Campus restaurant relies on university ‘food forest’

College students are interested in healthy food, right? But are they willing to help grow it?

Check out the newest organic fruit and vegetable garden planted on the Oregon State University in Corvallis. It was intentionally placed so students wandering paths in the central campus could see what's for dinner.

And it has a cute name: The Food Forest.

Harvests provide a small portion of tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins and other food used in campus restaurants and retail food operations. A new restaurant called Five Four One, which opens in September in OSU's McNary Hall, will depend partially on seasonal vegetables from this garden and another new garden.

The Food Forest, planted across 6,000 square feet in the spring next to Callahan residence hall, also provides shade, color as well as educational and volunteer opportunities, say organizers.

Caring for the garden are Brian Kreft and Sylvan Pritchett, landscape technicians accredited by organic certifier Oregon Tilth, and volunteering students and staff.

Gardeners here use natural materials to keep weeds controlled.