Indiana Wesleyan University’s Alliance Gardens Host Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture Donald Lamb
July 29, 2024 (Marion, IN) – Last Thursday, Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) hosted the Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Donald Lamb, as he visited the Marion campus to tour the Alliance Gardens’ south and north locations, as well as the nearby Green Acres community garden. This tour was guided by IWU professor and head of the Alliance Gardens Dr. Jennifer Noseworthy and featured presentations from six research students. The tour was then followed by a Q&A at the northern Alliance Garden which concluded the afternoon.
The Agriculture Policy Q&A was hosted and moderated by Dr. Matt Kreitzer, a professor in the School of Physical and Applied Sciences and ran from 4:30-5:30 PM. Community partners Ashley Shirley and Kayla Johnson were in attendance, as well as additional student and graduate assistants. One of the primary focuses of the event was to discuss issues regarding affordable food availability in Grant County, an issue both Director Lamb and Dr. Noseworthy feel passionately about.
While the Alliance Gardens already work to combat these issues by making their food available at affordable rates through various farmers’ markets and donations, one additional way the Alliance Gardens will soon serve Grant County is through pop-up produce stands located at local bus stops, which are designed to target community members who lack access to high-quality, fresh vegetable items. These stands will be able to receive SNAP and EBT cards as well as traditional payment. This new initiative will launch in August and is something the Alliance Gardens are greatly excited for. Speaking about it, Dr. Noseworthy stated, “We know we are a food desert, and this initiative makes produce more accessible.”
Speaking to both the visit itself and also the work the Alliance Gardens do, such as these upcoming pop-ups, Dr. Kreitzer said, “This exemplary program embodies IWU’s mission of Christ-centered transformation, shaping undergraduates into World Changers. The Alliance Gardens initiative offers science undergraduates and high school students a hands-on environment where they can apply the scientific method to tangibly engage with and positively impact their community. By using sustainable tools, they are developing community-grounded approaches to improve food access in Marion. Centered around fourteen student fellows engaging the community this summer, witnessing the fruits of this initiative has been a true joy!”
To learn more about the Alliance Gardens, visit alliancegardens.wixsite.com/thealliancegardens.
