The McMaster Community Garden (MCG) is a welcoming garden space where students in need of nutritious food can easily access fresh produce, educational cooking resources, and the therapeutic benefits of gardening. The MCG is a community hub for hands-on gardening opportunities, with two on-campus locations, including an accessible garden.
Rising costs of living are making healthy and affordable food choices increasingly inaccessible to students. In 2023, nearly 30% of post-secondary students in Canada experienced food insecurity, which is higher than the population-wide national average (Phillips et. al, 2018). As part of the 2021 Student Food Experience Survey Report, 59.1% of McMaster students were found to face food insecurity (Meal Exchange, 2021).
Community gardens have been shown to help mitigate costs and increase accessibility to nutritious foods (University of Tennessee Extension, 2021). Additionally, the benefits of community-based gardening projects extend beyond food-security. It can support mental and physical wellbeing, provide opportunities to build meaningful connections, and help deepen connections to nature (Carney et. al., 2012). The MCG’s mission is to help reduce barriers to healthy food and promote food literacy for members of the McMaster community.
“Volunteering in the garden has been a source of joy and purpose throughout my past two years of undergrad. The garden seems small from the outside, but feels so much larger once you’re inside. It is packed with plants, wildlife, and wonderful people. I’ve been grateful to practice food justice and reciprocal relationships with the land alongside a community that has become like family. – Julia, Undergraduate Volunteer
The MCG first started as a teaching and learning garden in 2012. Students and staff collaborated to build a 1000-square-foot garden space across from The Phoenix Bar and Grill on campus.
In 2017, Mac Farm Stand (a former MSU service), Mac Bread Bin (now the Food Collective Centre) and the Student Wellness Centre worked together to offer cooking programs for students through the garden. Later that year, the group began working with Facility Services to provide open garden programming through container gardening initiatives and at the current garden site.
Throughout 2018 and 2019, the garden hosted weekly garden meet-ups, provided food for student programs, and supplied low- or no-cost produce through Mac Farm Stand. In 2020, the garden adapted its operations to offer small, contactless pickups throughout the spring and summer months.
In 2021, two undergraduate students who were passionate about addressing food insecurity on campus established the spaces as the MCG. With financial support from OPIRG McMaster, they hired part-time summer staff and organized a team of student volunteers to transform the garden into a student-led food security program that provided fresh, free produce to the McMaster community.
During this time, Community Garden staff collaborated with Campus Accessibility Services to design and build a new accessible garden in 2023, which is located behind the Burke Science Building (BSB). The new garden features raised beds at two different heights, wheelchair-accessible pathways and seating, as well as a variety of ergonomic gardening tools and equipment.
In Summer 2025, OPRIG and the Student Wellness Centre partnered to jointly operate the garden. Beginning in 2026, the Student Wellness Centre will fully manage garden operations, while continuing to collaborate with students and campus groups to provide a welcoming space for connection, support campus food programs, and create opportunities for learning and engagement.
Photo Credits: Anna Weinburg (@aiw_photography)
“I’ve loved getting to know the other student, faculty, and staff volunteers, and being connected to everyone through what we’re growing and building in the garden…As someone who grew up being shown love and care through homemade food and was raised next to a garden, it’s important to me that food systems are relational and just, as well as sustainable and nutrition-based.” – Naia, Undergraduate Volunteer
Over the years, the garden has served as a source of local food as well as a point of connection for cooking programs, food banks, farm stands, and programs at McMaster Children’s Hospital. The garden has also supported a variety of volunteer opportunities, including weekly shifts, workshops, community events, such as the Hamilton Farm Crawl, and more. In addition to its roots as an independent project within the Integrated Science program, the garden has also been incorporated in INSPIRE and SUSTAIN course offerings.
“Working at the garden has been one of my favourite parts of my time at McMaster. It’s become such a valuable part of my routine. I love getting outside, watching our plants grow, and meeting so many great people every volunteer shift. Getting out in the garden somehow always improves my mood. It feels good to know that this program that has had such a positive impact on me is also directly contributing to positive and tangible change on campus.” -Olivia, Coordinator
References
Carney PA, Hamada JL, Rdesinski R, Sprager L, Nichols KR, Liu BY, Pelayo J, Sanchez MA, Shannon J. Impact of a community gardening project on vegetable intake, food security and family relationships: a community-based participatory research study. J Community Health. 2012 Aug;37(4):874-81. doi: 10.1007/s10900-011-9522-z. PMID: 22194063; PMCID: PMC3661291.
Meal Exchange. (2021). 2021 National Student Food Insecurity Report. Retrieved from: www.mealexchange.com/resources
Phillips, E., McDaniel, A., & Croft, A. (2018). Food Insecurity and Academic Disruption Among College Students. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 55(4), 353–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2018.1470003
University of Tennessee Extension. (2021). Addressing food insecurity: Expanding access through community gardens (Publication No. W 1021-D). University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W1021-D.pdf