Augie Acres students make an impact through the food they grow

Augie Acres, ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø¡¯s 1.5-acre student-run garden, is a one-stop shop for students interested in developing gardening skills and addressing food insecurity in the Quad Cities.

Augie Acres President Ian Empen ¡¯26 says their partnership with Tapestry Farms, a network of urban gardens across the Quad Cities to connect refugees and neighbors, demonstrates Augie Acres¡¯ commitment to making an impact beyond campus.  

Augie Acres students primarily support Tapestry Farms in two ways: scheduling workdays to help at Tapestry Farms garden locations and raising funds.

"When Augie Acres comes to visit, we get so much work done!¡± said Ann McGlynn, executive director of Tapestry Farms. ¡°We recently planted tomatoes and mulched two berms ¡ª one with native and pollinator plants and one with fruit trees.¡±

Augie Acres students also held a bake sale at the college to raise money because they know Tapestry Farms is being impacted by the federal government¡¯s recent budget cuts, Empen said.

So far this year, Augie Acres students have harvested more than 200 pounds of produce, including peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and cucumbers. They have distributed it among the campus community and local organizations that serve food-insecure people, including the NEST Caf¨¦, Christian Care, and Palomares Social Justice Center.

Empen says student interest in Augie Acres has grown substantially since 2023. As many as 40 club members attend weekly workdays. Students are also taking an interest in other areas of the club, such as collecting compost for the garden. Last semester, 16 students collected more than 170 gallons of compost from their student housing to process at the garden.

"Our e-mail list has over 100 people on it, which is pretty good,¡± Empen said. "Definitely going into my last year at Augie Acres, we're looking for further ways to keep reaching out to people, keep building that strong membership foundation so that it will continue to persist years after."

Dr. Brian Leech, a faculty advisor for Augie Acres, says the engaged learning that happens at the garden teaches students valuable skills and deepens their scientific knowledge.

"Learning how to take care of a piece of property so that it looks nice and shows that people care about it is one thing they take away from it," said Dr. Leech, associate professor of history. "They also learn a lot about different kinds of agricultural techniques, managing disease.

¡°We had an outbreak of a fungus in the orchard, for instance. And so, figuring out how to handle that, who to contact? What kinds of treatments can you use that are still okay with food? What kinds of things qualify as organic treatments versus inorganic treatments?"

For McGlynn, the satisfaction that both organizations feel from providing food to the community is why the two-year partnership is rewarding.

"I'm pretty confident that it brings all of us joy,¡± she said. ¡°Joy in working together to feed our community, joy in getting outside together, joy in knowing that what we plant will yield beautiful produce.¡±

ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø President Andrea Talentino says Augie Acres students are truly living out the engaged educational experience that ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø offers. 

¡°If you want to see the college¡¯s strategic plan in action, look at Augie Acres,¡± she said. ¡°Prioritizing engaged learning, maximizing student success and partnering with the community to improve quality of life ¡ª that¡¯s what it¡¯s all about!¡±

Augie Acres' next big project will take place this fall, according to Empen. The group will set up a table in either the Quad or in the Brew on Mondays to give away produce to students, staff and faculty.

For more information, visit Augie Acres.