{"id":24845,"date":"2012-10-25T09:35:13","date_gmt":"2012-10-25T13:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/?p=24845"},"modified":"2012-10-26T14:54:49","modified_gmt":"2012-10-26T18:54:49","slug":"from-weeds-to-a-healthy-harvest-at-fordham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/2012\/10\/25\/24845-from-weeds-to-a-healthy-harvest-at-fordham\/","title":{"rendered":"From Weeds to a Healthy Harvest at Fordham"},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"left\"><div\n\tclass=\"ngg-galleryoverview\"\n\tid=\"ngg-gallery-901cd928fd6c7b44429588654353edb2-1\">\n\n    \t\t<!-- Thumbnails -->\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-0\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/imgp4351.jpg\"\n               title=\"Aloisio hopes that St. Rose\\&#039;s Garden will become a place where students can connect to nature. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/imgp4351.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_imgp4351.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"2045\"\n               data-title=\"1\"\n               data-description=\"Aloisio hopes that St. Rose&#039;s Garden will become a place where students can connect to nature. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-image-slug=\"1-3\"\n               class=\"shutterset_901cd928fd6c7b44429588654353edb2\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"1\"\n                    alt=\"1\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_imgp4351.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-1\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/mg_5052.jpg\"\n               title=\"Even though the garden has little to do with his research, Aloisio spends all his free time there. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/mg_5052.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_mg_5052.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"2052\"\n               data-title=\"2\"\n               data-description=\"Even though the garden has little to do with his research, Aloisio spends all his free time there. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-image-slug=\"2-3\"\n               class=\"shutterset_901cd928fd6c7b44429588654353edb2\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"2\"\n                    alt=\"2\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_mg_5052.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-2\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/imgp4360.jpg\"\n               title=\"The money earned from selling the produce is used to maintain the garden. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/imgp4360.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_imgp4360.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"2046\"\n               data-title=\"3\"\n               data-description=\"The money earned from selling the produce is used to maintain the garden. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-image-slug=\"3-3\"\n               class=\"shutterset_901cd928fd6c7b44429588654353edb2\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"3\"\n                    alt=\"3\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_imgp4360.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-3\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" style=\"display: none;\">\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/imgp4362.jpg\"\n               title=\"The garden will close in the coming winter, and will reopen in spring. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/imgp4362.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_imgp4362.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"2047\"\n               data-title=\"4\"\n               data-description=\"The garden will close in the coming winter, and will reopen in spring. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-image-slug=\"4-2\"\n               class=\"shutterset_901cd928fd6c7b44429588654353edb2\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"4\"\n                    alt=\"4\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_imgp4362.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-4\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" style=\"display: none;\">\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/mg_5000.jpg\"\n               title=\"Dagger John\\&#039;s reserves a third of its space for the co-op every Thursday afternoon. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/mg_5000.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_mg_5000.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"2049\"\n               data-title=\"5\"\n               data-description=\"Dagger John&#039;s reserves a third of its space for the co-op every Thursday afternoon. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-image-slug=\"5-2\"\n               class=\"shutterset_901cd928fd6c7b44429588654353edb2\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"5\"\n                    alt=\"5\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_mg_5000.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-5\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" style=\"display: none;\">\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/mg_5002.jpg\"\n               title=\"The market relies on the honor system. Customers have to stay within limits for each vegetable . (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/mg_5002.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_mg_5002.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"2050\"\n               data-title=\"6\"\n               data-description=\"The market relies on the honor system. Customers have to stay within limits for each vegetable . (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-image-slug=\"6-2\"\n               class=\"shutterset_901cd928fd6c7b44429588654353edb2\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"6\"\n                    alt=\"6\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_mg_5002.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-6\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" style=\"display: none;\">\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/mg_4985.jpg\"\n               title=\"The staff at Part of the Solution repacks the donated vegetables and offers them to low-income families in the Bronx. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/mg_4985.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_mg_4985.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"2048\"\n               data-title=\"7\"\n               data-description=\"The staff at Part of the Solution repacks the donated vegetables and offers them to low-income families in the Bronx. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)\"\n               data-image-slug=\"7-2\"\n               class=\"shutterset_901cd928fd6c7b44429588654353edb2\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"7\"\n                    alt=\"7\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/st-roses-garden\/thumbs\/thumbs_mg_4985.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\n\t\t<!