the department finally put it in writing that the urban farm stays open for us to use like before. i am so relieved that we dont have to worry about losing this space anymore. keep an eye on the garden schedule just in case things start to slip again but …
April 22, 2020
Final supporters
WE NEED YOUR STORY!
The Life Sciences Department at Riverside City College is repurposing the established space formerly known as the RCC Urban Farm to be a Botany Laboratory. Despite administration assurances, we are still deeply concerned that the original mission and purpose is going to be lost. Therefore, we are advocating for a written commitment from the Life Sciences Department to a long-term vision for student/community involvement.
SPROUTING LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY
The garden's primary purpose was always about fostering a sense of community. The new garden administration has already implemented stricter rules about how and when students can engage the space. Individual permissions must be now approved by the garden administrator and student interns can longer work independently, as they must be supervised now by the administrator. This means, access will be contingent to work schedule of the garden administrator, and thus, access to adequately maintain a plot will be limited. The department indicates openness to constructive input from students (past and present) and the community.
While plants are essential—botany is important—so is sustainability: the birds, the insects, and the connections among and between people and their environment. Programming these connections is crucial at the community college level, an ecology of support, friendships, and belonging. For the Life Sciences Department to understand the impact this space has had on past and present students and the community, we urgently need to promote discussion.
YOU CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE! POST YOUR STORY IN THE COMMENTS
- Describe your personal experience with this garden community or any feelings about developing a sense of community in general.
- Describe activities inspired by the garden community (e.g., the Riverside Food Coop using a plot to discuss local food, the Riverside Garden Council, Wood Street Green Teams, and Trinity Lutheran Church’s seed donations, etc.
- Please describe how the garden community impacted you and give specific suggestions for how that sense of preserving this community for the future.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
February 28, 2020
92 Comments
I am a graduate of RCC and Tayna Huff's environmental science class and the RCC community garden are the reason I became involved with sustainability causes and the importance of being good stewards of our land food and environment.
College and this garden is about learning and growing. If the students do mess up in the garden it is a learning experience. This is what it's there for not to be governed by some administration because they believe what they are doing is what is best. College is about finding oneself and for some it could be in this garden.
I helped design this garden. It's a ridiculous and insulting notion to consider putting a green house on it. Considering costs, energy needs to cool such a greenhouse etc. I don't condone taking the community out of a community garden.
We need to continue to protect and promote urban farming for Riverside's future. I take my son's to the garden to help teach them to appreciate where food comes from and inspire them to respect it. This is a vital resource to not only RCC students but the neighboring community and city at large. Please keep the garden!
I remember being a student at RCC & they would hold movie nights and art days at the garden and I felt so lucky for this growing open space being kept by and for the students. In riverside there needs to be spaces like these to continue being where one can learn more about their own food
As a student during 2007-2014 the garden was a place of respite and wonder. I learned many things there and the experience of growing my own flowers that contributed to the health of pollinators was one I won’t forget. I hope the space will continue to be a spot to escape the bustle of life and enjoy our roots. Today, I grow a variety of garden fruit trees and vegetables at my home and I know my knowledge from my time in the garden is still flourishing and expanding. Future students should have those same opportunities and more.
Hello Sarah, I am one of the sustainable food interns at the RCC garden. An outbreak of what? Who was affected by this “outbreak”? When did this “outbreak” happen? Please provide a link to more information (as in an announcement from school officials, a campus news article.. something). Questioning because I have genuinely never heard this before. And I’ve also seen nothing that collaborate this story. There is no way, (due to student/ community health and legal liability), that garden would have remained open and functional of this had ever happened.
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the department finally put it in writing that the urban farm stays open for us to use like before. i am so relieved that we dont have to worry about losing this space anymore. keep an eye on the garden schedule just in case things start to slip again but …
April 22, 2020
Final supporters
WE NEED YOUR STORY!
The Life Sciences Department at Riverside City College is repurposing the established space formerly known as the RCC Urban Farm to be a Botany Laboratory. Despite administration assurances, we are still deeply concerned that the original mission and purpose is going to be lost. Therefore, we are advocating for a written commitment from the Life Sciences Department to a long-term vision for student/community involvement.
SPROUTING LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY
The garden's primary purpose was always about fostering a sense of community. The new garden administration has already implemented stricter rules about how and when students can engage the space. Individual permissions must be now approved by the garden administrator and student interns can longer work independently, as they must be supervised now by the administrator. This means, access will be contingent to work schedule of the garden administrator, and thus, access to adequately maintain a plot will be limited. The department indicates openness to constructive input from students (past and present) and the community.
While plants are essential—botany is important—so is sustainability: the birds, the insects, and the connections among and between people and their environment. Programming these connections is crucial at the community college level, an ecology of support, friendships, and belonging. For the Life Sciences Department to understand the impact this space has had on past and present students and the community, we urgently need to promote discussion.
YOU CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE! POST YOUR STORY IN THE COMMENTS
- Describe your personal experience with this garden community or any feelings about developing a sense of community in general.
- Describe activities inspired by the garden community (e.g., the Riverside Food Coop using a plot to discuss local food, the Riverside Garden Council, Wood Street Green Teams, and Trinity Lutheran Church’s seed donations, etc.
- Please describe how the garden community impacted you and give specific suggestions for how that sense of preserving this community for the future.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
February 28, 2020
92 Comments
As faculty in RCCD, I know full and well about the cultural importance of building spaces that sustain community belonging. The garden needs to be protected from the ash-heap of bad Admin decision-making.
I am a graduate of RCC and Tayna Huff's environmental science class and the RCC community garden are the reason I became involved with sustainability causes and the importance of being good stewards of our land food and environment.
College and this garden is about learning and growing. If the students do mess up in the garden it is a learning experience. This is what it's there for not to be governed by some administration because they believe what they are doing is what is best. College is about finding oneself and for some it could be in this garden.
I helped design this garden. It's a ridiculous and insulting notion to consider putting a green house on it. Considering costs, energy needs to cool such a greenhouse etc. I don't condone taking the community out of a community garden.
We need to continue to protect and promote urban farming for Riverside's future. I take my son's to the garden to help teach them to appreciate where food comes from and inspire them to respect it. This is a vital resource to not only RCC students but the neighboring community and city at large. Please keep the garden!
I remember being a student at RCC & they would hold movie nights and art days at the garden and I felt so lucky for this growing open space being kept by and for the students. In riverside there needs to be spaces like these to continue being where one can learn more about their own food
As a student during 2007-2014 the garden was a place of respite and wonder. I learned many things there and the experience of growing my own flowers that contributed to the health of pollinators was one I won’t forget. I hope the space will continue to be a spot to escape the bustle of life and enjoy our roots. Today, I grow a variety of garden fruit trees and vegetables at my home and I know my knowledge from my time in the garden is still flourishing and expanding. Future students should have those same opportunities and more.
Hello Sarah, I am one of the sustainable food interns at the RCC garden. An outbreak of what? Who was affected by this “outbreak”? When did this “outbreak” happen? Please provide a link to more information (as in an announcement from school officials, a campus news article.. something). Questioning because I have genuinely never heard this before. And I’ve also seen nothing that collaborate this story. There is no way, (due to student/ community health and legal liability), that garden would have remained open and functional of this had ever happened.
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As faculty in RCCD, I know full and well about the cultural importance of building spaces that sustain community belonging. The garden needs to be protected from the ash-heap of bad Admin decision-making.