On a cold January morning, a group of University of Guelph student volunteers stays warm inside the Bovey Teaching Greenhouse. They're planting cucumbers that they'll harvest and donate to students in need.
These are members of the Gryphon Greenhome Growers, an organization working to grow fresh, healthy produce for students.
"This is a dream come true for me," says Charlene Winchcombe-Forhan, who brought the project to life. Now retired, Winchcombe-Forhan worked as an educational support coordinator in the College of Biological Science.
Gryphon Greenhome Growers, or 3G, gives students the opportunity to develop personal and professional skills while addressing the real problem of food insecurity.
"The more people who are aware of a problem and engaging in a solution, the better the solution will ultimately be," Winchcombe-Forhan explains.
The students she's brought to the team are certainly engaged. Madison Gorthy, a fourth-year environmental sciences student, joined 3G as a way to give back.
"Providing this food can help in a pretty significant way," Gorthy says. "Even though we're not growing their entire grocery haul, we're making a difference."
While developing 3G, Winchcombe-Forhan was inspired by the President's Task Force on Student Mental Health.
"Every student needs proper nutrition in order to thrive," she says.
Increasing need for Guelph Student Food Bank
With a strong focus on agriculture and a greenhouse on campus, U of G is uniquely positioned to make 3G a reality. The volunteers have a dedicated area where they work through every stage of the growing process, from planting seeds, to harvesting and donating the finished products to the Guelph Student Food Bank.
"It's rewarding to see the plant live out its whole life," Gorthy says.
Since the program launched in January 2024, volunteers have grown a bit of everything, including eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, microgreens and basil. Inventory is guided by seed donations and feedback from the food bank.
"We can really tailor donations to student needs," says Alitha Griffith, food bank coordinator. "It helps reduce costs and get access to things we might not be able to provide otherwise."
Griffith says there's been an increase in students accessing the food bank recently, likely driven by inflation and higher grocery costs. The food bank has responded by increasing its capacity to accommodate 252 students.
Most donations are non-perishable, meaning the food bank must buy fresh options. The 3G donations help give students access to a wide variety of nutritious foods.
"We're able to increase capacity and focus on helping more students," Griffith explains. "It's an invaluable resource."
Taste of home for international students
The 3G team works closely with partners across the University to source seeds and bring diverse offerings to food bank users, including basil, which many students from Asia use to make tea, and tomatoes, which are delivered into students' hands about 30 minutes after they're picked from the vine.
"There was one student from the Middle East who said these tomatoes taste like home," Winchcombe-Forhan says.
Charlene Winchcombe-Forhan with some of the produce grown by the Gryphon Greenhome Growers.
It's that feeling of home that inspired Winchcombe-Forhan to call the group the Gryphon Greenhome Growers, rather than Gryphon Greenhouse Growers.
"I want the students getting this food to feel welcomed, cared for, and empowered to succeed," she explains.
Volunteering with 3G also gives students the chance to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom.
"Students bring their interdisciplinary knowledge and skills to the project, and it may even steer them towards a career choice," Winchcombe-Forhan says.
By rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty, students find refuge from the stresses of classes, assignments and exams.
"It can be a form of self-care, being in contact with the soil," Winchcombe-Forhan says.
To date, 3G has donated 344 kilograms (757 lbs) of fresh produce to U of G students.
The 3G team was recently awarded the Ontario Agricultural College Learning Trust Award, which supports the delivery of hands-on learning opportunities for OAC students. The funding from the award will support 3G's efforts through the summer of 2025.
Funding for the Food Security Pilot Project Initiative, including 3G, was contributed by the PepsiCo Foundation with a goal of supporting students, staff and faculty to develop ideas to help address food insecurity on the U of G campus.
