The Georgia College gardening club is located behind the baseball field and adjacent to the soccer field on West Campus. The learning site is shaped like an elongated rectangle positioned on the edge of a gravel parking lot. A chain link fence encompasses the site, and the only way in is through a double-wide wooden door. Once inside the fence, I immediately noticed the grounds were bare in some areas while others were layered in mulch. Looking to the right of the doors, there were about eight raised seeding grounds with an assortment of vegetables growing within them. As we toured this particular area, I noticed a lot of the plants were dead and/or beginning to sprout—later I learned that most of the plants had been seeded at the beginning of the Fall 2016 semester and have not been doing so well. Cayla, our guide throughout this experience, explained that Georgia soil is rather dry and full of clay, so it is difficult to get a variety of food grown in such a small, infertile area. Furthermore, our group went on to tour the left side of the learning site and it was titled the permaculture station. Here, …show more content…
volunteers and Cayla herself would plant all kinds of foods or trees and have their work cut out for them in the beginning, but as time passed, there would be a gradual decline of the workload required to take care of their harvest. As soon as we got a good glimpse of everything on the site, one of the Grounds workers who was overlooking the site that day explained to us how we would proceed with planting pear trees. Our group of four split in half: two of us planted a tree in the fenced area, while the other (myself and Emily) planted the other tree outside the premises. Amid the process, we learned that it was important to plant two widths of the diameter around the tree root. This promotes rapid root growth to reduce water stress produced by the limited root system. In addition, we were educated about teasing the roots of the trees before placing it on the ground in order to produce growth. After fifteen minutes of digging, inserting and sheltering the tree roots with the dirt we uncovered from the ground, it was time for our next task. Our next assignment consisted of laying mulch over the exposed cardboard in and around the fenced-in site. It was during this time two volunteers showed up for their shift and helped us out with our tasks. The girl who came worked with the other group who was planting in the raised beds, and the guy who came helped us with placing mulch on the ground and planting new crops in the permaculture area. Throughout this experience, I did not think there was so much to be done amidst sustaining a garden, however, I was wrong. It was a great deal of work than expected, but I am glad I had this opportunity to explore the realm of gardening despite my desire to do so. The activities we were engaged in definitely inspired me to want to grow a garden later in life, but maybe not to the extent the gardening club was hoping to create. During the interview with Cayla Sheehan, there were four major themes that prevailed in our conversation: issues of environmental awareness, goals to be reached for the gardening club, cultural identity relevant to relocalization, and the effects of recycling on sustainability. Cayla commented, “One of the main goals of the gardening club is to educate people about sustainable gardening and how you can grow your own food yourself and some of the benefits of that.” This initial idea prompted the gardening club to get their gardening permit on campus to boost sustainability practices. One of the problems she discovered was that underprivileged areas are not getting the fresh fruits and vegetables they need at a reasonable price; sometimes not even at all. Saving money by growing their own food is not only healthier, but it is feasible and cheaper. This practice is substantial in some of those areas due to the number of dialysis centers; “people who are feeding themselves well or haven’t been fed well their whole life would benefit from having that sustainable food source right there.” Making that extra effort to cultivate your own food is a healthy practice and fosters a great sense of community when everyone participates. Community outreach, in terms of goals, stands out as another theme. For one, Cayla would like to see more community space set up because right now they only have one table that can sit four people comfortably. In addition, she estimates “the garden could have a potluck and definitely more plants, always.” She reiterated to our group that the gardening club has been around for almost a year now, so they hope that these long-term goals transpire soon so that later generations of GCSU students can make use of them. Cayla also wanted more decorations—“I want it to be geared toward Georgia College and students that have put forth so much effort into it. I want it to be like when you see the garden that it’s got a personality. We’re setting the precedence right now, so whatever happens, it’s going to get passed on. It’s a lot of pressure.” A volunteer chimed in that she would love to see a greenhouse on the site because it would be much easier to walk outside the fence and grab what she needed instead of hoping what she needed is somewhere off-site. On the other hand, some short-term goals the gardening club would love to incorporate are lush soils. They would love for the plants to want to be in the soil instead of club members forcing them in a soil that may not be sustainable for growth. Diversity is a big goal for this group, as well. Cayla indicated that the purpose of the club is to teach people how to grow their own food, “but gardening is so much more than that.” She would like to see more planting of flowers rather than foods to give the garden a little bit more diversity in the aspect of the appeal. Moreover, the process of globalization was brought up in the middle of the interviewing process. Globalization is the increased interconnectedness among regions of the world, country to country. It is ultimately seen negatively when seen with oppression and power, however the gardening club, on a small scale, is increasing interconnectedness between different parts of the community. It appears to be a micro-crossing of globalization. Relocalization at the gardening club is similar to Debbie Wall’s motto: stop buying from bigger companies and keep things local. However, ideally, Cayla thinks it’s a little bit of both, but with one prevailing over the other. “Sometimes it feels like it’s a little bit more of relocalization more than the globalization that I want it to be just because we are just starting out and there is so much to be done in the garden.” Making the connections with organizations such as Lockerly, Salamander Springs Farm, and the Baldwin County Life Enrichment Center, stagnates the specific goal of the gardening club—to globalize to larger communities—but Cayla appreciates the “start small, work your way” mindset and hopes small gardening businesses do spread to that level. Lastly, on the topic of recycling, the gardening club recognizes and promotes the use of sustainable practices.
