Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Community Highlight: UNT Community Garden

In order to highlight our lovely community partners, we interviewed them about their purpose and how UNT students can further help them be successful. We interviewed one of our own this week, the UNT Community Garden! Read this interview to find out how to find them and how you can help their mission.

  1. Your name and title?
    1. My name is Noor Almayahi and I am the garden facilitator of the UNT Community Garden. 
  2. What is your organization and what does it do?
    1. The UNT Community Garden provides resources, education, and space for students, faculty, or staff to garden on campus with a community of gardeners to help each other learn. 
  3. What is your organization’s mission?
    1. “The mission of the garden is to promote environmental education, grow food organically, and foster a community focused on a greener, healthier future for everyone.” – from the UNT Community Garden website.
  4. Why did you choose to work in this field?
    1. I chose to work in this field because to grow your own food makes it accessible to all where in reality cost is such a ridiculous and large barrier to fresh and healthy food. I believe a way to combat food insecurity can be to increase gardening knowledge and urban gardening activity. Along with this, growing food as an act of resistance and taking care of plant life is both a spiritual experience for me and helpful to my mental health.
  5. What led you to work with the Center for Leadership and Service?
    1. The UNT Community Garden is an ongoing opportunity for students to volunteer on campus as well as take on and create leadership roles.
  6. What is your favorite initiative that you have worked on so far?
    1. My favorite initiative that I have worked on so far is the partnership between the UNT Community Garden and the UNT Food Pantry. Now the garden can directly donate produce to the pantry for students to request.
  7. What would you say to students who want to get involved?
    1. I would say that they should apply for membership on the website! No experience is necessary and along with learning to grow plants, the garden is an excellent getaway for stress relief that has been essential for me and many of our current gardeners this year.