05/29/2025
On Dec. 1, 2012, an empty plot of land behind Parking Lot 30 was transformed into what we know today as the R’Garden, or the University of California, Riverside’s (UCR) community garden. It was a joint effort by UCR student organizations, Sustainable UCR and Cultivate R’Space.
In 2008, similar efforts were spearheaded to fund and create a separate community garden through Sustainable UCR and the Salvation Army, but the latter organization withdrew its support. However, to offset start-up costs, UCR Chancellor Timothy White made a one-time fund of $145,723 available, as he believed, “The power of our students is … really the organic piece of our university, along with the power of our faculty.”
In light of potential foreclosure, the R’Garden has been rallying for student and community support for years. R’Garden workers have hit the streets in protest, spoken to various local officials and have been working on a referendum to boost funding since 2022.
This year, during the ASUCR elections for the 2025-2026 school year, the R’Garden referendum fell through yet again. The R’Garden lost support simply because only 17.6 percent of students turned out to vote, not meeting the 20 percent minimum voter turnout for the referendum to pass.
📝: The Editorial Board
📸: Edward Basurto
