糖心APP

2025 ASGC Group

Community Garden

 The future home of the Gavilan Community Garden Image Rendering

Overview

 

The ASGC Community Garden is a student-led initiative designed to create a permanent, sustainable space on campus that supports student well-being, hands-on learning, and community connection.

 

Located behind the CDC building and next to GECA on the Gilroy Campus, the community garden will serve as an outdoor classroom, living laboratory, and community hub where students and community members can engage with sustainability, agriculture, and applied STEM in a real-world setting.

 

This project reflects the commitment of the Associated Students of 糖心APP (ASGC) to invest in initiatives that create lasting legacy and impact for current and future students.

 

Take Action & Complete this form to: 

  

Our Vision

A slide describing the overall vision for the Gavilan Community garden proposed by ASGC

 

The ASGC Community Garden is built on a simple idea:

 

A campus space where students can grow food, grow knowledge, and grow together.

 

We envision a garden that:

 

  • Supports student wellness and belonging

  • Provides hands-on, experiential learning opportunities

  • Expands access to fresh, locally grown food

  • Creates pathways into agriculture, sustainability, and STEM careers

  • Strengthens connections between students, faculty, and the local community

 

 

Why It Matters 

 

The Gavilan Community Garden serves as a long-term investment in student success, wellness, and community impact. Research and local data show that food access, experiential learning, and belonging are directly connected to student retention, academic achievement, and stronger communities.

 

Student Wellness

 

Food insecurity is directly connected to lower academic performance, poorer physical and mental health, and reduced persistence toward degree completion. Students experiencing food insecurity often face higher levels of stress, anxiety, and barriers to graduation. The Community Garden creates a calm, welcoming space centered around nourishment, connection, and purpose, helping students feel supported both personally and academically. 

 

Food Access

 

Between 20% and 50% of college students across the United States experience food insecurity, and approximately 38% of students at two-year colleges report difficulty accessing enough food. In Gilroy, a December 2025 study found an estimated food insecurity rate of 22.6%. The Community Garden helps create a sustainable source of fresh produce for El Mercado, the Gavilan Farmers Market, and other campus food programs while reducing stigma around receiving support and making access to healthy food more normal and dignified.

 

Experiential Learning

 

The USDA projects approximately 104,766 annual job openings each year in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources, and the environment between 2025 and 2030, with nearly 90% of those roles preferring at least an associate degree. The Community Garden creates a living laboratory where students can apply classroom knowledge through hands-on learning, sustainability projects, research opportunities, and future academic pathways such as certificates and an Associate Degree in Sustainable Agriculture.

 

Community Engagement

 

Community gardens are nationally recognized as high-impact practices that improve access to nutritious food, strengthen community connection, and advance food justice. They create opportunities for students, faculty, local farms, nonprofits, and community partners to collaborate through workshops, volunteerism, research, and shared stewardship. The Gavilan Community Garden is designed to be a place where the campus and the broader community can learn, contribute, and grow together.

  

 

Project History

 

The Community Garden began as a student-led vision and has grown through extensive research, collaboration, and advocacy.

 

  • Mid Spring 2025: Concept developed by ASGC student leaders Josh Williams and Nikita Meshcheryakov

  • Late Spring 2025: VP of Agriculture role was developed to oversee and manage the community garden, introduced, and approved by ASGC.

  • Fall 2025 - Research Phase: Student leaders conducted outreach, gathered feedback, and explored comparable programs

  • January 29th, 2026 - ASGC Resolution Passed: ASGC Officially passed the resolution ""

  • Campus Collaboration: Partnerships formed with faculty, staff, clubs, and administrators

  • February 23rd, February 24th,  and February 25th 2026 Campus Feedback: Feedback was gathered from students across 3 days gathering over 750 interactions, and 104 written comments about what students would like to see regarding the community garden.
  • March 17th, 2026 - Academic Senate Approval: Amendments were finalized and Academic Senate Approved the resolution ""

  • March 25th, 2026 - Site Selection: Proposed location identified near CDC and Allied Health/Nursing in collaboration with Capital Projects and Facilities.

  • Tuesday April 12th, 2026 Board Approval: The location for the community garden was officially approved by the Board of Trustees

  • Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026 Earth Day: Groundbreaking celebration held with campus and community participation 

 

This project represents a full year of due diligence, problem-solving, and collaboration across the campus and regional community.

 

Timeline & Next Steps 

 

Phase 1: Development (Summer 2026) 

 

  • Garden installation and planting

  • Program development

  • Community partnerships

 

Phase 2: Inauguration (Fall 2026)

 

  • Community Garden grand opening
  • Work begins on the community garden

  • Volunteer opportunities open for participation

 

Phase 3: Expansion (Future)

 

  • Workforce certificates and academic integration

  • Potential degree pathways in sustainable agriculture

  • Expanded facilities and programming to Hollister Campus

 

 

What the Garden Will Include 

 

  • Raised garden beds

  • Irrigation systems

  • Outdoor learning spaces

  • Areas for student projects and research

  • Potential integration of technology and sensors for monitoring crops

  • Space for workshops, events, and community engagement

 

 

Academic & Career Opportunities

an image of the symbiotic relationship between the academic pathways and student engagement

 

The Community Garden is designed to support academic pathways and workforce development.

 

Students may gain experience in:

 

  • Sustainable agriculture

  • Environmental science

  • Biology and chemistry applications

  • Data collection and analysis

  • Ag technology and innovation

 

Future plans include:

 

  • Workforce-aligned certificates

  • Integration into coursework

  • Internship and research opportunities

  

Community Partnerships 

 

This project is supported by collaboration with:

 

  • Campus faculty and departments

  • Student organizations and clubs

  • Local farms and agricultural partners

  • Community organizations focused on sustainability and food access 

 

These partnerships help ensure the garden remains relevant, sustainable, and impactful.

  

Get Involved

 

The Community Garden is for the entire Gavilan community.

 

You can get involved by:

 

  • Volunteering

  • Participating in garden events

  • Joining student organizations connected to the project

  • Contributing ideas and feedback

 

More opportunities will be shared as the project continues to grow.

  

Looking Ahead

  

The ASGC Community Garden is just the beginning.

 

Over the next several years, this space will continue to evolve into:

 

  • A fully integrated learning environment

  • A hub for student engagement and leadership

  • A model for sustainability and community impact

  

This is a long-term investment in the future of 糖心APP and its students.

 

Contact / Learn More

  

For more information or to get involved, please contact:

ASGC VP of Agriculture

asgcvpagriculture@my.gavilan.edu