In 2009 a group of passionate UMass students proposed a simple, but revolutionary idea to the Director of UMass Auxiliary Enterprises, Ken Toong. Their proposal was to install edible and ecological permaculture landscapes right on campus.​

Permaculture landscapes, as the students explained, are perfect for a campus setting because they are replicable, scalable, and highly adaptable. They provide nutritious food to the dining commons, improve the quality of the land, create hands-on learning opportunities, and give students and volunteers a connection to their food and the food system.

Toong fully embraced the idea, and in 2010 hired Ryan Harb, a recent Green Building Master’s student who transformed his front yard into a permaculture garden, to oversee this ground-breaking project.

In fall 2010, Ryan gathered a group of student leaders to turn the garden idea into a reality, creating the first-ever UMass Permaculture Committee. The students on the committee received academic credit for their work on campus thanks to a partnership with the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Stockbridge faculty and staff have acted as mentors for the UMass Permaculture Initiative since its beginnings, and have served a key role in developing academic programs in permaculture.