Through our Idea Garden and a program run by students in the Professional Horticulture Program called the Veggie Venture, we are reinforcing the concept of locally grown food and benefitting The Terrace.
Reaping the Rewards of Hard Work
Students in Longwood Gardens’ Professional Horticulture Program are capitalizing on the “buy local” concept through an agreement with The Terrace. Under this agreement, nicknamed “Veggie Venture,” students grow produce as part of their training and sell it to the restaurant at fair market value. Proceeds from this sale help students fund the study abroad portion of their education.
Our Professional Horticulture students are responsible for all aspects of their one-acre garden plot located on the perimeter of the property. Here, they grow seasonal produce using approved organic methods. In addition to providing a source of revenue, the Veggie Venture teaches students about real-world produce production, marketing, and grading for a certified green restaurant. The benefit to The Terrace is that it can feature locally grown food on the menu.
Generating More Than Ideas
Beyond the clever presentations, plant combinations and overall creativity of the Idea Garden, there’s one thing that guests can’t help but notice—all of those beautiful vegetables and berries. Of course this begs the question, “Who gets to eat them?” The answer is simple—you! All of the produce harvested from the Idea Garden—which amounts to about 5,000 pounds a year—is donated for use by The Terrace.
