Lamar University breaks ground on South Park Community Garden

Lamar University, in association with Greater South Park Neighborhoods Partnership, has broken ground on the new South Park Community Garden.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Oct. 8.

“This new garden is important, firstly, because it brings the community together,” Lamar Green Squad President Deep Narula said. “Secondly, there’s a huge demand for fresh food in this area. It is imperative that we add more fruits, vegetables and healthy foods into our everyday diets, and more people need to know how to grow them.”

After the groundbreaking ceremony, volunteers worked to build and fill raised beds, and spread soil and mulch.

“Kids from a young age need to learn about how fruits and veggies grow: knowing how their food gets from the ground to their plate is very important for their understanding of food and nutrition,” Narula said. “When we know that process, we can be conscious about our food and food choices, and help with poverty reduction. All members of the local community are welcome to ‘adopt’ a plot and garden it as long as they take care of it -- we want people to have free access to fresh produce in an area where affordable produce is scarce.”