"Last night, my family and I ate the beets that I planted," says Dr Derek Irwin, Head of the School of Education and English. "I also picked some beans today and I plan to cook them for dinner." 

Partly in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Irwin has been spending his time on a vegetable patch in the former Lifecycle Farm on campus, alongside the Nottingham River, in the company of over 50 members of staff and their families.

This is UNNC’s new Staff Gardening Club. Every member can manage a plot in the UNNC Community Garden, and the club provides all members with guidance and training, and shares the tools that they need. When the campus finally reopens to the public, the club also intends to invite residents from the local organic farming community to talk about permaculture and sustainable agriculture, thereby building up a community to share knowledge. 

"Most importantly, I hope that we can put forward our core values of sustainability and community," Dr Irwin says. With his experience of the former Lifecycle Farm project, he loves the sense of working together and learning more about growing food in the Ningbo climate. 

With a composting area for creating fertilizer, the garden is committed to not using chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. Members also share an herb garden where they can pick fresh mint, chives, basil and cilantro. Currently the garden has dozens of different types of vegetables, fruits and flowers, including many heritage species. Three bamboo design projects from the School of Architecture were kindly donated by Dr Ali Cheshmehzangi and now provide a canopy for the young seedlings and vines, contributing to the aesthetics of the garden.

"I believe it is essential to spend time outside among greenery, doing a bit of physical labour and having amazing fresh food to eat," says Dr Irwin. Joanne Zhong, a staff member from CELE, also appreciates the relaxing atmosphere of the garden. She grows lettuce, pepper and okra in her allotment, and appreciates  putting down electronic devices to spend some time in the garden every day; weeding and taking care of her vegetables have become part of her life.

The many UNNC staff members in the club have already put in tremendous work to keep the garden running. Some have always loved gardening, and others are now rethinking the relationship between humans and food, nature and communities during the epidemic.

The club also aims to allow interested students to join and gain knowledge, experience and teamwork, all while being able to grow their own food.