CAMPUS COMMUNITY GARDEN GIVES BACK


Two Houston charities had more food to hand out for the holidays thanks to the UH Campus Community Garden. After hours in the garden during the fall semester, the Community Learning Agricultural Sustainability Program (C.L.A.S.P.) workers and volunteers can feel proud knowing their first successful harvest went to feed those less fortunate.

�It�s cool that we can grow food and it goes back into the community,� said Sarah Clouse, C.L.A.S.P. worker and a psychology junior. �It�s really an amazing feeling and nice to see their smiling faces when you give the donation.�

C.L.A.S.P. was able to donate food to Change Happens and Manna House in the Third Ward, two nearby Houston nonprofit organizations. The two local organizations received a little less than a half pound of basil, over 4 pounds of cabbage, 2 ounces of lettuce, over a pound and a half of Asian mustard greens, over 5 pounds of radishes and around 6 ounces each of kale and collard greens throughout the fall semester.

This was the first successful harvest for the garden and will set the standard for semesters to come. Currently growing and ready soon for harvesting are carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, kale, bok choy and peas.

The next harvest will be used for the seasonal Healthy Harvest Potluck Picnic hosted each semester by C.L.A.S.P. where produce from the garden is used to make healthy dishes. Leah Wolfthal, C.L.A.S.P. director, hopes to eventually sell the produce at the city�s farmers� markets.

Also, the spring harvest will again be donated throughout the semester to area charities and Wolfthal hopes to take some of her volunteers with her on the trip to the local nonprofits.

�I want them to visit with us when we donate the food and see who their work is helping. Hunger is real, and we want to do what we can to help,� Wolfthal said.

For more information on the Campus Community Garden, visit www.uh.edu/green.