Establishing a campus garden and food pantry to address food insecurity: lessons learned

Abstract

Objective

This case study describes the simultaneous establishment of a campus garden and food pantry at an urban, Hispanic-serving institution. Lessons learned and implications for practice are discussed. Participants: Students, staff, and faculty established a campus garden (February 2016) and food pantry (March 2017). Methods: University administration approved funds to establish both a campus garden and food pantry after adequate student and academic support was provided. Results: Both the campus garden and food pantry aligned with campus initiatives for student success and sustainability. The food pantry had adequate staffing and local partnerships that aided in its success, while the student-led garden struggled with student-turn over, limited financial support, and lack of regulatory guidance that has slowed progress to address food security. Conclusions: Institutions considering these strategies to address food insecurity would benefit from university financial support based on student-relevant data, dedicated staff, students, and faculty, and collaboration with local organizations.

Keywords:

• Food insecurity
• campus garden
• food pantry

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the students, staff, and faculty who contributed to the development of the original and revised proposals, and the hard work of the committees, academic departments, and student support services that maintain the campus garden and food pantry. We would specifically like to thank Emma Gorski, Chasley Fortune, and Jade Nemeth for their work in the garden and with this manuscript. We sincerely appreciate all of the volunteers and volunteer organizations who have dedicated their time and effort to furthering campus student-focused initiatives related to food insecurity.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of The University of Texas at San Antonio.