This proposal requests funding to establish a permaculture garden on the University at Buffalo campus. It would be located in Parcel Lot B next to Lake LaSalle. The garden aims to connect students, faculty, and the community through hands-on learning and volunteer opportunities. It would partner with campus groups and departments. The garden would demonstrate sustainable growing practices and provide produce for Campus Dining. A budget of $18,250 over one year is requested for supplies, materials, and infrastructure like a storage shed and water system. The garden is intended to promote sustainability education and community engagement.

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Furthering Sustainability, Engagement &
Education with a Campus Garden
University at Buffalo
A proposal by:
Jonathan Gibbons, Senior
Environmental Geosciences Major, Environmental Studies Minor
Historian, Alpha Kappa Chi-Professional Environmental Fraternity
Kristen Janson, Senior
Environmental Studies Major, Geography and English Minors
President, Alpha Kappa Chi-Professional Environmental Fraternity
Margaret Murray, Junior
Business Administration Major
Dylan Steed, Junior
Environmental Studies Major
With support from:
Campus Dining & Shops
The Undergraduate Academies
The Office of Sustainability
Table of Contents
1. Introduction……...………………………………3

2. 2
a. Mission…………………….………..3
b. Vision…………………......………..3
c. What is Permaculture?..........3
2. Community………………………………………3
3. Communication Plan…………………………4
4. Partners……………………………………………4
5. Volunteers……………………………………….5
6. Faculty…………………………………………….5
7. Garden Location & Parking……….……….6
8. Resource/Water Use…………………….….7
9. Soil……………………………..……………….….7
10. Sheet Mulching……………………….……….7
11. Timeline………………………………….………8
12. Budget…………………………………….………8
Introduction

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A growingtrendincollegesanduniversitiesisthe creationof anon-campusgardento use for academic
purposesandexperiential learning.Inrecentyears,the UniversityatBuffalo(UB) hasbeencontinuously
makingstridestowardsimprovingitsoverall sustainability.Inpartnership,UBCampusDiningandShops
(CDS) isalsoworkinghard at furtheringthe University’ssustainable goals.Withthe supportof bothCDS
and the University,the introductionof permaculture principlestothe campusinthe form of a
communitygardenwill enhancebotheducationandawarenessof sustainable practicespresenton
campus.The garden,locatedonParcel Lot B, isa great opportunitytoincrease studentengagementin
the University’ssustainabilityeffortsbyprovidingavaluable opportunityforservice.Engagementwith
the gardenwill connectthe surroundingcommunitytothe University.Withcommunitysupport,the
gardenwill be a valuable assetforthe Universityforyearstocome.The gardenwill be alocal source of
goodsfor CDS,decreasingthe needforcertainoutside foodsources,aswellasan eventual donorof
produce to the local community.
Mission
The purpose of the gardenwill be toconnectstudents,facultyandthe communitythroughexperiential
learningandpractice.The gardenwill be a model of sustainabilityandbybeingaccessibleandhighly
visible;itwill contributetothe advancementof the UniversityatBuffaloandCampusDining&Shops’
sustainabilityefforts.
Vision
The studentsandfacultycomprising ourcommittee have avisionto,incollaborationwithCampus
DiningandShops,engage five percentof all on-campusstudentvolunteerhoursthroughthe Campus
Garden.In 2012, UB’s CenterforStudentLearningandCivicEngagement(CSLCE) logged42,455 hoursof
service1
,makingitourgoal to generate atleast2,123 hours.Withthat inmind,we view the Campus
Gardenas a valuable tool toeducate studentslivinginandaroundthe residential diningfacilities
featuredoncampusaboutthe importance of locallygrownproduce.
What is Permaculture?
Permaculture isanecological designtechnique thatimprovessoil healthandaimstomake our current
foodand otherglobal systemsmore sustainable.
Community
Communityoutreachandinvolvementisindispensable inestablishingaprosperousandthrivingcampus
garden.Actingas a communitycenter,the gardenwill bringtogetherstudents,faculty,andstaff,aswell
as the surroundingUniversitycommunityincludingalumniandchildrenfromlocal schoolswhowould
use the space as an outdoorclassroom.The inclusionof studentorganizationsandclubsalongwith
variousdepartmentsandofficesatUB will strengthenthe successof the gardenandfostera sense of
ownershipamongstudents,faculty,andstaff.We have alreadyreachedouttovariousstudent
organizationsandclubssuchas Engineersfora Sustainable World,EnvironmentalNetwork,andothers
that we feel will have avestedinterestinthe creationandmaintenance of the gardenthroughoutthe
1
https://stars.aashe.org/institutions/university-at-buffalo-ny/report/2012-11-20/PAE/public-engagement/PAE-23/

