GANG and IU SPEA Project - Weekly Blog Update

This spring semester 2010, an Indiana University undergraduate class of 35 students is learning how to design and construct a state-of-the-art compost system for the GANA garden. This class, “E400 Environmental Sustainability,” has been created by Melissa Clark, a lecturer at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Various members of this class have been assigned to write a blog. This week's post(s) follow.

From: Scott Byrne
Date: Fri, Apr 2, 2010 at 12:51 PM
Subject: Weekly Blog Entry

Not to much to report this week. A lot of groups are wrapping up their projects so we should see a lot more happening in the coming weeks. I've copied our blog entry as well as attached it in a word document.

The weathers warming up and a lot of groups are looking forward to seeing the garden in action. With only 5 weeks left in the semester our project and our groups are heating up too. Many of the groups have reported that they are wrapping up their portions of the project and we are looking forward to seeing it come together.

As for some specifics, the budget group has recently been in contact with Bloomingfoods and a lot of environmentally active campus groups to find a source of funding either for this spring or next academic year in the fall. A lot of campus groups have allotted their funding for the year, but would like to help in the future.

In other news, students have been working on contacting other Bloomington neighborhood presidents in order to find out if they have any plans in the works for a community garden. What they’ve found is GANA is a very ambitious and unique project and is something the other groups are now considering if they can find the space and community initiative to pull it off. The closest thing to an additional active garden is McDoel Gardens in the southwest quadrant of Bloomington, which is in the beginning phases of organizing a community garden.

We are also happy to announce that we should have a newsletter soon. It is currently an active rough draft and is being cleaned up before it is released next week. The newsletter will focus on composting methods, benefits and techniques and the GANA garden and the benefits it brings to the community.

-Blog Group