Glorious Garden

     I wanted to stick with the farming/gardening theme for this post and write about another fantastic garden that was on the Slow Food First Coast Tour de Farm: the University of North Florida's Ogier Gardens.
    
     The garden was founded on and continues to operate by principles of organic farming and sustainability.  It incorporates agroecology into its growing practices and grows a wide, unexpected variety of fruits and vegetables.  Plants include several different types of lettuces, herbs like moringa, root vegetables, citrus fruits, and there is even a tropical corner where garden staff experiment with fruits normally not found in north Florida's climate.

     Ogier Gardens is also committed to educating on "the importance of biodiversity, local food, and social justice in the food system," according to its website (all fantastic CSR examples).  It achieves this by myriad programs for students and volunteers, including Intro to Organic Gardening, Composting 101, Eat for the Planet, and Tea at Three, where participants can learn to dry their own herbs for tea.  The garden also accepts volunteers to come and work in a bed for an afternoon, or also a person or a group adopting their own bed to cultivate on a regular basis.

     Although anyone is welcome to participate in the garden, serving university students is Ogier Gardens' top priority.  It encourages all students to be involved, and donates produce to the university's Lend-A-Wing pantry program, which provides free food to food-insecure students.    

     If you're in northeast Florida and in the mood for some great gardening and learning, Ogier Gardens is the place to be.  You'll walk away having contributed to your health, others' health, and the planet's health.