Campus roof side garden feeds University Dining restaurant

Few times this summer has the weekday sun peaked over the horizon without University Dining’s On the Oval staff taking notice. That’s because summer staff start their day not in the campus restaurant’s kitchen but on a roof side patio three floors above.

There, early morning staff water and tend a growing container garden packed with squash, tomatoes, blueberries, cucumbers, basil and the like – all of which will eventually be served in the restaurant this summer.

“Already, we’re coming up here every day to use the herbs,” said On the Oval’s lead Chef Adam Smith.

Smith and Sous Chef David Johnson envisioned the garden this spring, when they started researching ways to maximize produce yield while minimizing water and resource use. A recycled pickle barrel upcycled into a rain barrel helps provide water for plants. Herbs grow in dish storage containers from a former campus dining facility. Squash and peppers have a home in a recycled fabric garden bed, and other vegetables grow in buckets made of recycled material featuring a unique watering system.

“We save a lot of water – about 70 percent. It’s a really easy way to plant,” said Johnson.

In addition to being cultivated with organic gardening principles, the garden embodies University Dining’s commitment to sourcing more local food, which is often fresher because of decreased time off the vine and to your plate. The garden has also improved staff engagement and appreciation of food, which in turn reduces food waste.

“The staff loves it. Everybody that works in the kitchen has had something to do with this garden,” Smith said.

This first growing season will help establish a baseline produce yield, helping the chefs determine potential for garden expansion.

“We’re really hoping this catches on and grows,” Smith said.