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year.Continuingsupportfromfacultyandstaff atthe Universitywill be critical increatingasense of
community.The ProfessionalStaff Senate hasbeeninvolvedincampusgardendiscussionsandhas
expressedaninterestinmovingthe gardenforward.Additionally,reachingouttolocal off-campus
organizationssuchasthe MassachusettsAvenue Project(MAP) andGrassrootsGardenswill onlyenrich
the atmosphere of communitythatthe gardenplanstocreate. The off-campuscommunitybringsnew
knowledge andlearningtothe garden.
CommunicationPlan
It isessential tohave anopenline of communicationwiththe Universitycommunity,the public,and
gardenpartners. Effective communicationisnecessarytoincrease the involvementof the community
and gathersupportfor the garden,alongwithparticipationandvolunteers.We will maintainregular
communicationtoestablishandmaintaintheirrelationshipwiththe gardenandincrease participation.
Communicationwithall partnerswill occurthrougha varietyof platformsincluding:e-mail,Twitter,
Facebook,andflyering. More specificcommunicationswill occurwithouron-campuspartners;theywill
be receivingmore in-depthandinformationalupdatesfocusingonthe operationaldetailsof the garden
alongwithour achievementsandsuccesses.
CommunicationMethodsandTools:
· Creatingsocial networkingaccountsforthe garden.
· Create ane-mail listservforinterestedfaculty,staff,students,andthe community.
· Email the campuspartnerson a weeklybasiswithimportantupdates.
· Documentall gardenactivitieswithphotos,videos,andwrittentestimonialsthatcan be usedfor
social networking,flyers,andmarketingmaterials.
· Create marketingmaterialsthatcanbe passedout.
· Use flyeringasanothermeanstocommunicate toour audience.
· Have a presence atUniversityfunctions.
· Promote the gardenthroughpressreleases,newsarticles,andothermarketingplatforms.
Communicationaboutall aspectsof the gardenwill fostercommunity,create amedia“buzz”,and
involve ouraudience indeliberateways. We imagine thatthe gardenwill be anexcellenttool for
studentrecruitmentandretention.
Partners
The Campus Gardenwill partnerwitha wide array of campus andcommunitypartnerstoensure the
continuityandsustainabilityof the Garden.Several studentorganizationsincludingUB’sprofessional
environmental fraternityAlphaKappaChi,the UB Environmental Network,EngineersforaSustainable

