Farm to college: community engagement, learning and addressing food security while growing local foods on a Midwest college campus

Purpose The purpose of this inquiry was to learn from the experiences of students, community partners and faculty involved in a campus urban garden project. Design/methodology/approach Using place-based theory and scholarship of engagement as critical perspectives, qualitative interviews of participants were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Findings Findings resulted in two major themes, “rooted in the local” and “interconnectedness and belonging,” which described participants relationship to environmental and social experiences engaging in a campus urban garden. Research limitations/implications The implications of this study highlight the rich potentiality of a small campus garden and the outcomes and tenets toward education for sustainable development on college campuses. The study is limited in the number of participants interviewed and small scale of the project. Practical implications Practical implications were found in the impact of the project’s pedagogic, social, environmental and community networking opportunities. Unique to this study is the potential of a campus garden within a college teacher preparation program and cross-disciplinary uses. Social implications Creating a “sense of place” among students, faculty and members of the community through gardening has potential for social associations, affiliations and bonds beyond the typical college classroom experience. Originality/value The study underlines the many ways a garden project can impact a college campus and surrounding community. It further shows that efforts of such a project are steps moving toward a campus model of education for sustainable development.