USAThank you for supporting us!
Donate to the Student Garden
