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<\/p>\nLast fall, 126 USC Upstate students spent 185 hours serving in the campus Food Forest, helping to care for a space where Spartans can grow food, connect with one another, and enjoy a little bit of nature right on campus.<\/p>\n
Located just down the curve from the corner of Valley Falls Road and University Way, the Food Forest is filled with fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, and trees. Tomatoes, okra, watermelon, thyme, peppers, and much more grow throughout the space. All members of the local community are welcome to visit and pick fresh, organically grown produce and herbs.<\/p>\n
But the Food Forest is more than a place to grow food. Umbrella-covered tables, charging stations, a seed library, and walkways surrounded by plants make it a place where students can study, relax, or spend time with friends. Its flowers and trees also provide habitat for pollinators and create a peaceful green space on campus.<\/p>\n
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The Food Forest itself is a product of community effort. Made possible through the work of Amanda Karls, a grant from the South Carolina Forestry Commission, and the contributions of hundreds of USC Upstate students, the Food Forest opened in April 2025.<\/p>\n
That community involvement has continued. Students in courses ranging from biology to writing continue to contribute to planting, weeding, and pollinator monitoring projects in the Food Forest. Their work helps sustain a resource that the entire community can enjoy.<\/p>\n
Whether you come to harvest a tomato, study under an umbrella, look for pollinators among the flowers, or lend a hand caring for the garden, the Food Forest offers another way for Spartans to connect service, community, and campus life.<\/p>\n
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