Sprout was founded in 2004 when a group of students, led by Alaya Morning '06, and beloved former Grounds Manager, Jim Luce, started growing food in the lawn outside Earth House. Flash forward 15 years and Sprout has become one of the College's essential organs. It relocated to the center of campus in 2012, and has since expanded to cover half an acre of land. The Sprout Community today consists of a student-run gardening club and an academically integrated farm space that share tools, volunteers, and goals.
Sprout is a cohesive and shared community that provides social and educational spaces in which students can practice gardening and gain hands-on experience with sustainable, small-scale agriculture. We strive to build community and empower individuals by planting, growing, and eating ethically produced food.
The goals of the Sprout Garden are to:
-
Build community around food by providing opportunities for hands-on growing to individuals on campus and in the greater New London area
-
Provide experiential education in small-scale agriculture and local food systems for students, faculty, and staff by cultivating land and producing food together
-
Actualize the College’s commitment to sustainability by minimizing the College’s food-footprint and increasing New London’s local food resilience
In Sprout we’re always excited to welcome visitors, please come by and grow with us!