Learning from the Dirt: Initiating university food gardens as a cross-disciplinary tertiary teaching tool

Abstract

Food gardens are an underdeveloped resource for teaching and research in Australian universities. While some campuses have food or botanical gardens, outside the biological or physical sciences food growing is not routinely incorporated into mainstream curricula. This article investigates why and how we might change this. It examines universities’ traditional reliance on classroom-based, non-experiential learning, which preferences reading and writing over doing, particularly doing anything outdoors. Questions are raised about the implications of this approach for environmental education and graduate environmental literacy. The article then explores the example that United States campus food gardens provide other universities, as well as the process of creating food gardens for teaching and research at a high-density campus in Sydney, Australia. The article ends by postulating lessons students and staff might learn about food systems, sustainability and green cities, when food growing is incorporated into teaching and research. The article aims to inspire academic staff, particularly outside the biological sciences, to instigate campus food gardens to increase graduate environmental literacy.

Utilizing university food gardens as an instructional tool for teaching horticulture: Gaining insights from project experience

“…Involvement in lectures and brainstorming shows students' passion for learning. (Sherry, 2022). The team discussed the FGBL model project with students to explain it, ask for their opinions once it was released, and consider the timing.…”

Pemanfaatan Kebun Pangan Universitas Sebagai Sarana Pengajaran Hortikultura: Belajar dari Pengalaman Proyek

“…Tim FGBL Hortikultura Lanjutan bertemu untuk merancang teknis pelaksanaan kursus untuk memenuhi tujuan yang disebutkan. Perencanaan pembelajaran meliputi identifikasi tujuan yang diproyeksikan, analisis karakteristik siswa, penentuan teknik pembelajaran, pengelolaan LKS, perancangan kebutuhan sumber belajar, dan pembuatan instrumen penilaian (Sherry, 2022). Tim mendiskusikan proyek model FGBL dengan siswa untuk menjelaskannya dan meminta pendapat mereka setelah dirilis dan mempertimbangkan waktu.…”

Place-based pedagogies of hope

“…Food Law was developed by a group of academics at UNSW (Sherry, 2022), bringing together a wide range of areas as they relate to food: international trade, environmental law, biotechnology and health standards, animal rights, consumer laws, food security and food aid, property, planning and local government law. In doing so, we responded to growing interest in the social, cultural, ethical and environmental costs of modern food production.…”

“…The course is divided up into blocks; Amelia and Bronwen each teach one of these. The discussion that follows is based only on those two blocks, as other teachers in the course use different approaches, although in light of the emphasis in this paper on experiential, place-based learning, it is worth noting that the course as a whole involves non-assessed activities of planting and growing food, as well as a meal composed of dishes provided by students that reflect culturally specific memories or links for them (Sherry, 2022).…”