Kean Garden: A Shared Community Space Connecting the University and Its Neighbors

As part of Wenzhou–Kean University’s commitment to sustainability, wellness, and community engagement, Kean Garden serves as an open and shared community garden that connects the University with the surrounding community. The garden is accessible to local community members and provides opportunities for them to actively participate in food growing, agricultural learning, and hands-on environmental education.

Kean Garden is open to nearby community residents, as well as local primary and secondary school students, allowing community members to take part in planting, maintaining, and harvesting crops. Through these activities, participants grow their own food while gaining a deeper understanding of food systems, sustainability, and the value of agricultural labor—fully aligning with the definition of a community garden.

Recently, groups of primary school students from neighboring areas visited the Kean Farm for an immersive agricultural experience. Under the guidance of farm staff, the students entered the fields and harvested mature peanuts by hand, their fingers covered with soil and their senses filled with the fresh scent of the earth. They then participated in a new round of planting, learning how to transplant cabbage seedlings—gently placing the young plants, carefully firming the soil, and watering them step by step.

This complete farming cycle—from harvest to planting—helped students gain a tangible appreciation of the effort behind food production and brought to life the principle that every meal is the result of hard work. Throughout the process, participants collaborated, shared techniques, and experienced the joy and sense of achievement that comes from working with the land.

Beyond regular planting activities, Kean Garden also functions as a community science education and research base. Local primary and secondary schools, as well as research-oriented student groups, frequently use the garden for planting experiences, agricultural science learning, and small-scale research projects. These ongoing activities further reinforce Kean Garden’s role as a shared resource where community members can grow food, learn together, and engage with sustainable practices.

By remaining open and accessible to the surrounding community and by supporting hands-on food growing and education, Kean Garden clearly fulfills the core criteria of a community garden. It represents a meaningful example of how the University integrates sustainability, wellness, and community engagement into its campus operations and outreach.