Mission statement: Our Grinnell College Garden provides locally-sourced food in a demonstration of self-reliance.
Vision statement: In addition to feeding the community, our Grinnell College Garden will provide the community with a place for creativity, reflection, and cultural enrichment as a shared teaching and learning space to foster a unified community for all Grinnellians.
The first Grinnell College Garden was established on Park Street north of Eighth Avenue under the auspices of the Center for Prairie Studies in 2000 by a small group of students, faculty, and community members interested in promoting the idea of local foods. In 2017, after learning that the College planned to re-purpose the Park Street site for housing, we asked for a new location. With the help of Facilities Management, a spot to the east of Pine Tree House (a.k.a. Food House, 1128 East Street), was selected and planning began for a new garden with a more ambitious vision. Many people, both in and beyond the College, came together to turn the vision into a reality. Most of the food from the garden goes to College Dining. In the summer of 2017 that amounted to just under 1,000 pounds of produce. We invite all members of the campus community and the wider Grinnell community to visit the GCG and learn about our operation.
