Who We Are?

Gumbo Garden is an initiative housed under the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Social Justice and Inclusion. The garden is staffed by members of the Xavier community and is run solely by volunteers, both Xavierittes and external community members.

Data and Impact

The Gumbo Garden supports 1,800 volunteers annually. Below are pounds of produce by year disseminated within the Gert Town community.

500

2021

1.3K

2022

1.8K

2023

2.5k

Plans in 2024

Vision

We envision a world where sustainable food sources are available to anyone who desires them.

"Food insecurity is not knowing where your next meal is coming from, imagine if you can, what that must feel like." - Vice President of Student Affairs, Curtis Wright

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Supporting our communities through vaccine education and equity

Mission

The mission of Gumbo Garden is to provide space for community members to grow sustainable food, discuss social justice issues, and reconnect with the land and self.

The mission of Gumbo Garden is to provide space for community members to gather in unison to grow sustainable food, address social justice issues, and reconnect with themselves and the land.

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Gumbo Garden is a community initiative housed in Xavier University of Louisiana's Office of Social Justice and Inclusion. This initiative is a community initiative to promote sustainable food sources, community building, and social justice issues, including but not limited to food justice, environmental justice, health justice, and equity in our food systems.

Gumbo Garden is where we bring people from different backgrounds to create a more just and sustainable food system. In our garden, we work collaboratively to grow food, educate, and build power that evokes personal, social, and environmental change.

Gumbo Garden allows community members to learn and grow in a low-stakes environment. The low-stakes domain provides an escape where our garden becomes a therapeutic oasis that becomes comforting and liberating.

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NEWS

Xavier University brings back Gumbo Garden; Offering free vegetables to students and community

Some exciting news from Xavier University. Students have reopened their Gumbo Garden. Feeding their community, while learning a lesson or two about health and nutrition.

It is an initiative started by students during the pandemic. Students are growing and giving away all types of vegetables to help educate the community about eating healthy........ (read the article from WDSU here)

Values

Food Justice-we shape a just and humane food system that community members genuinely control.

In practice: Community members volunteer their time and make decisions about produce grown in the garden. The garden is accessible to community members to harvest produce every Saturday in exchange to volunteer time. Volunteers will also harvest produce to be disseminated at local soup kitchens and Vincent's Vault (Xavier's on-campus food pantry).

Sustainability- we maintain our garden beds to ensure long-term productivity.

In practice: Garden volunteers help to increase soil fertility through sustainable practices such as composting, on-site worm beds, and soil amendments.

Multiculturalism and Inclusion- We learn and work together across multiple diversity spectrums. We create a space where normative social hierarchy within our food system does not thrive. No matter their experience with farming or gardening, every member can succeed.

In practice: Experience is not needed to volunteer in the garden, and we invite community members from across the city to participate in gardening activities.

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Love of Land - we care for the land by practicing sustainable gardening practices that enrich the land that gives to us. Using organically sourced and verified products, we value the soil, plants, water, and animals that engage in Gumbo Garden's ecosystem.

In practice: Before the growing, over 250 hours were dedicated to removing toxic soil, debris, and other environmentally hazardous materials. Intentionally, we decided to grow when soil levels were above safety standards. This work included moving soil and introducing new soil to the land.

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Community Building through Civic Engagement - we are committed to building positive relationships through collective action with our community partners. We partner with community organizations to help impact a more extensive system outside our community.

In practice: We know true justice can only happen alongside and with the people. That's why we partner with community organizations to bring community members to the space to ensure their voices are at the forefront of the work.

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