Mason currently grows about 2,000 pounds of its food on campus annually in the Presidents Park Greenhouse and serves it in the dining halls. The produce is harvested each week and served the next day! It is the most local and freshest food available on campus. The greenhouse is equipped with hydroponic equipment that allows year-round food production with less labor and water than outdoor farming. Anyone can volunteer and help to grow and harvest Mason’s freshest produce. Check Presidents Park Greenhouse Facebook page to get the volunteer hours. You can also suggest more fresh food in Mason Dining’s customer surveys.
There already is a hydroponic system on campus in the Presidents Park greenhouse. We recommend you volunteer there to get hands-on-experience and education on how hydroponic farming is installed and maintained. Please search for the GMU Greenhouse on Facebook to get the updated volunteer hours.
Mason has the Honey Bee Initiative where you can volunteer and get hands-on experience maintaining honey bee hives, attend classes about honey bee biology and apiary logistics, and work with community groups throughout the region and internationally to promote honey bee conservation. Please go to bees.gmu.edu or email bees@gmu.edu for more information.
Please refer to our GMU Vegan Dining Guide to learn how to eat vegan at Mason.