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World,and UB Sproutsare active partnersinthe project.Eachof these studentgroupswill provide
critical volunteersupport,butalsoleverage knowledgenecessaryforthe successof the garden.
The Office of Sustainabilityandthe Undergraduate Academiesplaycritical supportrolesbyproviding
professionalstaff toassistwithgardendevelopmentandcoordination.
CampusDining& Shopssupportsthe CampusGardenfinanciallyandalsobyservingasa guaranteed
“customer”of the produce growninthe Garden.
The Professional Staff Senate providingcontinuitythroughbroadandlastingsupportforCampusGarden
maintenance (weedingandwatering) duringsummermonths.
Volunteers
Volunteerswillbe curatedfromwithinthe diverse portfolioof partnersthatare alreadyworkingonthe
garden.We feel thatwe have an ideal balance of studentandstaff volunteers,sothatwhenstudents
travel inthe summer,staff andfacultycan assistwithGardenmaintenance.Tofurtherensure thatthe
gardenhas dedicatedcare inthe summer,fourinternshippositionswill be created.Thesewillbe
studentswholive oncampusduringthe summerandwill be requiredtodocertaintasksand be
expectedtoputina set amountof hours inthe gardenweekly.We will workwithourfacultypartners
and otherdepartmentstoprovide studentsacademiccreditorothercompensationfortheirwork.
Additionally,infollowingthe principlesof permacultureinthe design,implementation,andcare of the
garden,we will be selectingplantspeciesthatrequire lesswater,weeding,andhandsoncare than
annual plantspecies.
Faculty
The Campus GardenTeamis workingwithadiverse groupof facultyincludingDr.JamesJenseninthe
School of EngineeringandAppliedSciences,Dr.SaminaRajainthe School of Architecture andPlanning,
Dr. ChrisRenschlerinthe Departmentof Geography,andDr. KenShockleyinthe departmentof
Philosophy,whoisalsorepresentingthe SustainabilityAcademy.OurteamisalsocontactingDr. Sean
Bennettfromthe Departmentof Geography,Dr.ChrisLowryfrom the Departmentof Geology,andDr.
Scott MacKay from the Departmentof Geography.
The involvementof facultyinthe CampusGardenwill leadtomanyopportunitiesformentoredprojects
and curricularintegration.Several spring2014 coursesare alreadyworkingtoinvolve the Campus
Gardenas a projectforstudents.
GardenLocation & Parking
We propose the gardenbe locatedinParcel Lot B, locatednexttoLake LaSalle.Inthe map below,the
greenoutline showsthe areawhere the gardencouldbe placedwithinParcel LotB andthe final location
will dependonthe site conditions.

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There are several existingcampusparkinglotswhichare inclose proximitytothe proposedlocationof
the garden.The Furnaslot,the Jarvislot,the Ketterlotand the Fargo lothave all beenidentifiedas
beingclose enoughtobe convenientforparking.Volunteerstravelingtothe gardensite bycar will be
directedtoone of these fourlotsandwill walktothe CampusGarden.Volunteersoriginatingfromoff-
campuslocationswill be givenatemporaryparkingpassforthese fourlots.The parkinglotswe planto
utilize are outlinedinyellow (Fargo,Furnas,JarvisandKetterlots) andthe areathat the gardenwill be
locatedinisoutlined ingreen.Studentscanalsoutilize the Stampede busesbygettingoff atthe Greiner
stopin orderto easilyreachthe garden.
By encouragingstaff,students,andfacultytodosimple volunteeractivitiessuchaswateringorweeding
duringthe day,vehicle travel willbe lessnecessary.Deliveriesof materialsforthe gardenwill be
conductedduringweekendornon-peakhoursandwill require vehiclestopull tothe eastside of Lee
Road fordrop offs.
Water/ResourceUse
Possible WateringStrategies:

