This summer, Augustana’s student-run garden flourished with the help of new student interns, growing almost 800 pounds of produce. While Augie Acres has had interns in the past, the campus garden was able to double its summer staff numbers from two to four.
Everything in the garden is grown organically and given back to students on campus, as well as other organizations in the Quad City area.
The garden produces a variety of crops throughout the growing season. From staples like peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, corn, cucumbers and zucchini, to specialty items like herbs, cantaloupes, beans, flowers, raspberries, cherries and plums.
“The hardest part about the summers before the internship was keeping everything watered, weeded, just general upkeep,” said senior Tom Gruber, Augie Acres composting coordinator.
This summer proved to be one of the most successful seasons for Augie Acres since the COVID-19 pandemic. The club grew over 760 pounds of produce which they donated to various organizations and sold at the Quad Cities Farmer’s Market.
Senior Ian Empen, president of Augie Acres, served as one of the four interns this summer. Reflecting on the opportunities of the summer program, he described the charitable acts that became their primary focus during the quieter campus months.
“We were harvesting the produce and donating it, since there weren’t a lot of students around,” Empen said. “We donated to places like the Palomares Social Justice Center, Nest Cafe and some homeless shelters. That was our biggest task this summer, keeping track of all of that.”
Beyond the impressive harvest, the interns also enhanced the garden with a new equipment shed, additional raised wooden beds and an improved composting container for the club’s composting system. These improvements complement existing features designed to make the space more welcoming to the campus community.
“We built picnic benches last year and we have solar-powered string lights, that way if any students walk by at night it’s not just a dark alley, and they can actually go sit there,” Gruber said.
These students have transformed the area into a gathering place where others can relax, learn and share their resources.
“We also added a Little Free Library at the front of the garden with books that people can take. Lots of projects like that, where we constructed things for the garden that will last awhile,” Empen said.
Students have made many of the garden’s improvements themselves. Doing the work by hand saves money and also teaches students useful building and project skills.
While the intern program provided dedicated summer care, the garden’s success also depends on committed members, like senior Alex Sell, throughout the academic year. As one of the club’s co-groundskeepers, Sell handles essential maintenance tasks like mowing and setting up for work days when students are on campus.
“One of the biggest goals we have is to make Augie Acres more of a space to hang out,” Sell said.
The organization also benefits from partnerships across campus, such as those with Greek groups. Students from these organizations regularly attend work days to help maintain the garden.
As Augie Acres continues to grow and evolve, the organization represents more than just a student garden. It’s become a space involved with community engagement and hands-on learning. With the success of this summer’s intern program and ongoing support from campus partners, the garden will continue to expand its impact both on campus and throughout the Quad Cities.