Sociology in community

A gift from the Goshen College class of 2013 has blossomed into a community project.

Trackside Community Garden, named for the proximity of the railroad tracks that run alongside it, was established in Goshen this summer with funds from the 2013 graduating class gift. The garden is located on Ninth Street between College and Waverly avenues.

The idea for the project came from Kaeli Evans ’13. “My initial hope for the garden was to bridge a gap between Goshen College and the greater community,” Evans said. “I really think food is something people can connect and bond over. When you can utilize the land around you and grow your own food, there’s something really special about that connection.”

In spring 2013, the land was tilled using part of the funds generated by the senior class gift. Starting in June, Carina Zehr, a senior, helped gather a group of interested Goshen College students, alumni and other community members to begin the garden.

“The past few months have been a process of figuring out how we want this garden to look,” Zehr said.