In commemoration of Earth Week, the Baylor community garden is set to host its first-ever Garden to Table Dinner Celebration. The event serves as a testament to the collaborative efforts of the university’s new environmental humanities minor, in conjunction with the Sustainable Community and Regenerative Agriculture Collective, and various student organizations devoted to fostering environmental stewardship.
Scheduled for April 25th, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., the gathering invites faculty, staff, and students to join in the festivities at the garden, situated at the intersection of James Avenue and Ninth Street.
Expressing enthusiasm for the occasion, Morgan Garner, a Granbury senior and co-manager of the community garden, highlighted the event’s aim to spotlight the garden’s achievements over the past year. Garner stated, “Our goal with this event is to promote the success that the garden has had over the past year, thanks to the more than 600 students, faculty, and staff who have contributed over the past few months.”
Among the highlights of the evening are culinary delights sourced from local partners, including offerings from the World Hunger Relief Institute, Mission Waco’s Urban REAP, locally grown tea, Barnard Beef’s locally raised meat and cheese, poultry from Chapultepec Farms, and desserts from Waco’s Baked Bliss.
In addition to celebrating the notable surge in student involvement, Dr. Joshua King, director of Baylor’s environmental humanities minor, revealed plans for significant developments. The event will mark the announcement of new funding from the student government for garden projects. Dr. King elaborated, “They have agreed to build a new greenhouse for storage and growing seedlings, as well as a new canopy for the pergola and benches throughout the space.”
Furthermore, students will undertake the creation of a CO2-absorbing mural, with submissions open to student artists interested in contributing to the project.
Highlighting some of the garden’s recent initiatives, Garner underscored increased student engagement, spanning various academic disciplines, facilitated by workshops and events organized in collaboration with the World Hunger Relief Institute.
Beyond its campus borders, Dr. King emphasized the garden’s broader mission of serving low-income, food-insecure communities, particularly those in the Waco area. He noted, “The bottom line is that we have a lot of waste in our community that is going into the landfill, creating methane emission, contributing to climate and disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable households.”
Reflecting on her personal journey with the garden, Garner expressed gratitude for the therapeutic sanctuary it provided. “Personally, the garden has been a therapeutic place for me, where I have met people on the same path as me who want to grow into a better human being while also making the Earth a better place to live in,” Garner said.
In essence, the Garden to Table Dinner Celebration seeks to engage students in the garden’s mission, fostering sustainable practices and environmental consciousness in all aspects of their lives.