Fruit Tree and Bush Donation to Benefit College, Community

DECATUR, Ga.—Cianna Varner, an education pathway student at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College, spent part of her spring break digging in the dirt and planting for the future.

Varner, several other students, faculty and staff joined in a collaborative effort between Perimeter and Food Well Alliance to plant fruit trees at the college’s Decatur Campus Community Garden.

They planted five apple trees just beyond the garden’s fence, as well as four blueberry bushes and one fig tree—all donated by the alliance, which also awarded the college with a $1,500 Garden Improvement Grant.

Perimeter College student Nicole Cunill plants an apple tree at the campus' Community Garden.

Robby Astrove, a Food Well consultant, fruit tree arborist and environmental educator, explained the project’s overarching goals.

“Certainly, food access is at the top of the list,” he said, noting that the area surrounding Decatur Campus is a designated food desert.

“It’s also a community building project, so when we come to a place like this—a  community garden—and work with the university who then calls out the community; we’re gonna get students, we’re gonna get faculty and it’s an education opportunity.”

Varner planted one of the apple trees with Astrove teaching her how to prepare the hole and mulch the sapling. It was her first time planting a tree, which she enthusiastically showed her mom over facetime.

“I’m excited to go home and plant in my beds now,” the 23-year-old said.

Varner, a Perimeter College work study student, is among others who assist with maintaining the garden alongside advisor Susannah Lomant, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at Perimeter.

Lomant describes the community garden as an ongoing educational tool for students like Varner. She said the Food Well tree donation and grant mean that the garden can expand and offer a more diverse bounty to organizations like Georgia State’s Panther Pantry, which feeds students in need.

The Decatur Campus Community Garden started in 2011 as an outdoor classroom for students to plant and harvest fruits, vegetables and herbs for the benefit of local nonprofits. Each year, the 9,000-square-foot garden yields 1,000 pounds of food, including blueberries, chili peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes and rosemary. Volunteer opportunities are available to local residents, as well as university students, faculty and staff, to weed, mulch and water plots in exchange for produce. Area residents and the Georgia State community also are welcome to stake a plot and grow their own favorites.

It will be 3-5 years before the trees planted by Varner and others yield fruit. Lomant said the harvest is only part of the benefit.

"Sure, we'll be happy when the trees bear fruit," Lomant said.

"But today's volunteer day also reminds us how to build community with an eye toward the future in terms of access to health and fresh foods for our college community and beyond."

Story by Kysa Anderson Daniels

Photo by Bill Roa

Photo cutline: Food Well Alliance arborist and educator Robby Astrove instructs Perimeter College students and staff on planting fruit trees. Also shown, left to right, are Darryl Page, college staff member and students Nicole Cunill and Cianna Varner.