You’ll Dig What Colorado State University Is Doing at Terra Rooftop Garden
Being able to show people the technology behind urban agriculture, how to grow and why we should consume healthy food — that’s what we’re really passionate about,” says Dr. Mengmeng Gu, head of the CSU Agriculture Science Department.
By Candy Petrofsky
Westworld
September 9, 2022
Excerpt:
She’s wrapping up her fourth book. She has a tattoo of a wildflower seed head on her foot. And hundreds of Denver neighbors in need are now reaping what she’s been sowing.
“It’s my dream come true: growing food on a building in a city. Does it get any better than that?” asks Jennifer Bousselot. The assistant professor of urban horticulture and green-roof culture at Colorado State University runs the rooftop garden at Terra, one of CSU’s new buildings in the Spur complex at the National Western Complex.
“One hundred pounds of tomatoes, 48 pounds of cucumbers, 20 pounds of peppers, 16 pounds of eggplants, 10 pounds of basil…. We’ve donated more than 200 pounds of produce to our CSU food pantry partner GrowHaus, with much more to come,” she says. “We may be a mini partner, but we are a mighty one.”
Terra, which highlights agriculture and food systems, opened on the campus in June, joining Vida, which focuses on animal and human health. “We want to engage and enhance the lives of everyone in the Denver metro, especially, and I’m partial to those who get a rise out of gardening,” says Bousselot. “That’s one really fun aspect of my job. This is a great space to learn, grow and thrive.”
