The Campus Garden Initiative

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"How to" Guide for Gardening @ your dorm

Coming Soon!

Seeds and Starters

Contact Sarah Wiederkehr for more info about seeds for student residential gardens at Stanford.

Irrigation Systems

For ideas on how to collect greywater, the Greywater Guerrillas, based in Northern California, have tips and advice.

For affordable and lo-tech drip irrigation systems: driptech designs and manufactures affordable drip irrigation for farmers in developing countries, but the system also works well for college students on a budget!

Materials

Lumber - Whole House in East Palo Alto

Soil - If you are at an official Stanford student residence, you can contact 

        Stanford Grounds Services Group to obtain composted soil (for free!), this stuff comes from

        campus food waste outsourced to ??? , who then returns it in soil form

Corrugated Cardboard (for sheet mulching)- the dumpster behind the Row Office/Kairos on

        Mayfield is particularly abundant in discarded sheet mulch material

Inspiration

Got a creativity block? Wondering what to plant? Click here to discover design ideas for your garden.

Garden Blogs

For a comprehensive list of blogs across the nation, visit the Cold Climate Garden site and click on "Garden Blog Directory"

Educational Opportunities

Take Classes at Common Ground on everything from Biointensive Techniques to Pruning!

For Stanford students:

ES 183/283 Food Matters: Agriculture in Film

• 1 unit course           Spring 2009             A series of thought provoking films will present both historical and contemporary issues dealing with food and agriculture across the globe. Students will discuss their reaction and thoughts about the films following the viewings in a round table format.

• Films may include: The Future of Food, Life and Debt, Our Daily Bread, Broken Limbs: Apples, Agriculture and the New American Farmer, Fed Up, The Accidental Revolution, Food Fight, and more. Students will be required to write short response papers as well as participate in class discussions.

• For more information please contact Sarah Wiederkehr, swied@stanford.edu
  

• 2 unit course            Spring 2009        Field-based training in ecologically sound agricultural practices at the Stanford Community Farm. Weekly lectures, fieldwork and group projects. Field trips to educational farms in the area. Topics include: soils, composting, irrigation techniques, Integrated Pest Management, basic plant anatomy and physiology, weeds, greenhouse management and marketing. Students will be required to create a ‘farm plan’ as a final project. 

• For more information please contact Sarah Wiederkehr, swied@stanford.edu

Suggested Reading

"The Sustainable Vegetable Garden" - John Jeavons and Carol Cox

"Gaia's Garden" - Toby Hemenway

"Earth User's Guide to Permaculture - Second Edition" - Rosemary Morrow

"Golden Gate Gardening" Pam Peirce

Funding Opportunities for Stanford Students

Stanford Green Fund

• It's a general fund for student-driven sustainability projects: We have $30,000 earmarked specifically for student projects relating to all facets of sustainability on campus. We want to fund your project! It's a general resource: We can connect you with the faculty and staff members that will help you successfully implement your project, whether you need preliminary advice or technical support. This includes faculty from departments such as Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Systems, as well as Stanford staff members in Housing, Utilities, and Facilities.
• The application deadline is November 20, 2008.
  

Mel Lane Student Program Grants

• "In honor of environmental leader Mel Lane, the Woods Institute has established the Mel Lane Student Program Grants, providing funding to Stanford students for group projects on the environment. To be considered, proposals must offer broad university relevance and involvement. Preference is given to projects meeting one or more of the following criteria: A focus on climate and energy; oceans and estuaries; freshwater;sustainable built environment, or land use and conservation, an education and communication component, an effort to find solutions to environment problems, and additional funding sources (or a plan to secure sources) that will share in the total cost.
  

• Proposal deadline is March 6, 2009.
  

The Bingham Fund for Student Innovation in Human Biology

• The Bingham Foundation has generously provided funds that will support innovative student projects proposed by Human Biology majors intended to benefit undergraduate education.
• Deadlines: October 31, 2008 and April 30, 2009
  

Clinton Global Initiative University - Outstanding Committment Awards

• President Clinton announced at the CGI U Meeting on February 14 that the Pat Tillman Foundation and the Wal-Mart Foundation are sponsoring the 2009 CGI U Outstanding Commitment Awards. The Pat Tillman Foundation, through its new initiative, the Tillman Social Action Fund, will be providing $200,000 to support innovative and sustainable student Commitments to Action across all of the five CGI U focus areas: Education, Energy & Climate Change, Global Health, Peace & Human Rights, and Poverty Alleviation. The Wal-Mart Foundation, which sponsored the inaugural CGI U Outstanding Commitment Awards in 2008, has also committed $200,000 this year to support student and student group commitments in the field of Energy & Climate Change. A total of $400,000 will be distributed to various student and student-group commitments. Award winners will be notified at the end of the 2009 academic year.
• Application deadine is April 3, 2009.
  

Haas Center Community Action Grants (awarded quarterly)

• The Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University connects academic study with community and public service to strengthen communities and develop effective public leaders. The Center aspires to develop aware, engaged and thoughtful citizens who contribute to the realization of a more just and humane world. The Public Service Student Advisory Board (PSSAB) of the Haas Center for Public Service is committed to helping Stanford students engage in meaningful public service by sponsoring the Community Action Grant program. This program awards grants of up to $1000 to recognize and support new and creative service-related initiatives proposed by Stanford undergrad and graduate students. These grants are intended to enhance student creativity and initiative and support activities that benefit our extended community.
  
• Winter Quarter 2009: Applications due: Feb 23, 2009, Applicants notified: March 5, 2009   
• Spring Quarter 2009: Applications due: April 20, 2009, Applicants notified: May 1, 2009

Stanford Graduate Challenge

• Submissions are invited to the Stanford Graduate Challenge (SGC) that provide ideas to improve the Stanford graduate community, campus, or student life, but require capital outlay or time investment beyond those resources available to individual students.  Funding up to $10,000 is available to winning teams to implement their projects, which must not have a monetary profit as the main motive.  Contact stanfordgradchallenge@gsc.stanford.edu for more details.
  
• Submission deadline is March 1, 2009.
  

SunChips and National Geographic have joined forces to create the Green Effect, an initiative to inspire individuals to spark a green movement in their communities.

YOU could be the one to make a difference in your community—for the planet! Submit a description of your Green Effect idea by June 8, 2009. Ten finalists will be announced July 7, 2009. Online viewers and a distinguished panel of judges will review these inspiring ideas.

We'll award $20,000 each to five people or groups that have the best ideas for green change. The five winners will also be profiled in National Geographic, and the winners will travel to Washington, D.C., to share their projects with environmental leaders.