Time flies when you’re having fun, but around the Hoop House, we like to think it grows, too.
Welcome back to the second week of the term! With classes in full swing, plenty of rain falling over Kalamazoo, and another growing season underway, there’s a lot happening at the Hoop House.
But if you’ve never stopped by before, you might be wondering: What exactly is the Hoop House?
The Hoop House is more than a place to grow food. It’s a student-centered space where people can learn about gardening and sustainability, pick up some fresh produce, volunteer, meet new people, or even just stop by to hang out with friends.
And when we say there’s produce, we mean produce!! Right now, the Hoop House is growing carrots, cilantro, mustard, basil, turnips, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, fennel, cabbage, artichokes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, raspberries, herbs and several varieties of kale. There’s even a peach tree and a fig tree! And apparently, the Hoop House has a lot of kale. As one Hoop House intern put it: “If you ever want kale, don’t buy it. Just come to the Hoop House. We will give you an entire bag of kale for free.” Yes. An entire bag.
The best part? You don’t have to be a gardening expert to enjoy any of it. More than a garden the Hoop House isn’t separate from what students are learning on campus, either. Classes can use the space to take concepts outside of the classroom and see them in action. The Mother Corn Garden outside the Hoop House, for example, has been part of a collaboration with the Critical Ethnic Studies department. Biology courses, including Climate Biology, can also connect what students are learning about climate and the environment with what’s happening right here on campus. And lately, Kalamazoo’s rain has given us a pretty good example.
Plants need water, but that doesn’t mean the Hoop House wants to become a swimming pool. Because the Hoop House sits downhill, heavy rainfall can cause water to collect around the area. Students noticed this problem and, in 2019, decided to do something about it. Their solution included French drains.
Despite the fancy name, a French drain isn’t quite as complicated as it sounds. It’s a drainage system that gives excess water a path to travel away from an area where it would otherwise collect. Typically, water moves through gravel or rock and into a pipe below, which helps redirect it somewhere it can drain more safely. The French drains at the Hoop House help move excess rainwater away from the area and reduce the flooding caused by its downhill location.
But the story is about more than drainage. Students saw something affecting their space, worked together and made a change. That’s a pretty good lesson to carry outside the Hoop House. College and sustainability don’t require one person to have every answer. Sometimes change begins because somebody notices something that could be better, brings other people into the conversation and says, “Okay, what can we do about it?” That’s what a community can look like.
Maybe you’re reading all of this and thinking, Okay, but I know absolutely nothing about gardening. Perfect. You’re still invited. The Hoop House has open hours Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:30–6 p.m. and getting involved doesn’t require previous gardening experience. Students can come volunteer, learn as they go and have Hoop House interns there to guide them and answer questions.
And you don’t necessarily have to volunteer to feel connected to the space. When students around campus were asked what they thought about the Hoop House, their answers showed just how many different ways people can interact with it. One student visiting for the first time said:
“I think it’s great. I think it’s a great opportunity for students to connect with others.”
Another first-time visitor hadn’t even realized the space existed before coming to the event.
“I didn’t even know it was a thing. I’m really glad that it’s on campus and it’s available for alumni and current students.”
Another student we stopped on campus had never volunteered at the Hoop House, but their friends had. They sometimes visit while their friends are volunteering and still see value in having the space available to students.
“I like the Hoop House as a student because it’s like a free and easy way to get good produce, and I like that it’s run by students.”
They also pointed out that it’s a place to connect with nature and learn gardening skills that students can eventually take with them to their own homes or apartments. And that’s an important part of what makes the Hoop House a community space. Some students volunteer. Some come for produce. Some attend events. Some learn. And some might simply stop by because their friends are there.
You don’t have to arrive knowing how to garden. You just have to arrive.
The first Hoop House event of the trimester gave new and returning students a chance to experience the space without coming specifically to volunteer. Students painted rocks, explored the Hoop House and of course there was food.
Chips were served with salsa made using produce grown at the Hoop House, something first-time visitors especially loved. And if that sounds like your kind of event, there’s more being planned. Upcoming events aren’t set in stone quite yet, but the Hoop House team is looking at ideas including a craft day with flower pressing, a collaboration with the Crochet Club, and a Homecoming event featuring plantable seed balls. With alumni returning to campus for Homecoming, the Hoop House also plans to offer tours so students can see what’s growing.
So whether you’re interested in sustainability, want to learn how to garden, need some kale, are looking for volunteer opportunities, or simply want somewhere to hang out with your friends, the Hoop House has room for you. You don’t need experience. You don’t need to know the difference between Red Russian and dinosaur kale. And you definitely don’t need to know what a French drain is before you arrive.
The interns are there to help.
Because at the end of the day, the Hoop House isn’t just about growing carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers or an almost concerning amount of kale. It’s about growing knowledge, solving problems and, most importantly, growing a community.
Where is the Hoop House?
The Hoop House is located behind the Fitness and Wellness Center, next to the new student parking lot. Map your route to the Hoop House!
Written by: Romina Viramontes-Vargas K’28, Environmental Stewardship Intern
Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center
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