Support the Honors Community Garden

The Project

The Judy Genshaft Honors College (JGHC) Community Garden is looking to expand our shared space to provide more student learning opportunities and increase the variety of produce we are able to donate. We are looking to build new student-designed vegetable plots, fruit plots, and even a pollinator garden. From wood and nails, to seeds and dirt, your donations will help us in countless ways to make our project a success. 

Who We Are

The JGHC Community Garden is a combined space for service and experiential learning. Founded by Megan Stowe, the garden planted its roots here at USF, and was nurtured by student involvement. With the garden as the classroom, students are led by Kobe Phillips and Dora Rodriguez in the connected Honors course, Rooted in Place: JGHC Community Garden Service-Learning Course. Students have a hands-on approach to learning how to cultivate the land from seed to plate.

Beyond the JGHC, the garden partners with Religious Studies, the USF Agrarian Club, WellFed Community, Delta Tau Delta and the USF Urban Food Sovereignty Group.

Your Impact

The food grown in the JGHC Community Garden is donated to the USF Feed-A-Bull Food Pantry and Feeding Tampa Bay. The project will allow us to create a larger impact on our community by not only expanding food donations, but also providing opportunities for our students to become environmental stewards. 

"Metamorphosis is a concept we tend to associate with bugs, yet, in the Honors Community Garden, I grew wings," Kobe says, "My experiences in the community garden transformed my perception on my relationship with food and brought me back to my roots." 

With all its benefits — food sovereignty, sustainability, education, nutrition lessons, leadership opportunities, and more — the garden continues to fulfill the mission Stowe outlined at the start: build a community that connects the students. 

What Your Gifts Will Do

Your gifts will help provide students with gardening equipment (shovels, gloves, watering cans, pots, irrigation system), seeds/plants, and building materials (wood, nails, brackets). Moreover, with enough donations we can build a storage shed for all our equipment, seeds and leftover supplies! 

Thanks for Your Support!

Thank you for all your love and support. You are not just supporting the garden, but the students that work diligently to grow their community. Thank you again for helping us blossom! 

Spread the Word

We are counting on your help! Make an even bigger impact by sharing your support of this campaign using the social media tools at the top of this page.