51³Ô¹ÏÍø Community Garden

In 2025, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø students, staff, and faculty setup a community garden on the Campus Center Roof funded by Newark's "Love Your Block" grant. 

Office of Sustainability

Our Community Garden

51³Ô¹ÏÍø faculty, students and staff who are Newark residents (Ester Flaim, Ana Caneira, Melanie Dunn, Zachary Kellett, Brandon Robinson, Erica Rolek, Alexis Telyczka, Cong Wang, and Ph.D. student Fernando Vera Buschmann) applied for the Newark’s Love Your Block grant in Spring 2025. 

After being awarded the grant, with the support of the Office of Sustainability, the Campus Center Roof Terrace was selected as the ideal site for this project. Over the summer, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø has constructed seven raised garden beds on the Campus Center Roof to establish a thriving community garden for everyone at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø to partake in. Student organizations could apply to plant and care for one bed each, and due to the popularity and excitement of this project, the five initial spots filled up immediately. Students, especially international students who grew up with a connection to the Earth, have inquired about the desire for a community garden because their current residence halls or apartments have no greenspace for them to reconnect with nature or grow their own food.

After the initial summer planting, the garden has expanded to include 7 beds as of Fall 2025, associated with the Nepali Student Association, SANSKAR, 51³Ô¹ÏÍøGreen, Graduate Student Association, Faculty and Staff, Dining Services and Security, and the Vector. We hope to expand available plots in the future and continue creating a peaceful and fruitful space for the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø community to explore their green side.

How to Join

If you are a member of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø who is interested in our community garden, please contact Ester Flaim (ester.flaim@njit.edu) or Ana Caneira (ana.m.caneira@njit.edu). Garden members are expected to water regularly and participate in garden meetings.

 

Pictures

Students planting seeds in a garden bed.

Students having fun planting their seeds in a community garden bed. 

A flourishing garden plot with green leaves pouring out of a wooden bed.

Original group of gardeners attending an Urban Gardening Workshop hosted by Melissa Leuthner, part of .
Leafy greens and flowers began to populate the beds over the fall. Crops included carrots, butterhead lettuce, broccoli rabe, cilantro, dill, arugula, and more.