Forward Magazine Special Edition: The Garden Give Back

C A M P U S D I N I N G M AG A Z I N E S E

Garden

Give Back

Earth Day 2021

MAY 2021

garden give back

Garden

Give Back

This year’s Earth Day was observed on Thursday April 22, 2021. As we continue to honor the observance, we’d like to remind you that Thompson Hospitality remains dedicated to cultivating a sustainable environment on our campuses and in the surrounding communities. In alignment with Thompson Hospitality’s ongoing effort to promote sustainability, we paid tribute to Earth Day with a special Garden Giveback event. Keep reading to learn more about the history of Earth Day and what our campuses are doing to give back.

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The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, when San Francisco activist John McConnell and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson separately asked Americans to join

in a grassroots demonstration.

Dealing with dangerously serious issues concerning toxic drinking water, air pollution, and the effects of pesticides, nearly 20 million Americans ventured outdoors and protested together for the betterment of the environment.

Since its conception, people all over the world have taken time each year to celebrate and promote the preservation of the clean air, land and water on our planet.

For this year’s Earth Day celebration, we established the Garden Give Back initiative with the goal of encouraging sustainability and giving students the opportunity to plant in their respective community gardens.

During this event, students were invited to join dining services

for an afternoon of planting and enjoying an outdoor picnic.

Through the program, students were able to gain the necessary knowledge and resources to grow their own food or participate in community gardens in their area.

Also, students were educated on just how easy and beneficial growing their own produce can be.

No matter how you decide to get involved for Earth Day, it’s important to remember that we all play a crucial role in preserving the health and beauty of this beautiful planet that we call home.

May 2021

garden give back

Lincoln University The community garden at Lincoln University was started about five years ago at the direction of Dr. Anna Hull to promote research and sustainability projects on campus. The garden has been supported by the Sustainability Club and by numerous research students at Lincoln University. Over the years, they have grown tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, jalapenos, eggplants, and a variety of herbs in the garden. They encourage students, professors, and staff to incorporate these organically grown foods into their own diets, as the garden is open to the Lincoln community. Their long-term goal is to create innovative ways to incorporate organically grown foods here on campus into our own cafeteria. By accomplishing this, they hope to generate excitement behind eating healthier foods, and perhaps inspire students to begin growing their own produce in their respective communities.

Onaje Cunningham, Senior at Lincoln University and 1st place winner of the school’s Undergraduate Research Symposium for his presentation “Lincoln University’s Garden and its Impact on Sustainability” said “The Garden Give Back was a great event that brought the Lincoln community together. We engaged in a hands-on experience while learning how to plant a variety of produce. I look forward to continuing our partnership with Thompson Hospitality and the Chester County Food Bank to address food sustainability and increase student engagement on campus.”

Ryan McCaughan, a Garden Educator at the Chester County Food Bank in Pennsylvania, was able to visit Lincoln to assist with the Garden Give Back. Ryan had this to say about the initiative, “The event was in my opinion a great success. A number of students from Lincoln University made it out to our planting day where we sowed some carrots and radish seeds. We also transplanted some broccoli, kale, and blueberry bushes.

We talked to the students about the food cycle and if we want to live in a more sustainable world then we need to start eating more locally source produce and eat vegetables that are in season. We then educated each student on how they can start to grow some of their own produce at home or in their apartment by planting some cilantro and snap peas into containers which each of the students were able to take home with them. Overall, it was a great experience where the students were able to gain some knowledge about where their food comes from and how they can start living a little more sustainable.”

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May 2021

garden give back

Cheyney University At Cheyney University in Pennsylvania, the Garden Give Back event was a new experience for both students and staff members. Trinity McClain, the Food Service Director at Cheyney said, “Overall, students really enjoyed the Garden Give Back and the initiative allowed our dining services team to step our game up and give the campus community something different. As we worked with an organization that already plants the gardens on campus, it was nice to plan and collaborate with people who have knowledge on gardening to help make the event a fun and therapeutic experience. Students were able to help plant different flowers and crops and enjoyed being able to track the progress of their growth. To top it off, the dinner was a great way to thank students for participating in the event. Our students especially loved the lavender lemonade! Because we haven’t been able to interact with students as much this year, it was nice being outside and mingling with the campus community.”

Edward Waters College At Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, FL, the Garden Give Back experience was all about teamwork and unity. With planting being a universal affair, guests enjoyed learning more about the environment and to promote comradery amongst the students and staff.

Sudeana Carter, the Food Service Director at EWC said, “Both students and team members were interested in watching the plants (banana and citrus trees) come to life and learning more about how certain crops are cultivated. The EWC team particularly enjoyed being involved with the event as it allowed them to interact with students and show students some of the great initiatives happening at Thompson Hospitality. Students also had such a great time participating and were grateful to be a part of such an exciting experience. We can’t wait to do it again next year!”

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garden give back

Tuskegee University Zipporah Sowell, a Plant & Soil Science student had this to say about the Garden Give Back Event: “The TU Earth Day event hosted by Tompkins Hospitality was a grand success!

During this event, students were able to learn about growing their own culinary herbs and edible flowers. Furthermore, students were given a space to learn and express their appreciation for agriculture. This event has inspired us to start a garden club here on campus.

Starting a garden club will give other students the space to be exposed to and express their passion for cultivating and harvesting fresh produce. We hope to have this campus organization operating next semester despite the uncertainties of the pandemic.”

Tuskegee student Morgan Caron added, “This event was amazing. I got to learn how to properly plant as well as how to keep them healthy. It was a great way to meet new people as well as get to plant some edible flowers and tea herbs. During this event my friends and I had a great time working together to plant lavender, cornflower, and lemon balm.

So far my plants are doing amazing and I can’t wait for the cornflower to bloom. Some of us were going to look into starting a gardening club. I feel like it would be a great idea because we can do more events like this and possibly bring more people into it.”

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May 2021

Marketing Contacts Cindy Horstman, Regional Marketing Director envelope chorstman@thompsonhospitality.com phone (804) 640–4136 Daniela‑Gabrielle Smallwood, Regional Marketing Director envelope daniela.smallwood@thompsonhospitality.com phone (571) 444–7430