Nutrition for those in need

Canned goods, boxed meals and packaged pasta line the shelves of food banks across the nation, and while these items help to meet the community's hunger needs, nutrition falls to the wayside. This is where Edible Aggieland steps in, armed with a garden shovel and a handful of seeds.

John Borden, a sophomore landscape architecture major, was planting trees for the Aggie Community Garden when he realized people across the Bryan-College Station area could benefit from fresh, organic produce as well.

"It's really important to recognize that it's not just hunger that's an issue in this community; it's also nutrition," Borden said. "Whenever you have a large amount of hunger in the community, you're going to have a large group of people who aren't getting nutritious food."

Food banks typically offer non-perishable goods, because they do not have the means to preserve fresh produce.

"We hoped to fill the gap by growing the foods right here in the local community and donating it to the people that need it," Borden said. "We really put a lot of effort into growing these foods, so they're a lot more nutritious than your run-of-the-mill supermarket food."

The Aggie Community Garden relocated to an open patch of land next to the Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health. The community garden membership overlaps with Edible Aggieland, and both organizations seek to provide fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.

At the garden, people can rent plots of one, two or four 20-foot rows. The plot rental fee covers everything needed to grow vegetables and everything produced goes back to the plot gardener. Howdy Farm is a communal area of the garden, in which all members contribute; the fruits and vegetables produced are donated to Twin City Missions, with plans to branch out to other charitable organizations in the future.

"We just planted and everything is being reestablished for the cool season crops this fall," said Community Garden President Mikey Burbidge, a senior spatial sciences major.

Edible Aggieland founder Borden worked with Burbidge and Kristen Williams, a junior nutritional sciences major, to bring fresh produce to those in need. The group was recognized as a student organization in the spring.

Edible Aggieland is partnering with Lulac Oak Hill, a low-income housing community for the elderly, and Elder Aid, a service organization that delivers food and other goods to the elderly. Lulac and Elder Aid allow Edible Aggieland to use a portion of its property, and in return, Lulac and Elder Aid have the first pick of the produce. The rest is donated to other charitable, food-based organizations.

At the Lulac and Elder Aid locations, Edible Aggieland has planted fruit trees and plans to expand the vegetable garden and add berry bushes. The majority of the harvest will take place in the spring and summer, but the gardens have already seen some color - one grapefruit.

"But as time goes on, they produce a lot of grapefruit," Borden said. "I've heard of one single tree producing hundreds of grapefruits in a single season."

Williams said she joined the organization because her background in nutrition taught her the importance of a diet rich in vegetables and fruit.

"I really find it upsetting to see that the majority of people and kids don't understand where food is from and always associate food from a grocery store aisle," she said. "Even a produce section doesn't represent where a tomato comes from or where lettuce grows from."

Williams said participating in community gardens and initiatives like Edible Aggieland informs children on the importance of a balanced diet.

"Kids who will grow their own food are more likely to try new foods," she said. "Being able to dig a carrot out of the ground is a really cool thing, and kids will really like that and be more willing to try it."

When the organization first started, Borden fronted all of the expenses, but as time has past, Edible Aggieland has received support from A&M and the surrounding community. Professor Joe Novak, adviser for the Community Garden, has helped Edible Aggieland to secure purchase deals for trees, and a local farmer donated seeds for vegetables.

Edible Aggieland is working with Elder Aid to create an additional community garden on Bittle Lane in College Station. Similar to the Aggie Garden, residents will be able to rent plots and will be provided with tools. Bolden said events could take place at the garden, and it will be a social place where stories and cultural experiences can be shared.

Edible Aggieland For information on joining or donating, contact John Borden at 915-929-3266.