In the UMA Augusta Community Garden coordinated by Professor James Cook and contributed to by large number of staff and students, growing community and growing food took place side by side. The vegetables we grew were donated entirely to the Augusta food bank as part of our commitment to address food insecurity in the state of Maine. We also welcomed “new Mainers,” immigrants from Iraq and Syria, to our garden for family time and growth. In this way, the UMA Community Garden in Augusta was not just a projects for engagement but also for service and justice.

“This garden invites everyone, no matter where you come from, what language you speak, what ideas you hold, or what hopes you nurture,” explained Dr. Cook. “You are welcome here.”

The UMA Community Garden in Augusta was shut down by the university in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The successes of the garden as a community-growing and community-sustaining project can be reviewed by reading the 2018 Annual Report and 2019 Annual Report.