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Fresh food is growing on campus.

Two gardens are blossoming with produce - on Gould Street across from the Student Campus Centre, and beside the Recreation and Athletic Centre entrance in the quad.

The Ryerson HomeGrown Community Gardens were started by nutrition graduates Stephanie Nishi and Catherine Lung as a way to bring the local food movement to the Ryerson community. With support from students, faculty and staff the garden grows broccoli, squash, swiss chard, tomatoes, lemon cucumber, peas and lettuce. Food produced by the gardens is donated to the Ryerson Students' Union Community Food Room. Joe Nasr, instructor from the Centre for Studies in Food Security, architecture professors Mark Gorgolewski and June Komisar are faculty advisors.

Nishi and Lung built a team of 10 to 15 students to help take care of the crops. The students take turns maintaining the gardens, including twice-a-day watering. Nishi and Lung started a blog to highlight their progress with the garden and said on the blog that, "gardening provides people with fresh and nutritious fruits, herbs and vegetables that are organic and locally grown. Community gardens also provide those on low income with an alternative to traditionally expensive foods in retail stores."

To prepare, seedlings were planted in late April in the architecture building greenhouse before going into the ground. In addition, students have devised creative ways to maximize gardening space. Hand-made walls were built at the back of the garden to act as trellises for vertical gardening. As well marigolds were planted around the lettuce and tomatoes to deter insects and squirrels from indulging in the produce. 

The Ryerson farmers have been collaborating with Vineland Research Centre, a horticultural science and innovation organization, on its World Crop Learning Garden. This project is funded by the Greenbelt Foundation and encourages diverse food growth in Ontario. As a result, the garden on Gould Street is growing yard long bean, callaloo, okra, eggplant and red hot peppers. The students have also partnered with the Early Learning Centre so children can plant and maintain one of the gardens located beside the gym entrance, near the Centre.

Prior to this project, Lung's green thumb was non-existent.

"My gardening skills were minimal and all my plants at home did not fare too well. Thankfully, we have had a team of horticultural experts to guide us in this project. In addition, from the act of watering and being on the garden, many people stop by and chat and provide their own expertise on gardening," Lung said.