What is the Forge?
The Forge is SCU's educational organic garden and is a project of University Operations and the Environmental Studies Institute (ESI). Named for its history as SCU's original blacksmithing site, this one-half acre garden has multiple annual and perennial garden beds for vegetables, grains, flowers and native plants. The Forge also includes a heritage orchard that is representative of fruit and nut tress historically grown in Santa Clara Valley, the former "Valley of Heart's Delight."
The Forge is now donating to Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen in San Jose, CA. The garden is also currently working with University Dining Services by Bon Appetit to provide food for campus use.
Current Uses of the Forge include:
The Forge is an Outdoor Classroom
- It provides high-quality garden education training for local teachers, students and volunteers.
- It serves as the primary outdoor laboratory for Agroecology and introductory Environmental Science courses offered by the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences (ESS).
- It is used by campus academic units for classes including Religious Studies, Communications, Biology, English, Engineering, Business, Art, and Theatre and Dance.
The Forge is a Hub for the Bronco Urban Gardens Program
- The Forge is a lead training facility for our Bronco Urban Gardens (BUG) Americorps partnership. Since 2009, the BUG program has offered environmental science education and food justice outreach, serving urban schools and community centers in Washington, Alma and Gardner neighborhoods. More than 100 SCU students, 50 community volunteers, 4 AmeriCorps volunteers, and two professors serve children, youth, teachers, and families in marginalized communities annually.
- The BUG program provided 10% of Experiential Learning for Social Justice placements in 2010-2011. While many of these placements have occurred in our neighborhood sites, in 2011-2012 two full-time Americorps volunteers will be placed at the Forge to develop on-campus placements.
Future Goals for the Forge include:
- A formal school garden training program for K-12 school teachers.
- A demonstration of new technologies for intensive urban gardening, including vertical hydroponics, xeriscaping, food-waste to energy, and accelerated composting.
- An archeological exhibit of the past use of the Forge site as SCU's primary metal forge.
- A demonstration place for environmental art, including murals and sculpture
Forge Garden Address:
- 1051 Sherman St. Santa Clara, CA 95050
Garden Work Day Schedule:
- Mondays & Thursdays 2-5 p.m.
- Once a month Saturday work days:
June 2, 2012 (canceled until further notice due to construction)
Join "The Forge Garden" Facebook group, follow The Forge's Blog, and/or send your contact information to theforge@broncourbangardens.org for updates about The Forge and/or if you're interested in helping out with the field trip program.
