The UCM campus garden was formed by master gardener De Ette Silbaugh. The original garden idea stems back to 2010 when a group of students and members of the Sustainable Engineers decided the campus needed a garden to support UC Merced’s ‘green sustainable image’.
Since then the garden has gone through many location changes but is now at peace located right on Rancher’s Road. The garden is totally student supported and maintained and our current mission is providing harvests to the campus food bank.
The garden is looking for new space to triple its size and ability to provide much more variety and quantity of fresh produce for the entire campus as it grows. De Ette is also actively seeking grants to bring a fruit orchard to the campus for all to enjoy.
Since then the garden has gone through many location changes but is now at peace located right on Rancher’s Road. The garden is totally student supported and maintained and our current mission is providing harvests to the campus food bank.
The garden is looking for new space to triple its size and ability to provide much more variety and quantity of fresh produce for the entire campus as it grows. De Ette is also actively seeking grants to bring a fruit orchard to the campus for all to enjoy.
SustainabilityBy 2020, UC Merced has pledged to consume zero net energy, and produce zero waste and zero net greenhouse gas emissions. The UCM campus garden helps the campus reach that goal by providing a sustainable food source to students. Produce from the garden requires no transportation, harmful pesticides, or extra packaging, which ultimately leads to a smaller carbon footprint.
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Food Security on CampusIn 2015, 42% of UC students reported having experienced a reduced quality of diet or reduced food intake in the past 12 months. UC Merced is located in a food desert, where this problem is worse. However, the campus garden helps relieve this issue by providing free, fresh produce to students that allows them to prepare healthy meals for themselves.
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Our Team
Master Gardener
De Ette Silbaugh is the faculty adviser for the UC Merced Campus Garden. She has been teaching in the Merritt Writing Program since Fall 2008 and in 2014, she completed her Master Gardener Training. She is passionate about the UCM garden and hopes to expand it for future students, as well as bring fruit tree orchards to campus so students have more accessible foods.
Student Garden Coordinator
Marcos Lane I am a 3rd year Biology student with a minor in Education. At the Campus Garden, my job is to organize volunteering events and workshops held throughout the semester. The Garden space is important to me because it provides a place on campus where I can enjoy nature, and it is reminiscent of the garden I had back home with my parents. The Campus Garden's main goal is to help provide food security to UC Merced students- we partner with Bobcat Pantry to donate fresh produce weekly which gets redistributed to students in need. Moving forward, the Garden will be a vital space to promote food security & sustainability on campus as our student population grows.
De Ette Silbaugh is the faculty adviser for the UC Merced Campus Garden. She has been teaching in the Merritt Writing Program since Fall 2008 and in 2014, she completed her Master Gardener Training. She is passionate about the UCM garden and hopes to expand it for future students, as well as bring fruit tree orchards to campus so students have more accessible foods.
Student Garden Coordinator
Marcos Lane I am a 3rd year Biology student with a minor in Education. At the Campus Garden, my job is to organize volunteering events and workshops held throughout the semester. The Garden space is important to me because it provides a place on campus where I can enjoy nature, and it is reminiscent of the garden I had back home with my parents. The Campus Garden's main goal is to help provide food security to UC Merced students- we partner with Bobcat Pantry to donate fresh produce weekly which gets redistributed to students in need. Moving forward, the Garden will be a vital space to promote food security & sustainability on campus as our student population grows.