PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (June 7, 2021) – The Gov. Bill and Vara Daniel Farm and Ranch at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) is comprised of the International Goat Research Center, Poultry Center, Meat Lab and Urban Agriculture Center (greenhouses, high tunnels and raised beds). In addition, it has hay and pastureland, forest land, research test crops plots, fruits and vegetable fields.
It is also home to a new garden that is growing in popularity, as it attracts volunteers from across the campus, teaches the value of agriculture to non-agriculture students, helps feed the community and provides plant material for the university’s many research projects.
The Student-Led Garden is supported by the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences (CAHS) at PVAMU, in collaboration with the Cooperative Extension Program’s (CEP) Agriculture Natural Resources (AgNR) Unit, the Cooperative Agriculture Research Center (CARC) and Prairie View A&M’s 1890 Land-Grant Program. It is a beautifully crafted ½-acre plot and is one of the stars of the farm. It is a developing program that was initiated in the summer of 2019 to allow students from the CAHS and College of Business (COB) to work together and learn from each other.
In 2019, Research Scientist Laura Carson, Ph.D., received a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant to build a Transformative Learning Culture (TLC) research-based learning-experience project. Around the same time, CAHS and the COB received funding from the university to implement a student-led, farmers’ market initiative. As a result, the Student-Led Garden was formed with volunteers and TLC students.
CEP, AgNR and CARC staff members assist the students with daily operations. Willie DeWalt is an experienced farmer with CEP. DeWalt focuses on the farm as a whole and also events and specialized projects, like the garden. Eighteen Project TLC students engage in service-based experiential learning in the garden as leaders. The program started with ten TLC student leaders and ten volunteers. It has now grown to include 30 volunteers.
“The student garden functions as an excellent environment for beneficial insects. It is a great place to collect and observe the insect and understand how they impact the farm,” said Nathan Hermond, extension associate. He says bumblebees, honeybees, monarch butterflies and hummingbirds all visit the garden to enjoy the blooms of watermelons, pumpkins, cabbages, peppermint, blueberries, strawberries and many other crops. In addition to pollinators, pest insects, such as aphids and longhorn beetles, feed on the crops. Because of these activities, the Student-Led Garden is the center of amazing wildlife interactions between pests and beneficial organisms that impact agriculture as a whole. The garden has also expanded to include other PVAMU student organizations.
Dillan Davis, a senior agriculture major who became the first leader of the Student-Led Garden, said, “It is important to include other students in the garden to reap the benefits of growing their food. A lot of college students complain about not having fresh fruits and vegetables.” The Student-Led Garden gives students a great opportunity to get just that, as well as hands-on experience. Some students, in fact, believe that agriculture is “life.” They believe that the garden has helped them better understand all aspects of agriculture, as well as how vital the growing and handling stages of plant life are to not only the plants but the consumers as well. They also feel the exposure and hands-on experience are valuable and perfect ways for future student investment. The TLC project helps students learn and understand the resources and processes used in experimentation and appreciate farms, gardens and agriculture.
The garden supplies fresh produce to CAHS for research and the PVAMU community. From its formation, there were over 30 species of food crops produced by the student garden, including peppers, collard greens, pumpkins, radishes, tomatoes, watermelons, peppermint, broccoli, cabbages and many more. Some of the crops, including strawberries and amaranth, are grown specifically by researchers. The student garden in and of itself is important to the CAHS and PVAMU. However, there are additional roles the Student-Led Garden plays on campus. Researchers and their students require fresh produce samples in order to conduct experiments. This garden is also connected with the farmers’ market held on campus.
The CAHS – in collaboration with the CEP’s AGNR unit, the CARC and the COB – launched the Prairie View Farmers’ Market in October 2019. The students run the farmers’ market, which represents crop plants for different seasons. During the fall, pumpkins, squash and gourds are present. Once summer arrives, watermelons, strawberries and herbs become available. The farmers’ market allows students to see the fruits of their labor. They sell the produce and provide a fresh food source to the public. With all of its benefits, the student garden is a key factor within the PVAMU farm. It is the center of science and research, community, education, and (most of all) a source of delicious produce that bolsters the health and food awareness of the Prairie View community.
Since its conception, the Student-Led Garden has been donating fresh vegetables to local communities. They have donated to organizations like the House of Help in Hempstead; PVAMU’s Hilltop Reserve Food Pantry; the Prairie View community, especially the elderly; PVAMU’s Phase IX students; and the Hempstead Crisis Center. In November of 2019, the Student-Led Garden engaged in a feeding campaign to assist the Houston Food Bank, which was at risk of losing 1.8 million pounds of food ahead of Thanksgiving. Lenaye Palmer, an agriculture major who understands the importance of fresh food, said, “Our school was founded on agriculture, so it’s part of our mission to give back to the community.” She and other students jumped into action. As part of a combined effort between the university and its partners, students donated fresh vegetables and canned foods to the food bank. According to CAHS employee Tucker Wilson, “the University’s combined effort resulted in 1,800 pounds of fresh produce and greens, which contributed to feeding 1,000 families over the Thanksgiving holiday.”
The benefits of the Student-Led Garden will grow as students and staff become involved with experimental learning and community engagement. CAHS Dean and Director of Land-Grant Programs Gerard D’Souza, Ph.D., said that the Student-Led Garden effort aligns perfectly with the university’s Land-Grant mission. He emphasized the fact that PVAMU, being the only Houston area agricultural university with a farm, has a duty to help food banks provide for families in need. “We are fulfilling the part of our mission that focuses on helping the underserved.”
By Clarence Bunch, Ph.D., AgNR Program Leader
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2021 edition of Texas Gardener magazine.