Sustainability Current and Upcoming Events

AUTHOR: Jenna Cox ’17

In the hoop house, we are currently growing Pozzano organic tomatoes, cherry and grape tomatoes, multiple varieties of bell peppers, squash, miniature pumpkins and a few “volunteer” acorn squash that popped up in our compost pile. Sodexo, the food service on campus, has been buying our tomatoes regularly. Their support is fantastic, but it does mean we haven’t been able to sell produce at the Lamoni Farmer’s Market lately. However, the Lamoni Farmer’s Market is still going every Wednesday from 4-7 p.m. through Sept. 28, and other local growers are selling their produce every week. The market booths are located in the Invinci Graphics parking lot.

The Persall orchard will be fertilized soon, and the late-season produce has been planted in the hoop. We are already seeing sprouts of carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, beets and beans. The nights have been cooling down with the approach of fall, so we will be replacing the plastic sheeting on the hoop to keep everything nice and warm. Hopefully we get a good crop later in the season!

The rain garden located between the library and Resch parking lot has been upgraded with a brick border. The brick was recycled from a planter in the old Shaw Center parking lot.

“Trash Talkers,” a club of environmentally-conscious student volunteers that is run by the Sustainability Program, is still around, and will be more active very soon!

The shared mug program in the library basement is up and running. If you’re having a late-night study session and drink the complimentary coffee or hot chocolate offered by the library, you can use a ceramic mug rather than a styrofoam cup, and we will wash them! No plastic waste is created and no extra effort is required from students; it’s a win-win!

Uhaul Car Share and Shared Bikes programs are back! Contact Broc Christensen for information about the shared car at bac1@sting.graceland.edu

The shared bikes on campus are available to rent from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. on most days. Bring your ID to the Student Activities office on the Mezzanine of the MSC Main Room to swap it for the key to your free ride!

Future Projects:

We are hoping to install a bat box near the Hoop House. Bats are excellent insect hunters, and welcoming them into our space may benefit us just as much as it benefits them!

The 2nd Graceland University Environmental Symposium is scheduled for the spring. Stay tuned for more details as we begin to plan for this great event.

Upcoming Events:

Saturday, Oct. 1, (Homecoming Saturday) 10-11 a.m. — Hoop House tour.

Come on over to the hoop to chat with us and see what we have been growing and working on!

Thursday, Nov. 17, — Ag/FFA Day. Sustainability will be involved, and there will be educational seminars.

That’s all for now, folks!

Have a wonderful start to the autumn season!

If you have any questions at all regarding Graceland Sustainability and corresponding events, feel free to email Jen Abraham-White at abraham@graceland.edu.