-- Pagination -->\n\t<div class='ngg-navigation'><span class=\"current\">1<\/span><a class=\"page-numbers\" data-pageid=\"2\" href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/2012\/10\/25\/24845-from-weeds-to-a-healthy-harvest-at-fordham\/nggallery\/page\/2\">2<\/a><a class=\"page-numbers\" data-pageid=\"3\" href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/2012\/10\/25\/24845-from-weeds-to-a-healthy-harvest-at-fordham\/nggallery\/page\/3\">3<\/a><a class=\"next\" data-pageid=\"2\" id=\"ngg-next-2\" href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/2012\/10\/25\/24845-from-weeds-to-a-healthy-harvest-at-fordham\/nggallery\/page\/2\">&#9658;<\/a><\/div>\t<\/div>\n On most days, Dagger John\u2019s restaurant at Fordham University earns its reputation as the most popular on-campus eating place. Students gather in the spacious dining area with music playing in the background.<\/p>\n<p>But on Sept. 27, the music disappeared and half of the tables were taken over by baskets of vegetables and food scales. Half a dozen people gathered around each table, checking out and selecting vegetables and there was a line of customers extending out the door.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">The interloper is officially called the St. Rose\u2019s Garden Community Supported Agriculture Market. It is a cooperative vegetable buying club that invests in Norwich Meadows Farm in upstate Norwich, N.Y. The founder is Jason Aloisio, 27, an ecology Ph.D. student at Fordham, who is also the founder of an on-campus farm, St. Rose\u2019s Garden.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_25241\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/IMGP4371.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25241\" class=\" wp-image-25241 \" title=\"IMGP4371\" src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/IMGP4371-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/IMGP4371-300x199.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/IMGP4371-1024x680.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/IMGP4371.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-25241\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aloisio also works at the education center at Prospect Park Zoo, connecting teenagers with nature. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)<\/p><\/div>\n<p align=\"left\">\u201cI love eating good food,\u201d said Aloisio, \u201cand I want people to connect to the nature through food. I want them to put their hands in soil, to see what food look like originally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Aloisio sees St. Rose\u2019s Garden and the co-op farmer\u2019s market as ways to help make diets healthier in the Fordham community and even the Bronx at large.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">People can buy cheap organic vegetables, including tomato, parsley, radish, soybean, turnip, pepper, carrot and garlic grown in St. Rose\u2019s Garden, or they can join the co-op and receive different fresh vegetables every Thursday from Norwich Meadows.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">St. Rose\u2019s Garden is believed to be the only on-campus garden in the Bronx; the only other on-campus farmers\u2019 market is at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Growing up in Shoreham on Long Island, Aloisio learned to eat healthy food. As a child, his father, a dentist, kept no candy or desert at home. Fast or processed food was also rare in his home.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">\u201cWe always had cooked food,\u201d Aloisio said, \u201cso I grew up with real good food.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Throughout his four years at Fordham, Aloisio has brought that sensibility to the Bronx.\u00a0 When he&#8217;s not fulfilling his teaching responsibilities as a Ph.D. candidate, he spends his time on the rooftop of the university parking garage, which he considers his private lab. His dissertation is about \u201cgreen roofs\u201d in urban areas.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">St. Rose\u2019s Garden was originally a piece of unused land that university officials gave\u00a0 to Aloisio to grow edible plants like tomatoes and pumpkins in order to demonstrate new uses for wasted spaces. But he decided instead to use the 1,500-square-foot area to build an on-campus community farm for the whole school.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Aloisio first had this idea of creating a garden on the grounds last year, but wasn&#8217;t able to recruit enough volunteers.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">This year, Aloisio prepared a formal proposal to change the abandoned land in the unused corner of the school near faculty parking garage into a community garden. He also went to different academic departments, trying to get at least $1,750 to buy essential materials for the garden.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">The proposal earned Aloisio a little more than the minimum from three deans at Fordham University who also volunteered in the garden\u2019s construction.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">In April, Aloisio and Elizabeth Anderson, an undergraduate student studying environmental policy, started advertising for more volunteers through blogs and by sending emails to students.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">On April 23, more than 50 volunteers, including students and faculty members, showed up to assist Aloisio and Anderson building the garden. They removed weeds, built eight raised beds covering 244 square feet and bought 20 cubic yards of soil to fill them. They also laid a water system and planted seeds that blossomed into rows of eggplants, green beans, green and red peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, pumpkins and basil.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24854\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/MG_50231.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24854\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-24854 \" title=\"_MG_5023\" src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/MG_50231-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/MG_50231-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/MG_50231-1024x682.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/MG_50231.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-24854\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">St. Rose&#8217;s Garden is now producing more than 10 kinds of vegetables.\u00a0 (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)<\/p><\/div>\n<p align=\"left\">St. Rose\u2019s Garden offered up its first harvest in September. Green leafy vegetables poked out of their beds. Eggplants turned purple and hid under big leaves. Pumpkins were still in the yellow flower phase, quietly waiting their turn to ripen into fruit.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">The garden has also helped grow other efforts at Fordham.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">John van Buren, the director of Environmental Policy Program who serves as the faculty advisor for St. Rose\u2019s Garden, is including eight hours of volunteer work at the garden as part of his class.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">\u201cAside from providing fresh, organic vegetables, and an opportunity for playing in the dirt,\u201d said Aloisio, \u201cthe underlying mission of St. Rose\u2019s Garden is to be an educational catalyst, both in the classroom and in social settings, for discussion about the broken food system and coupled human-ecosystem interactions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">He seems to be reaching that goal. \u201cHe (Aloisio) is very outgoing, a good person to get things going,\u201d said Joe Hartnett, a junior biology student in the environmental policy class who was one of the volunteers. \u201cHe always makes things clear. He is a really good teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Aloisio was Hartnett\u2019s assistant teacher when he was a freshman. Hartnett said Aloisio brought a lot of different ideas to their environmental classes, making their studies fun and easy to understand. \u201cHe is very vocal and energetic,\u201d said Hartnett. \u201cIn his email to me, he would say something like \u2018Yes, Joe. You CAN do this!