A fresh, new initiative has sprouted, growing up the walls inside a hydroponic trailer parked on the campus of William Peace University. The project aims to improve student dining, education, and access to employment.
© Raelee Sawmiller
Produce Purpose, the parent organization of Peace Produce, aims to provide long-term food sources to people through reliable farming technology placed on college campuses, and Peace is excited to be their first location.
The opening ceremony, led by President Lynn Morton along with Duke and Matthew Harvey, began at noon on Friday, Sept. 5, the final step of the long process of establishing a collaboration between WPU and the Harvey family in honor of Patrick Harvey, a Class of 2019 graduate who tragically passed away from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma soon after graduating.
Patrick, remembered for his kind spirit and dedication to others, inspired the creation of Peace Produce as a way to continue his legacy.
"This university was a very special place to my late brother Patrick," he continued, "and it is, and always will be, a very special place to my family and to me."
This meaningful connection to the campus provides students, faculty, and the community a deeper understanding and appreciation of the initiative.
Many people already involved in campus organizations at Peace expressed excitement about the new initiative and interest in supporting it through their own groups.
Nicky Taylor from the Green Team, a student-led club that hosts environmental events and volunteer efforts, said they would love to support the initiative and are "extraordinarily excited about this."
© Isabelle Tilley
Taylor added that the "Green team believes that all people deserve equitable access to sustainable ways of living. This is just one of many ways our students can have access to the fresh quality food they deserve."
Jenna Rea, Wellness Center Coordinator and organizer of the Pacer Pantry, sees Peace Produce as a valuable opportunity to expand student nutrition beyond nonperishable items. She hopes to collaborate in the future to provide affordable fresh produce—like grab-and-go fruits—so the pantry can serve as a true one-stop shop for students.
Peace Produce extends its operations to immersive learning experiences for a wide range of classes at Peace. Immersive learning is a distinguishing element of Peace's academic approach. Students and faculty alike will be able to visit the facility and participate by helping maintain the farm and keep it thriving.
"Demonstrating its commitments to innovation, social responsibility, and diverse learning –" said Matthew Harvey during the opening speech. "This container shall be a vessel for immersive learning opportunities and span out in many directions. Sociology, business management, education, biological science, to name a few."
The Peace Produce initiative also provides job opportunities for disabled students, particularly those in the special needs community.
Harvey shares a concern that his family, and many others, face surrounding the future of their loved ones, emphasizing the importance of providing accessible food sources to disabled individuals. He writes, "Produce Purpose was founded principally to address these concerns for not only my family but for as many other families as possible."
By partnering with Produce Purpose, a non-profit organization created to address the high rates of unemployment among individuals with special needs, the project equips them with job security in an environment with simple yet rewarding labor.
It also partners with Sodexo, an organization that supplies food services and facilities management, which has an existing partnership with Peace as the university's dining services supplier.
The Peace Produce station is a hydroponic chamber situated near the Pacer Performance Center and softball field, an indoor climate-controlled environment built for growing plants without soil.
In addition to lettuce, the container is also producing fresh basil. Duke Harvey gave a small glimpse of the container to people who may be interested in seeing what is inside and the conditions of the produce.
Harvey explained, "So we actually have four walls, 88 panels. So you can, if you're at full capacity, you can generate between 700 and 900 heads of butter lettuce a week."
The produce is grown to be pesticide-free and free of GMOs, reducing the carbon footprint in the process.
© Isabelle Tilley
The chamber is said to be energy-efficient, using only five gallons of water a day, and economically efficient at only around $1,000 a month, according to Harvey. However, there are downsides to this type of garden.
Harvey explained to the community present about the container on campus "The greatest strengths are also the greatest weaknesses. The greatest strength of this it's a sealed environment, you know, we get to control everything. The greatest weakness is it's a sealed environment, so if any pathogens get in there, they can wipe out the container in a day."
The farm is a sealed environment container, growing produce that is very sensitive to pathogens and any sort of disease that one may carry, so it is best to be sanitized before entering.
The opening of Peace Produce is a heartfelt tribute to Patrick, reminding everyone of the impact one person can have on the lives of others.
Peace Produce now supplies fresh lettuce to Belk Dining Hall and offers students new opportunities for learning and work, marking the start of a partnership aimed at long-term impact on campus and beyond.
Source: The Peace Times
