Edible Campus introduces Thursday workdays

Over the summer, the only things thirsty on Thursdays are plants.

Edible Campus has started Thursday Workdays this summer for students to learn how to plant vegetables in a relaxed environment.

The program was started through the North Carolina Botanical Garden and has nine satellite beds across UNC’s campus to help promote sustainability and healthy eating.

Laura Mindlin, the Edible Campus coordinator, said that they chose Thursdays to better accommodate students and their busy schedules.

“We thought Thursdays would be a nice day for weekly workday gatherings, as students’ schedules typically calm down by then, and it is a stress-free way to close out the week,” Mindlin stated. “Our student garden manager is out there nearly every day, and we have events on days aside from Thursdays, but our standing, open workday for volunteers is Thursdays for now.”

Sophomore Maiya Peterson, an intern for Edible Campus, said that anyone is welcome to join their weekly workdays.

“We invite everyone no matter what background or experience you have with gardening to come,” Peterson said. “From six to seven afterward — we have also on Thursdays — we have these Edible Evenings, which is just a time for people to hang out and spend time in the garden after having worked on it.”

Peterson also said that these workdays would change during the school year when they will have scheduled work days with volunteers to help with gardening in their satellite beds.

Volunteer Yaman Peksenar, junior, enjoys the idea of cooking food that he has grown himself.

“The plants, all of them are beautiful, also add a side of being edible. An example could be zucchini or eggplant where they have these beautiful, beautiful flowers that are just really aesthetic and that’s not their only function,” Peksenar said.

Mindlin said their gardens are starting to grow large harvests, and they’re going to have to figure out how to allocate the food in the fall. Edible Campus’ largest partnership is currently with Carolina Cupboard, an on-campus food pantry.

Peterson said the goal of Edible Campus is to help students learn about plants.

“That’s all part of (Edible Campus) to encourage people to eat healthier, in one part. To encourage people to learn where their food comes from is another part,” Peterson said. “Also, there is a social justice aspect in helping people fight food insecurity issues on campus and also for the whole community of Chapel Hill,” Peterson said.

The plants and food that grows in the Edible Campus’s gardens aren’t only for students, and Peterson hopes the plants that are grown can give a sense of community to everyone at UNC and in Chapel Hill.

“The food we grow is for everyone and it is free. You can walk up and pick some lettuce or tomatoes or whatever is ready,” Peterson said.

Peksenar said it’s rewarding to be able to cook food that he has taken care and nurtured.

“The fact that I am able to raise my own (garden) bed so I know what is going on in that specific bed. You know the analogy, ‘If you grow your food it always tastes better,’” Peterson said. “This is a further analogy because I am not only cooking, but I am raising the food that I am cooking with and it tastes like not even twice as good, but it tastes three or four times as good.”

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