Janell Balmaceda uses a pitchfork to spread mulch over the walkways that weave between the garden rows below Thorrington Field. Student intern Peter Schramm 鈥�25 hammers together pieces from several wooden pallets to create new compost bins. This spring, the 蜜桃传媒 garden is flourishing again, thanks in large part to Balmaceda, 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 new sustainability coordinator and garden manager. A team of student volunteers began planting vegetables in March, which the Dining Commons served at the end of the semester. After some repairs, the chicken coop houses egg-laying hens.
Balmaceda, who is completing her master鈥檚 degree in conservation science at the University of Minnesota, oversees rows 11-20 in the garden. Rows 1-10 remain for faculty families, such as Andrew Mullen, Barbara Pointer and Amanda Sparkman, who have maintained the northern section of the garden for years. 鈥淚t鈥檚 because of them the garden is still alive,鈥� Balmaceda says. 鈥淚 value them.鈥�
She is brainstorming new initiatives and connecting with students and faculty to make 蜜桃传媒 more environmentally friendly. 鈥淩ight now, we鈥檙e focusing on sustainability in our food,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n partnership with Bon App茅tit, our food service, we鈥檙e planning panel discussions, a cooking class in the Global Leadership Center, and connecting with student life and academics to holistically approach food sustainability on campus.鈥�
Just days before, students in Professor Sarah Johnson鈥檚 nutritional biology lab planted their own row of greens in the garden. Balmaceda hopes to reintroduce promotions like Farm-Fresh Fridays, when all the vegetables in the D.C. salad bar come from the garden, and a smoothie bar using healthy produce from the garden.
Balmaceda鈥檚 position, funded through a grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation and 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 Office of the President, includes coordinating . In her administrative role, she has assisted with travel arrangements for about 30 students from 10 different members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) to attend the summer workshop.
鈥淲e knew we needed a big personality, somebody who metaphorically and literally wants to get their hands dirty, to dig into this new position and work with lots of different people on campus,鈥� says Eileen McQuade, associate dean of faculty. 鈥淛anelle is a godsend and a great fit for this role.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e always dreamed of bringing together science and my faith, because my faith informs everything I do,鈥� Balmaceda says. 鈥淲orking at a Christian college is incredible. 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 location is absolutely gorgeous and stunning 鈥� it鈥檚 a great place to show other Christian colleges how to use a community garden to engage people and to work toward sustainability.
鈥淥ur foundation is scripture. The work we鈥檙e doing here prepares us for Jesus鈥� return. He鈥檒l be the lead restoration ecologist, and heaven and earth will become one with all things made new through and by and for Christ.鈥