Ruthie Schwab '09 started the Garden Project in September 2006 and broke ground with the help of other students, faculty, administrators and staff outside of Forbes College in April 2007. The original pilot garden plot (55'x12') was designed and planted along the south wall of Forbes. With the success of the pilot, the Garden Project received approval to expand to the 1.5 acre plot at 79 Alexander Street. Ruthie worked as Garden Project Coordinator during the summer of 2007 with Ben Elga '08 and Diana Bonaccori '08 through the Office of Sustainability and the Princeton Environmental Institute. In the fall of 2007, the School of Architecture hosted a student design competition for 79 Alexander Street planned by the Garden Project and AdHoc, an ARC graduate student initiative.
The garden connects with the rest of campus through its ties with the Office of Sustainability, Forbes College, Greening Princeton, Slow Food Princeton, the Princeton Environmental Network, the campus Farmers' Market and academic departments. Last fall, the Garden Project held biweekly harvests for the Forbes Dining Hall, Farmers' Market cooking demonstrations and the local artisan ice cream shop, Bent Spoon, on Monday afternoons, Wednesday mornings as well as weekly work days on Friday afternoons. The 79 Alexander Street Garden also hosted a student harvest dinner with Slow Food Princeton and a Sustainability Lecture Dinner with Sherry Dudas of Honey Brook Organic Farm as well as with Nomad Pizza Company. The Garden Project also donated produce for several special dinners at the request of Dining Services.