Go Green Paper

The idea of gathering information to try to get The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast to “Go Green” is motivational. Our idea is to create an organic farm for the Long Beach campus. We know there is already one at the Hattiesburg campus, so we thought it would be great to establish one on the Long Beach campus, also. We have contacted Larry Lee to become informed on the steps we would need to take on the Long Beach campus to get the same outlook on the organic farm down here as the Hattiesburg campus. A great option would be to get one of the students, most likely in Hattiesburg, majoring in Agriculture to use the organic farm as an in-field experience. The student could help run the farm and manage it while other students worked it. We could create a club called “The Organic Farmers.” Students could join to be a part of this wonderful organization. The members of the club would help service the farm. The organic farm would be located on the Long Beach campus and would be open to the general public. Therefore, it would also be an advantage to our local communities. The money the organic farm made from the students, administration, and general public would help the farm pay for itself. One thing that should be addressed is the addition of Citrus trees, plum trees, pears trees, pomegranates and peaches to the master plan as the university plans to go green. Currently at Stanford University, the student body now has a healthy option in their cafeteria. They form the organically grown fruit harvested right on the grounds of the university. This program has been a huge success with staff, as well as, the student body of Stanford. Currently, we are under renovation and the gulf coast campus in addition to the master plan, we should buy fruit trees, instead of palms so we would save money. We could also make it accessable for everyone by having raised beds, block style planting, and bed planting can help all people total access to participate with wide row to give wheelchair access. The raised bed also makes it easy to reach all sides of the garden.Planting in a block style layout will increase yields five fold over traditional row garden and 15 times offer a typical kitchen garden according to Colorado States university web note. (Garden notes #713)
Fruits Should Be Incorporated in landscaping. One thing that should be address is the addition of Citrus tree, plum trees, pears tree, pomegranates and peaches in to the master plan as the University. Currently at Stanford University the student body now has healthy option in their cafeteria form the organically grown fruit harvested right on the grounds of the University. This program has been huge success with staff, as well as, student of Stanford. Currently we are under renovation at the gulf coast campus and in addition to the master plan, we should buy fruit trees instead of palm trees to save money. We would have to make sure that the farmer's market is assessible for everyone including the disabled. Raised beds would be very helpful for making it assessible for everyone. The raised bed also makes it easy to reach all sides of the garden.Planting in a block style layout will increase yields five fold over traditional row garden and 15 times offer a typical kitchen garden according to Colorado States university web note. (Garden notes #713)Growing seasonThe proximity to the Gulf Mexico will allow for 3 harvests a year from each raise bed. The addition of the fruit trees would add a fourth harvest.Cool season, warmseason, and late season would allow us to harvest: beets, beans,lettuce,broccoli,corn,parsnips,cabbage,cucumbers,peasleeks,tomatoes,spinach,onions,watermelon,Swiss chardleeks,squash,onions,peas,peppers, and radishes. According to Mrs. Pat, the head grounds keeper at the university has plenty of area on the gulf coast campus. Final placement would be left up to Dr. Taylor. In my opinion next to pavilion would be a great place to start the farmer's market. Therefore, we could double the size of the farmer's market by having a larger area to work with. We could use containers to start with and then create more by adding to existing locations around doorway a path were some containers currently located.Community BenefitsOne thing all off us in the state of Mississippi should be worried about is our health, the addition of a farm market to the campus sheared with a community of Long Beach and Gulfport would be socially responsible. The public relations aspect could be very good for the university. Today more student are thinking green could be a very powerful recruiting tool in years to come. SustainabilityThe belief that with a little help in funding at the very beginning to get the bed ready and some seeds the market would actually turn a profit. Through work study and volunteers to get it going and growing. The next year this could pay to hire a full time manager, as well as, contribute to a scholarship fund.