A new community garden on ASU’s Polytechnic campus is encouraging students to learn about permaculture and sustainable food practices.

The 4,000-square-foot garden is divided into eight plots, each of which is maintained by small groups of students for various purposes.

Program coordinator Jehnifer Niklas said the idea of a community garden is to allow numerous students and staff members to become stakeholders responsible for a piece of the land. The stakeholders can plant whatever they want and care for their individual plots however they deem appropriate, she said.

“The main goal is raising awareness of sustainability in our daily lives,” Niklas said. “There’s a lot of pollution connected with the food choices most of us currently make, so it’s about self-reliance, both for yourself and environment.”

Poly Gardens will be using as many sustainable practices as possible, including water management and on-site composting.

All eight plots have already been reserved and a substantial waiting list has accrued over the past two weeks since the garden’s scheduled opening, Niklas said.

“A lot of students [on the Polytechnic campus] take agribusiness and plant propagation classes,” she said. “We thought it would be a good way for them to practice their skills even if they have no money to do it on their own.”

One of the plots has already been reserved by Christine Lambrakis, director of communications at the Polytechnic campus, to grow fruits and vegetables to be donated to Mesa United Food Bank.

Lambrakis said she talked to food bank representatives about starting a garden that would allow its clients to grow their own food, increasing their self-reliance while providing additional food for the center.

When the food bank told Lambrakis this would not be feasible for several reasons, she decided to purchase one of the plots at Poly Gardens as a way to integrate students into their community.

“It’s important because it’s giving back to the greater Mesa community and those who need it,” Lambrakis said. “It’s also an opportunity for students to learn about gardening because I won’t be telling them what to plant.”

Lambrakis said she will not be involved in maintaining the plot, but she is excited to see what can be done.

Another plot will be used by a Chandler-Gilbert Community College professor to create a more hands-on version of her plants and society course.

CGCC professor Adebiyi Banjoko reworked the course’s curriculum to incorporate use of Poly Gardens.

“We are emphasizing sustainability and food production,” she said. “The garden is using sustainable practices and growing as organically as possible, and we are going to use those practices in growing our food.”

Banjoko said the garden will also be used to teach about nutrition.

“Right now a lot of students have no idea where food comes from,” she said. “They just go to the grocery store and have no idea where it comes from before that. I think this will give them a better idea.”

Agribusiness graduate student Laura Ungvary, who will be working on the Mesa United Food Bank plot, said she is looking forward to spending time in the garden for other reasons.

“It’s a different experience to work outside and to do it between classes. It’s relaxing in a different type of way,” Ungvary said. “It’s been forever since I’ve gardened … or volunteered, and it’s nice to be able to give to others who need it.”

Niklas said the University has plans to expand Poly Gardens in order to allow more students and staff members to participate.

“We have high hopes this is going to become a site that is reused year after year and continue to grow,” she said. “We hope it’s going to become a fixture on the Polytechnic campus.”

Reach the reporter at keshoult@asu.edu