At NYU Florence, a Greener Way to Study Abroad

One of the main ways students connect with sustainability is through the gardens. From planting and weeding to harvesting seasonal vegetables, students contribute to the food that ends up on their plates. The estate includes an olive grove with more than 2,600 trees as well as vegetable plots and flower beds. Additionally, there’s a walled kitchen garden, or pomario, with over 100 lemon and orange trees. Each year over half the students take part in the olive harvest. The oil they help produce is bottled, with marketing students designing the label and submitting it to a panel of judges. In fact, this olive oil won a coveted local prize for the best olive oil in 2023!

Most days, something from the gardens is on the cafeteria menu. Furthermore, the villa’s organic waste is composted on site and reused in the formal gardens and vegetable plots. “I think the garden-to-cafeteria model is a super cool way that NYU Florence emphasizes sustainability,” says Chocoria Jiang. She’s double majoring in Economics and Environmental Studies and studied away in spring 2025. “The produce grown on campus is directly used to feed the students!”

Many classes use the gardens as a living laboratory. Marketing students propose their own lemon-based beverages, while photography students document the grounds. Theatre students have even joined garden clean-up efforts around the estate’s open-air theater, where they later perform. Finally, food-related classes explore diverse topics from the Mediterranean diet to food and immigration.

Students who want to go deeper can apply for professional development opportunities (PDOs) to work alongside NYU Florence staff on campus-wide projects. “In the beginning I mainly did weeding because there were a lot of weeds from the past semester,” says Eduardo Silva. His PDO took place in the vegetable garden. “But over time it turned into planting, organizing, and preparing the garden for events.” As an NYU Gallatin student studying international food business and agricultural systems, the experience helped him get direct experience with Tuscan gardening practices and new techniques. For instance, “no dig,” a method of growing crops with minimal soil disturbance, reduced the need for water and fertilizer.

NYU Florence students don’t just grow food—they celebrate it. One beloved tradition is Lemon Day, an event inspired by the Medici family’s historic love for citrus fruits. Students harvest fruit alongside local school groups, learn about citrus cultivation, and enjoy a themed lunch and citrus ice cream in the pomario. “It was a lot of citruses—and a lot of fun!” shares Eduardo. In addition, workshops and panels bring students together throughout the semester. There are cooking classes, speaker series, and sustainability-themed celebrations. What’s more, students have practiced M’illumino di Meno, a national energy-saving initiative, and joined NYU 2040 Now, a week-long series of climate-focused events.