\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">\u201cHe is so passionate,\u201d said Samir Hafez, an economics and environmental policy graduate student. \u201cI admire him for his energies. He never gets discouraged.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Aloisio says the food co-op is another important component of his campaign to encourage healthy eating.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Consumers pay $16 per week to get a share of six to eight pounds of vegetables and fruit. They agree to buy produce from the farmers for 10 weeks. The vegetables are delivered to Dagger John\u2019s every Thursday for less money than in the supermarket because there is no middleman.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Consumers don\u2019t know what they will get for the week; it depends on what\u2019s available. All the vegetables are picked less than two days before the market.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Katie Buckle, a sophomore at the Gabelli School of Business, did some math with her two roommates. They realized that it would only cost about $5 per person to receive more than enough healthy fruit and vegetables so the three of them decided to pool their money and buy a share together.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">\u201cThe local farmers send whatever produce they have freshly harvested that week, so our weekly bounty will change and we will likely receive new fruit and vegetables we\u2019ve never tried before,\u201d said Buckle. \u201cTo me, this element of surprise is the best part.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">There are currently 137 shares of the co-op, more than Aloisio expected. \u201cWe were aiming for 50, and we got 137!\u201d said Aloisio. \u201cI was a little overwhelmed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Three resident assistants bought some shares to set up a little farmers\u2019 market in their dorms.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">\u201cIt helps me to keep a healthier diet,\u201d said Jordan Higgins, a senior biology student. Higgins said she had to Google how to cook much of the produce, but it made her eat more vegetables.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Norwich Meadows Farm also provides vegetables to students at Fordham&#8217;s\u00a0 Lincoln Center campus.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Both the co-op and St. Rose&#8217;s Garden share space at Dagger John\u2019s. The student-run farmers market allows people who didn\u2019t buy a share in the co-op the opportunity to enjoy fresh vegetables.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">John Craven, a Fordham business professor, was one recent satisfied customer. \u201cThis is the best baby carrot I have ever had,\u201d he said as he sampled a small fresh carrot grown in St. Rose\u2019s Garden. He did not even scrub off the mud before he ate a second one.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Money earned by selling produce from St. Rose\u2019s Garden goes to the daily maintenance of the garden.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">\u201cThis is really not for profit,\u201d said Aloisio. \u201cWe just want to get the food to people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">The first day of the two markets was especially long for Aloisio. More than 200 \u00a0people stopped by. Even though there were three volunteers helping him, Aloisio still had to answer all the questions about the food and the garden, organize containers and refill vegetables, and find bags for those who forgot to bring one.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24866\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/MG_5071.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24866\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-24866\" title=\"_MG_5071\" src=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/MG_5071-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/MG_5071-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/MG_5071-1024x682.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/3\/files\/2012\/10\/MG_5071.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-24866\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">St. Rose&#8217;s Garden has donated a total of more than $1,000 worth of vegetables to Part of the Solution since the first day of the farmer&#8217;s market. (YI DU\/The Bronx Ink)<\/p><\/div>\n<p align=\"left\">Four full containers of vegetables were left after the first day. Aloisio and his volunteers donated all the vegetables to a local non-profit group called Part of the Solution. These vegetables are repacked in Part of the Solution\u2019s food pantry.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Aloisio would like to have more efforts in the Bronx beyond Fordham. <a title=\"Department of Health\" href=\"http:\/\/www.health.ny.gov\/statistics\/prevention\/obesity\/county\/bronx.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Statistics<\/a> from the Department of Health show that\u00a0 only 6.3 percent of Bronx residents eat the recommended five daily servings of fruit or vegetables.\u201cI hope to get more people involved,\u201d he said, \u201cMaybe refugees in the Bronx can come and work in the garden. Or maybe make it a refugee garden or a asylum garden.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">At the moment, however, it\u2019s hard for people outside of the Fordham community to benefit from the garden. Visitors have to show a valid ID and pass a security guard to get on campus.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">In the meantime, Aloisio is focused on keeping St. Rose\u2019s Garden working smoothly.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">All volunteers work on a weekly basis now. But as the mid-term approaches, a lot of students are too busy to help. Aloisio dedicates most of his time to the garden.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">\u201cI have free time, somewhere, not really,\u201d said Aloisio, as he dropped off four containers of vegetables at Part of the Solution &#8212; alone.<\/p>\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fbronxink.org%2F2012%2F10%2F25%2F24845-from-weeds-to-a-healthy-harvest-at-fordham%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=80\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:80px;\" allowTransparency=\"true\"><\/iframe>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A student transformed abandoned land at Fordham University into an on-campus farm, offering fresh organic vegetables to both Fordham students and residents in the Bronx. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":489,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[661,662,13,11,276,2191,207,1958,6812,6779],"tags":[7565,8198,1096,1675,2449,176,6803,2810,1159],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24845"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/489"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24845\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/bronxink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}