GVSU Community Garden

Planting day was an amazing experience that some of us have been imagining for two years now! Crowds of people coming together for food is something that occurs everday, but what is less likely is folks sharing the process of its creation. On a warm Saturday morning we were able to experience the education of youth, planting of seeds, the kind donation of transplants, and the start of new friendships.

And we haven't even harvested yet....what a success!

Several times over the course of the day I stopped what I was doing to appreciate all the people around me working on their plots or helping others. One special memory I will hold in my heart is my experience with Trio Upward Bound GVSU high school students. In the morning we worked together planting flowers and native grasses. In the mist of the chaos I realized I had not shared with these students the importance of their presence as well as the story off the gardens beginning.

The Trio students are visiting us for several occasions in the summer time. The goal of these outings at the garden is to show these high schoolers what can be done with some hard work, dedication and initiative. So I told them the history of the garden.

For those of you who aren't familiar I will share the story again. 

One day a group of students in civic engagement/service learning class decided to create a community garden at GVSU. This idea initially came from some faculty members but the students decided we had the energy to take it on. We could have started any project we wanted, but decided on the garden for several reasons. Most of our food travels thousands of miles to make it to our plates. This takes a lot of energy contributing to climate change as well as a society that is completely disconnected from its food. Fast food restaurants are a common meal for many Americans and this type of eating has created a very unhealthy lifestyle. Through our garden, we envisioned changing these eating patterns through discussion, education, and the growth of our own food. Most importantly we wanted to bring a diverse group of people together and create relationships with one another over something we need everyday, food.

Back to the Trio students...

As I am telling them all of this I found myself looking at glazed over eyes. Determined, I finished my speech regardless of the facial expressions I received. After our talk we continued planting legumes and before we knew it the day was over. As the Trio students were leaving a woman asked if they could be interviewed. She asked one student why they were out at the garden that day and he replied that we are completely disconnected from our food, something I had told the glazed eyed students an hour prior. With this my heart filled with joy, and all the hard work and stress of organizing the garden became worth it. Even if only one student truly understood what I said to them, it was enough. Our community garden has already created a space to educate, relax and reconnect with our home, the earth.

How can one not feel connected to the earth when watching the progression of a tiny seed into a pumpkin? This is what I hope for with the Trio students, that they will leave from their garden with a deeper understanding of food, as well as the inspiration and initiative to create their own solutions.