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Organic Farming at Longwood University
Who is Doing This

Cormier Honors College: Longwood University’s Cormier Honors College is a program offered by the University. It focuses on community. The program strives to create an academic community that is sustained through the drive and ambition of its student members. The College also participates in programs for the University; their current project is planting an organic vegetable garden located on the corner of Griffin Boulevard and High Street.

Culture of the Garden

Inspiration from the White House Vegetable Garden: A few yards from the corner of Griffin Boulevard and High Street stand two magnolia trees. These trees came from the grounds of the White House during the administration of President William McKinley. Because the garden is located on the same corner Longwood University’s Dr. Michael Lund, the creator and supervisor of the project, decided to use the same plans as the White House Vegetable garden. Why it’s being done: Longwood University’s Cormier Honors College Vegetable Garden is designed not only to emphasize the production of food but also the beauty and context of gardening throughout history. The design of Longwood's garden will change in future semesters, the current inspiration for the garden came from the White House vegetable garden currently being planted. The Honors College also wishes to use the garden as an educational tool, educating students at both Longwood University and Prince Edward County about the benefits of organic foods and the benefits of having a vegetable garden. Goals of the Garden

Benefits of a Vegetable Garden: There are several benefits associated with planting your own vegetable garden. Fresh vegetables grown at home are associated with better nutrition, safer and healthier eating. A vegetable garden also allows the grower to control what is both planted and used in the garden and growing process.

Educational Purposes: The garden has been created in order to educate the local community, specifically school-age children, about how to create an organic garden, the benefits of having a vegetable garden and the known long term affects associated with genetically modified foods. Long term affects associated with genetically modified food include: Pesticide-resistant insects, herbicide-resistant weeds, increased toxicity, demise of safe pesticides, and in severe cases gene transfer.

Organic Farming

What is it: “Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved.” International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.  How it’s being achieving: The organic garden will be using compost supplied by Longwood University’s extensive recycling program. Longwood’s recycling program recycles the majority of recyclable materials such as: magazines, notebook paper, cardboard, aluminum, plastic bottles, and newspaper.The compost the garden receives is from the dining hall, where the university takes the food scraps, turns it into compost, and uses this material for grounds maintenance. Heirloom and ‘Organic’ Seeds

Why these types of seeds were chosen: The uses of heirloom and ‘organic’ seeds were chosen for several reasons. The White House garden, where Longwood’s garden received its inspiration, has decided to use heirloom seeds. The garden has also chosen to use organic seeds- meaning seeds that have not been genetically modified with the rDNA of another organism. The garden chose to use these types of seeds in order to create a truly organic garden, like the one at the White House.

Problems with genetically modified seeds: The garden has also chosen to use organic seeds to avoid the problems that are associated with genetically modified seeds and organisms. These problems include: increased toxicity, herbicide-resistant weeds, pesticide-resistant insects, the demise of safe pesticides, herm to other organisms, and gene transfer. While genetically modified plants are known to produce more food, the creators of the garden have chosen to not use these types of plants because they are more concerned about food quality.