MSR Garden Ready for Summer Harvest (and Volunteers!)

Signage and apparel throughout campus may be adorned in “BU Red,” but the Medical Student Residence garden is blossoming with green(s).

With help from Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Doug Hughes, MD, students enjoyed a preview of the summer sun on Thursday, June 1. They planted an assortment of greens and vegetables, including beefsteak and cherry tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, cilantro, basil, cucumbers and eggplant.

Will Mckeen, a postgraduate student and member of the Student Nutrition Awareness and Action Council (SNAAC), has taken the garden on as his primary project. “I grew up in a semi-rural area in Southern Oregon with no shortage of farms and orchards, so I had been wondering how feasible it would be to grow my own garden in a large city,” he said.

The goal of the garden is to enable students to cook and eat what is grown. Students are encouraged to visit and help harvest throughout the summer. If the plants/vegetables are not used, Mckeen will donate them to a local food bank. Plans for more vegetable variety and more gardening events are in the works.

Mckeen and SNAAC are looking for student volunteers to help water the plants on a regular basis. If you are interested, email Will for more information.