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UMass Lowell: New Rooftop Garden More Than a Pretty View

“Students are having a very hard time mentally right now, so I think this will be a good place to come and relax.”

By Ed Brennen
UMass Lowell
06/09/2021

Excerpt:

Besides herbs such as basil, cilantro, thyme, rosemary and lavender, the new rooftop garden includes flowers such as echinacea, nasturtium and a “feed the bees” wildflower mix. Because the rooftop should be less susceptible to pests and weeds, Mill City Grows Asst. Farm Manager Maddie Grant says they will also use the space to experiment with crops such as corn, flax, safflower, sorghum and adzuki beans.

Some of the crops won’t be harvested for food, but rather for their seeds. Ali Jacobs, director of programs for Mill City Grows, says that “seed saving” is an important way to grow rare or endangered crops — especially those that are popular with Lowell’s immigrant communities.

“People will talk about food from their home that might not be widely available here, and maybe the seeds are expensive,” she says, citing the Middle Eastern herb za’atar as an example. “If we propagate our own populations of them, we can help indigenous and immigrant folks propagate their own seeds of their own plants. You help people reconnect with food.”
A tractor lifts garden containers onto the O’Leary terracePhoto by Ed Brennen
An excavator lifts milk crates filled with compost onto the rooftop terrace at O’Leary.

O’Mahony says produce from the garden could be used in the university’s Farm Share Program once it’s back up and running, as well as at the nearby South Campus Dining Commons.

Read the complete article here.