Victory Garden

Tucked behind Burge Market Place in a few raised beds is an experiment in good taste and good sense. The Burge Market Place Garden, planted and maintained by Residential Dining Executive Chef Barry Greenberg and the student group, University of Iowa Environmental Coalition, will produce fresh tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and herbs that will be incorporated into the Market Place cuisine. The garden also features regional flowers that attract the butterflies and bees necessary to pollinate the all-organic garden.

"We envision expanding the garden to provide a wider variety of produce that can be utilized in our recipes," explains Greg Black, Director of Residential Dining. "The fresh natural flavors of homegrown vegetables and herbs can't be matched."

The garden is also an experiment in sustainability. While the volume of vegetables produced in a few raised beds cannot meet the required daily needs of the Market Places, the fresh produce grown in this garden will serve as an example of the positive aspects of sustainability and our efforts to expand our "Buy Local-Buy Fresh" initiative.

Come and visit the garden. Pass by...enjoy the flowers and butterflies...take in the beauty of nature. Please, however, don't take the produce or damage the plants. Let everyone enjoy the bounty of the harvest.