West Virginia University’s Campus Food Garden is currently offering spring workshops to teach local residents how to grow a home garden in small spaces. Workshop topics include: seed starting, composting, and transplanting.
“I feel that learning basic gardening skills is one of the best things you can do for your personal food security,” said Nikki Byrne-Hoffman, a biologist and co-founder of the WVU Campus Food Garden. “We not only show folks how to grow a garden but also how to prepare the food and preserve it.”
The Garden also plans to host weekly community nights each Monday beginning this spring, with mini-lessons and hands-on gardening opportunities at the Westover Urban Farm.
“The biggest takeaway from our workshops is that gardening is achievable for almost anyone and doesn’t need to cost much money. I want our participants to experience a variety of gardening types so that they can learn that all they need is some seeds, some water and sunshine,” said Byrne-Hoffman.
The WVU Campus Food Garden is an intercollegiate and community partnership. started in May 2021 by Nikki Byrne-Hoffman and Katrina Stewart. Its vision is to end food insecurity in Central Appalachia, with the mission “to empower the WVU Community and all West Virginians to end food insecurity through garden-based education, advocacy for food justice, and community engagement.” Since its construction in 2021, it has produced more than 7,000 lbs (~ 3175 kilos) of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce grown at the Westover Urban Farm and other university gardens is donated to local food pantries.