Read about the Learning Garden’s history, philosophy, ongoing projects, and how to get involved
By Rye Butler-Corbett
Known for its creative approach to gardening and contributions to both the culinary program and the Titan food pantry, the Learning Garden has been around for 19 years. Tucked away in the Southwest corner of LCC’s campus is where students and staff alike can get away from the stress of school, build community and volunteer.
The Garden has been a part of LCC since 2006, when student Brendan Lynch made it his independent project to start a garden.
Lynch was a part of the sustainability department for SOLAR. With support from the college student government and faculty, the garden was started.
19 years later, Andrea Mull is the Learning Garden Specialist. The garden is paid for by the student funds, and its goals are described by Mull as being “student led” including “student directed opportunity for students.”
While some classes incorporate time in the learning garden into their curriculum, there are no formal gardening classes taught at the learning garden. Both students and staff can show up and volunteer.
It’s not teaching like you experience in classrooms, according to Mull.
“You learn by coming and working with me. And when you work with me, I will expose the person to all different kinds of modalities of gardening,” she adds.
Mull emphasizes the “Learning” in “Learning Garden,” and elaborates on the many gardening approaches practiced in the garden.
“We have hugelkultur (a German word meaning ‘hill culture’), we have bioswales, we have diverse annual perennial crops. I’m working on a food forest and we have an orchard,” she says.
The Learning Garden is reliant on students for their help and input. “People don’t have to have a lot of experience with gardening. They just need to have a lot of excitement or energy or willingness to get down in the dirt,” Mull says.
“And you’ll learn with me (…) I’m going to tell you about the crops and the soil and what I’m doing and why I’m doing it,” she says.
The harvest is primarily shared with the culinary arts and baking program at Lane. Mull delivers them food once a week based on their needs and the garden’s ability to provide it.
Mull highlights the importance of the students having access to the garden’s harvest, “These are our future chefs that are learning how to feed people and learning what it means to have local produce and local crops and food,” she says.
“Given the soil, and the lack of help, and that everyone is back on campus… I’m not going to have food for everybody,” Mull says. “That’s why I’m focusing on the culinary arts; because I feel it is a very dedicated group to students who are learning.”
According to Harli Crossman, president of the horticulture club; the Learning Garden is funded by the student activity fee, whereas the club is funded by the student clubs and activities committee.
Once all the mandatory fees have been paid, the Learning Garden has a tight budget of about $1,000-$1,500 for the year.
If the garden was funded by the general fund rather than the SAF, it would allow more opportunities for students to have paid positions working in the garden, according to one source who asked to remain anonymous.
In terms of ongoing projects; the garden has many.
With a grant from OEBB, “We have a riparian restoration project happening with Russell Creek,” Mull says.
Crossman has a lot of experience doing restoration work, and seems eager to support Mull in this endeavor.
The bioswale is also being re-done and revitalized. For anyone wondering, bioswales are “landscape features that collect polluted stormwater runoff, soak it into the ground, and filter out pollution,” according to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.
“Riparian” is defined by Merriam Webster as “things that live alongside a river.”
Beyond the projects, gardens already require a lot of maintenance. “I’m always asking for involvement from people,” Mull says.
It’s time to put on some gloves and get down in the dirt! For anyone who is curious and wants to participate, volunteering in the garden happens from 12 to 2pm on Wednesdays until June 11.
For more information on work parties and workshops, or to get on the email list, reach out to Andrea Mull via learninggarden@lanecc.edu.
