Frederick and Ophelia Tate Ogier Gardens

Nourishing Bodies, Minds and Spirits

The Frederick and Ophelia Tate Ogier Gardens is the epicenter of innovative environmental and public health programming. Located on an acre, these organic gardens feature row crops, a wide variety of fruit trees, raised vegetable beds, and peaceful sitting areas for students to relax.

Mission

The mission of the UNF Ogier Gardens is to create a healthier UNF community through nature contact while growing crops and social connections, demonstrating sustainability and biodiversity, as well as nourishing people with local, fresh, and delicious food.

The Ogier Gardens' programs educate about nutrition, as well as the linkages between environmental, mental, and public health. Through the "Healthy Osprey Initiative," Recreation and Wellness champions a healthy lifestyle and improves student retention. The Ogier Gardens embodies this initiative in multiple ways. The Gardens produce organic herbs, vegetables, fruits, sprouts, and mushrooms all year, also exposing the public to uncommon vegetables that are easy to grow and consume. Through a myriad of volunteer opportunities, workshops, and special events, students are introduced to how food is grown from seed to harvest, and they are encouraged to choose nutritious diets composed of organic, local, and seasonal foods.

Students can "Adopt-A-Bed," which gives them the opportunity to experiment growing their own food at no additional cost. Produce cultivated by student staff is given away to students and volunteers. Most of the produce grown in the Ogier Gardens is distributed through our on-campus food pantry, the Lend-A-Wing. This addresses student food insecurity by providing fresh produce. Produce is also used for cooking workshops and demonstrations to strengthen our student's healthy life skills.

History

The seed for what has become the Ogier Gardens began as a student initiative in 2009 with a small but diverse garden located on a little parcel of land on the west side of campus. The "Osprey Garden" was originally managed by Campus Recreation and exclusively emphasized organic methods with a focus on environmental impacts and sustainability. This tradition continues. Due to phenomenal interest from UNF students and staff as well as financial support from alumnus Bruce Ogier, the garden grew exponentially in 2012, when it was relocated to its present location and renamed "The Frederick and Ophelia Tate Ogier Gardens." Moving towards a demonstration site for agroecology, the Ogier Gardens collects water in rain barrels, composts, and educates on the importance of sustainability, biodiversity, local foods, and social justice in the food system.

Slow Food UNF Chapter

Join UNF's very own Slow Food Chapter! Slow food is all about the transformation in the production, consumption, and even how we enjoy the food that we eat. At the Ogier Gardens we are living by their core values of good, clean, and fair foods for all! UNF's Slow Food Chapter hosts a Potluck in the Ogier Gardens once a month, this date can be found on the UNF Calendar, the Ogier Garden Facebook or Ogier Garden Instagram, or on UNF Slow Food Instagram. By joining UNF's chapter of Slow Food you will be able to see how the community as a whole is starting to implement new practices. Members will be able to experience firsthand how farmers are changing their practices, the best way to purchase produce, and even start engaging in the community with volunteer opportunities. If you would like more information or to join the club, contact slowfoodunf@gmail.com or log into Perch Portal and look up Slow Food UNF in the search bar!