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Education opportunities abound from garden on roof of Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center at Auburn University

Students and faculty played a major role in the initial planting of the garden on the Walt and Ginger Woltosz Rooftop Terrace, located on top of the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center at Auburn University. The 4,400-square-foot garden is visited daily by students and faculty who ensure the space is not only beautiful but functional for the culinary laboratories and teaching restaurant, 1856 – Culinary Residence, below.

Mackenzie Pennington is one of the master’s students under Daniel Wells, associate professor of horticulture. Her thesis is on the rooftop garden, trialing different fertilizer methods.

AUBURN, Ala.,
Dec. 16, 2022
PRNewswire

Excerpt:

“Urban and rooftop ‘farming’ is a new frontier, and Auburn is on the forefront,” he said. “My hope is that we will write the first textbook, host the first national conference, and be the ‘go-to’ place for others to learn. This relationship with the College of Human Sciences is special, and one that we intend to grow in the future.”

Starting from seed
The initial collaboration between human sciences and agriculture started about a year ago when Paul Patterson, dean of the College of Agriculture, and Layne were invited to meet with Hubbard; Martin O’Neill, head of the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management; and Hans van der Reijden, founder and CEO of Ithaka Hospitality Partners, the hospitality management company behind The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center and the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center.

“It was always our intention to engage with the College of Agriculture on this initiative, and we were delighted when the proposal was received as enthusiastically as it was. Dean Patterson and Dr. Layne saw the potential immediately and responded in excellent fashion,” said O’Neill “Further, it represents a perfect multidisciplinary union between both educational units on the farm-to-table concept, a union that will benefit students and the community.”

The arrangement was for the two colleges to develop and manage a garden on the roof of the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, which, at the time, was under construction. The garden’s produce would be used six floors below in the cutting-edge culinary laboratories and in 1856 – Culinary Residence, the center’s teaching restaurant.

“How many aspiring chefs at other schools are going to know that experience, are going to know about the growing process?” asked O’Neill. “There are few schools that have that type of engagement, let alone a rooftop garden that serves an entire building. It’s inspiring to me, to be honest.”

Read the complete article here.