Community Gardens : sustainability : Hanover College

Community Gardens

Hanover College Campus Community Garden

The Hanover College Community Garden was established in 2010 with a generous grant from the Rivers Institute. Dr. Ken Bevis was appointed (and remains) the garden manager. In that year, a deer fence was erected around the garden perimeter, a number of planting beds were installed, and three large rainwater harvesting tanks were attached to the adjacent teaching pavilion and old YMCA building. Over the years, and with the aid of numerous student groups, the beds have been converted to more permanent raised beds, and the intervening walkways lined with bricks. Most recently, a water faucet was installed by the Physical Plant. Any student, staff, or faculty member, for a nominal fee of $25.00 annually, can request a 4'x12' plot for their own use (if space is available), the only stipulations being that no artificial fertilizers or pesticides can be used, and the renter must help maintain the garden spaces. For additional information, please contact Dr. Bevis (bevis@hanover.edu).

Dr. Bevis standing between community garden beds

raised beds in community garden

community garden raised beds and greenhouse

Town of Hanover Community Garden

In 2022 a second garden space was initiated as a collaboration with the Town of Hanover. A link can be found here for a Patronicity.com page that raised more than $36,000 for the project.

"The Hanover Community Gardening team is raising funds to establish a public community garden in Hanover, Indiana. Our team wants to provide more than just plants and vegetables. We want to provide gardening and food sustainability education and encourage community connections. To build our community garden, we need to raise money to create the garden infrastructure. We plan to build a pavilion, a community fire pit, raised benches/beds, a mower, gardening tools, a storage building, an art sculpture, and raised vertical gardening items. We will also host events like children's story hour around the campfire, spring bouquet making and programs on how to harvest and preserve vegetables."