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Throughthe use of permaculture principlesanddesignelements,the gardenwill be designedinsucha
waythat the needtowaterthe plantswill be reduced.Researchisbeingconductedonmethodsthatwill
be the mostsimple andcosteffective.
The use of perennialswill cutdownonneedtowaterthe gardenregularly.Mostperennialsneed
supplemental wateronlyinthe three monthsafterplanting.Treesandshrubsneedwaterthroughthe
firstgrowingseasonoruntil theybecome established.We willutilize plantswithdroughttolerant
adaptationssuchas fuzzyleaves,grayleaves,large fleshyroots,succulentleaves,andwaxyleaves.
Coveringthe gardenwitha2-4” thicklayerof mulchor woodchipswill helpconservewaterin
soil. Plantinggroundcoversuchas white cloveralsohelpsretainmoisture withinthe soil byblocking
directsunlightandpreventingevaporation.
Gettingwaterto the gardensite presentsanotherchallenge.Waterwill eitherneedtobe storedina
tank onsite or transportedbya hose thatwill runfromGreiner.The feasibilityof runningahose from
Greinerislowdue to distance.A tankon site couldeitherbe filledviaCampusFacilitiesorLake LaSalle.
It ispossible topumpwaterfromLake LaSalle toa tank on site.We wouldneedtoexaminethe
feasibilityof removingwaterfromthe lake.We are workingwithESWto determine if thisispossible
withthe currentlake conditions.The costof a pump($200-$1000+) isdependentonthe type of pump
systemutilized.ESWwill alsobe examiningthe use of solarpanelstopowerthe pump.
Once the water ison site itcouldbe deliveredtothe plantsviaahose attachedto the tank or a drip
irrigationsystem.Dripirrigationusestubingtoslowlydeliverwatertothe plants.It reducesthe amount
of waterwastedandas it deliverswaterdirectlytothe rootzone of a plantit ishighlyefficient.If only
spotwateringisneededforannualsorotherplants,wateringglobescouldbe createdorpurchasedto
deliverwaterslowlytospecificareasof need.
Otheroptionsformakingwateravailable atthe gardensite include rainbarrelsthatESWwouldsetup
to collectrainwaterfromthe roof of a shedthatwouldbe constructedonsite to store tools.
Soil
As withanygarden,inorderto maximize growingpotential,we will needacomprehensive soil testto
displaywhichnutrientsare neededandtherefore whichfertilizerwill be ideal. We are workingclosely
withEngineersforaSustainable WorldandUB facultyto evaluate soil health.Thisfertilizershouldonly
needtobe addedat the beginningof the sheetmulchingprocess.
Sheet Mulching
Sheetmulchingisaprocessusedto create an environmentconducivetoplantgrowthevenif the soil is
not ideal.Followingacomprehensivesoil test,addfertilizerandotheradditivesasdescribedinthe
report.Buildupof soil andcompostabove groundlevel createsaraisedbed.Coveringthe grasswith
cardboard or newspaperinhibitsgrassgrowthandallowsmaximumspace tobe usedinplanting.In
orderto plant,shiftthe groundcoverlayer,digthroughthe top layersandpossiblybreakgroundlevel

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dependingonthe size of the plantgoinginthe ground.Thisisa processthatonlyneedstobe done once
and properlymaintainedwithweedingandminimalwatering.
Budget
Year 1 Costs for UB 1/4 Acre
Permaculture Garden
GardenSize 10,000 sq ft
UB Permaculture Year 1 Materials Cost Amount Cost per unit Total Costs
Soil Test $50
Soil amendments a few bags $50
Compost- 1 yard spread3" thickcovers100 sq ft 100 yards $25/yd $2,500
Newspaper/Cardboard Numeroustruckloads Free $0
Wood Chips& Straw 100 yards $1,000
Plants/Seeds Approximately n/a $8,000
Tools Approximately n/a $1,000
Shed- 10' X 12' 1 n/a $750
Aesthetics(Picnictables,signs) Approximately n/a $2,500
600 gallonplasticwatertank 1 $500 $500
Pumpand irrigationsupplies Approximately n/a $1,000
Fencingsupplies Approximately n/a $400
Hoses,stakes,misc.expenses Approximately n/a $500
TOTAL $18,250

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Timeline
FollowingpendingUniversityapproval the firststagesof establishingaCampusGardenwouldbe
establishingamarketingpresence here oncampusandincreasingawarenessof the projectandthe
differentwaystobecome involved.Inthe late fall the groundworkwouldneedtobe laidinorderto
start the gardenand in the springthe plantingwouldneedtobe done aswell.Alsoimmediately
followingapproval informationwouldbe providedtodepartmentstoinvolve anycourseswhichmay
benefitfrominvolvementinthe gardenproject.Furthermore towardsthe endof SpringSemester,a
summerplanwouldbe establishedallowingforcontinuousmaintenance duringlow trafficmonths.