The Sprout Garden and Food Forest, located on Drake’s campus at 30th Street and Carpenter Avenue, has received a facelift. Over the summer, educational signage was installed, allowing for a self-paced interpretive experience. Signs inform visitors about permaculture, efforts to save water, the importance of native plants, and information about hundreds of fruit trees and ground cover plants. All are welcome to take a stroll in the food forest to experience this themselves! The sign project was funded by grants from Prairie Meadows and the Iowa DNR.
New seating options were added at the end of the Spring semester. Enjoy a walk and then take a break in the chairs, take a moment for rest and relaxation, or feel free to study, have a meeting, or just catch up with a friend. If you see any fruits or nuts you’d like to try, help yourself!
A donation from Suzie Glazer Burt has allowed us to install irrigation, purchase a rain barrel, and a soon-to-be-installed shade sail that will provide shade in the classroom area. Thank you to all of our donors and supporters!
All are welcome to celebrate these new amenities and a bountiful harvest at the annual Harvest Party, sponsored by the Student Alumni Association, on Thursday, Sept. 14, from 4:30–6 p.m. at the garden and food forest. SAA and Sodexo will prepare appetizers using food from the garden, and there will be activities and giveaways. Ever heard of a blender bike? You don’t want to miss it! Please stop by as your schedule allows.
For more information about the Sprout Garden & Food Forest, visit www.drake.edu/sproutgarden. This space is made possible by the collaboration of many on and off campus, really too many to name, but thank you to all of you! Volunteers are always needed to help with tasks such as weeding, mulching, watering, and harvesting. Sign up to volunteer at https://drake.givepulse.com/event/308806-sprout-garden-volunteer.
Be creative with how to use the space!
- Faculty can use it as an outdoor classroom
- Staff can use it for a staff meeting
- Student organizations can hold a student org meeting there
E-mail sprout@drake.edu to reserve the space.
— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning