UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Born of boxing parlance, the phrase "punching above their weight" has evolved to describe when someone or something performs above expectations. Two years into its existence, the Schreyer Pocket Garden can be safely positioned within that category. 

Founded in 2022, the garden is located in the courtyard outside of Simmons Hall facing McKean Road and features four raised garden beds where a variety of fruits and vegetables grow. Along with its crops, the Schreyer Pocket Garden has helped a community of volunteers and organizations flourish as they collectively work to help University Park students in need by providing low- or no-cost produce. Their efforts have resulted in an annual average of more than 200 pounds of produce given away to nonprofits on campus and in State College. 

Vancie Peacock, a Schreyer Scholar and agricultural engineering major who graduated in spring 2024, proposed the pocket garden in her second year on campus. She wanted the garden to be a place for student collaboration focusing on giving back through volunteerism and donating all the produce to help others in need. 

Peacock worked with the Honors College, the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm, Penn State's Office of Physical Plant and other students to bring her vision to life. Thanks to the solid foundation it was built on, the pocket garden is set to continue thriving under new leadership as Peacock moves on from Penn State. 

Anna Gerstner, a third-year food science major has helmed the garden for the past year under Peacock’s guidance and will continue in the role until her graduation in spring 2025. With interests in gardening and cultivating sustainable methods of growing food, Peacock knew Gerstner would be the perfect fit to take on the role.  

“I felt Anna truly understood the mission of the Schreyer Pocket Garden — that it not only exists to provide affordable produce to students, but to educate students in growing their own food, empower, and inspire them,” Peacock shared.  

Through planting, growing and harvesting the pocket garden’s crops, the volunteers who work with Peacock and Gerstner gain valuable life lessons. None may be more valuable, though, than understanding how they can strengthen their community by being charitable with their time and skills. 

Food insecurity is often a problem that goes unnoticed in day-to-day life, and its impact on college students can be quite damaging. A recent Penn State Student Affairs survey on food and housing needs found that thousands of students across all of the University's campuses struggle to meet this basic need. More than 14% of the survey respondents said they went without eating for 24 hours over a 30-day span because they could not afford food. Additionally, 14.6% said it was difficult to “secure enough food for each day.”

Gerstner explains, though, that food insecurity is a multifaceted issue that can affect a student's health and well-being.  

“[It] is more than not having enough food; it's about not having access to healthy foods. In the conversations I have been involved with, students have mentioned how they live downtown without a car and have to rely on someone else to drive them or take a bus up North Atherton [Street] to get food [from a grocery store],” she said. “The alternative is going [to stores downtown] where the prices are higher. This is how many students struggle with food insecurity, and why it is not as recognizable on college campuses.” 

From its beginning, the Schreyer Pocket Garden has partnered with the Lion's Pantry — a student-run organization offering complimentary food items and other necessities to Penn Staters — to get fresh, easy-to-prepare produce into students' hands. 

Gerstner explained that a major benefit of working with the Lion's Pantry is that it fosters a sense of community to assuage students' concerns about needing help to meet their food needs. Fruits and vegetables from the pocket garden have helped the pantry become an even more inviting place for students. 

“This year we donated 219 pounds of produce, and the Lion’s Pantry was one of our main outlets. We have gotten word from the pantry that our produce goes fast, and students are really picking it up, causing a demand for more,” Gerstner said. “Now I know that it's making a difference and that some students are really enjoying what we are donating.”  

While the garden may be “pocket-sized,” its community impact is much larger. 

In addition to the Lion’s Pantry, the White Course Weston Community Center and Abba Java Coffeehouse are two locations that now enjoy the garden’s harvested items. Both establishments provide free food for visitors and hold community events where the garden’s crops can be used to feed the public. 

These partnerships allow the garden's impact to extend beyond campus, which was a crucial part of Peacock's original plan. 

“I really wanted the Schreyer Pocket Garden to donate produce to a diverse group of organizations in order to reach the most students. Not every student knows about each community or campus resource, and some students may feel more comfortable using a certain resource over another,” Peacock said. “Diversifying physical location is important for accessibility — for example, the Lion's Pantry is on campus and Abba Java is downtown.”  

While student volunteers sign up to attend weekly workdays, different organizations around campus have started to work with the pocket garden on larger projects. The garden has opened its courtyard to any club that wishes to learn more about growing crops by hosting group workdays, special harvests and educational planting events. Partnerships have already been forged with the Pre-Vet Club, the Indian Grad Association and the Schreyer Student Council, and any organization is invited to flex its green thumb and learn more about sustainable food growth. 

Gerstner explained how these collaborations amplify the garden’s mission of combating campus food insecurity and advocating for more students to learn the mechanics of planting and harvesting crops.  

“Having more people be exposed to gardening is important because inspiring them to grow their own food is empowering. It’s important to connect people from across the University and get more people involved in the space,” Gerstner explained. “This helps to educate more students about how limited access to fresh produce is a part of food insecurity on campus.”  

Gerstner plans to host more club collaborations in fall 2024, including a coriander harvesting event with the Culinary Medical Club and the Indian Graduate Student Association. By incorporating these organizations, the garden facilitates community engagement while simultaneously educating students on an issue directly affecting their peers. 

Peacock explained how spreading awareness about food security is vital, but it is not the garden’s only purpose in establishing these club connections. She shared how having a place for students to unwind, have fun and feel a sense of belonging is why she began the garden in the first place.  

“Collaborations are important not only because they educate and involve more students in the mission, but they also make students feel connected to a ‘place.’ I want any student on campus to know that the Schreyer Pocket Garden is their space and that it's a safe space,” Peacock said.  

In addition to partnerships and collaborations across campus, the garden also has expanded the crops grown to include new varieties, such as watermelon, tomatillos and even seasonal flowers. To increase its productivity, Gerstner shared how four new garden beds are set to be built in the courtyard this summer. These additions demonstrate the garden's dedication to constant improvement and finding innovative ways to make the most of its resources.  

Reflecting on the garden’s growth these past two years, Gerstner acknowledged the great strides made despite the project’s short lifespan. From welcoming more volunteers, implementing a new leader, and cultivating multiple bountiful harvests, the garden is sprouting with success. 

“The pocket garden has come a long way since building [the first] beds in the fall of 2022. Vancie has done so much, and I think the fact that it's been successful for the second season with two different interns running it is impressive,” Gerstner said. “Having over 100 volunteer hours and almost 400 pounds of produce donated, just in the last two years, shows the garden's success.”