Northeast Lakeview College Officially Dedicates USDA Grant-Funded Garden Project
October 25, 2021
Garden will provide fully sustainable produce to the college’s food pantry and the local community
Northeast Lakeview College (NLC) received a $10,500 grant from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to construct a garden on its campus to grow sustainable produce to benefit the college’s food pantry and the community. An official dedication ceremony was held today October 25.
A link to the view a recording of the ceremony is here
Still photos from the event can be viewed here
At the ceremony, NLC officially unveiled the name of the garden, and a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony took place as the garden becomes fully operational.
The high-tunnel and garden are expected to yield over 600 pounds of produce annually that will directly benefit the NLC Nighthawks Nest student food pantry and provide donations to underserved community food distribution sites and farmer’s markets.
“We teach our students social responsibility and are guided by our value of community-engaged,” says Dr. Veronica Garcia, NLC president. “A student led initiative, this project pairs classroom learning with hands-on community engagement that will benefit our students and the communities that we serve for years to come.”
“The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is proud to partner with Northeast Lakeview College (NLC) community vegetable garden to see this project come to fruition to provide produce to the NLC Nighthawk’s NEST Food Pantry, and volunteer opportunities to clients of Nighthawk’s NEST Student Advocacy Center and other NLC students,” said Texas NRCS State Conservationist Kristy Oates.
The project is coordinated through the students at NLC in the Garden Club, other student leaders, led by faculty and staff liaisons. The idea began with students who understood the food insecurities of families around them. Acquiring the grant seemed like a natural pairing to grow healthy, nutritious, free, fresh produce and supply it to students and families in need with any surplus going out into our community. An idea now being brought to life.