The gardening club has old tables sitting out on the side of the garden where most were picked up from a closed down elementary school and one was given by the Grounds Department of Georgia College. Cayla and her crew also “diverted a lot of waste from landfills by using cardboard to put down on the ground before putting mulch on top of it. In doing that, it killed all the weeds and it’s going to compose eventually. The nutrients are going to go back into the soil, so that’s huge.” They have also re-used seeds from other farmers for at least their first round of planting, which turned out to be a major accomplishment because a major seed company—Monsanto—controls about 95% of the market. Due to this fact, the club is both saving money and staying
local. The Service Learning Project at GC West Campus has taught me that creating an identity for yourself in a globalized world is a rather difficult feat to take up. In Orozco’s Formulating Identity in a Globalized World, he talks about transcultural identities as not choosing between two or several different cultures that you align yourself with. Instead, what he proposes is the incorporation of both cultures and “in doing so, they synthesize an identity that does not require them to choose between cultures, but rather allows them to incorporate traits of both cultures while fusing additive elements” (Falicov 2002). This ties in with Cayla Sheehan’s work at the Gardening Club because she discussed her concerns in trying to start this club. Through her experiences, she came to the conclusion that not only is it hard to get students involved in her efforts, but getting public recognition is another hindrance. Through my experiences, I saw that in total only about seven of us were ready to work, yet this university has close to seven thousand students who may or may not know this place exists; I know I did not. In addition, I observed that Cayla and her volunteers had great attitudes when working out in the garden. They described it as being therapeutic and a great way to give back to the environment. In connection to Earth in Mind, David W. Orr argues that there is an association between learning and book-learning. He says that real learning requires first-hand knowledge which includes the mind and the material activity. I learned that Cayla thrives off of first-hand experiences and urges people to propagate their own food without needing to buy overpriced produce from the supermarket. Learning appears to be less dependent on formal instruction and direction and more dependent on a hands-on approach. Orr reasons that a know-why education prevails over a know-how education, and similar to Cayla’s beliefs, it is best to reap the benefits of your own creation than to disconnect from where their food originates from.
Gardening is Finley's graffiti and art. He believes that the gardens are meant to be shared with all and used as a tool to educate and transform his community. The gardens help change and develop the lives and future of children and young people. He believes to make change, you have to focus on the community and change the composition of the soil. The people are the soil. Finley’s plans for the garden include getting people to grow their own food, open farmer's markets, and make healthy cafes out of shipping
The National Future Farmers of America program was started in 1929 by a group of young people desiring an organization in which they could take agricultural education classes, practice their l...
Flanagan starts by describing how important it is for students to learn as much as they can in a classroom because gardening is actually "robbing an increasing number of American schoolchildren of hours they might
In the largely manufactured city of South Central LA, as illustrated by Ron Finley in the video ‘Guerilla Gardener’, people are suffering. Obesity rates are skyrocketing, people are dying from diseases that could be easily treated, all because of produce that is not only expensive, but also unfresh and overwhelmed with pesticides and insecticides. Ron Finley sees this happening in his community and is determined to do something. He explains in his video how gardening is not only a solution to the ongoing food crisis, but is also therapeutic, revolutionary, and life-changing.
The victory garden or home garden was something that was highly popular during World War I and II. People would grow their own produce to help with the local food supply and to ease pressure on the local economy. At that time, almost one third of vegetable that were produced in the United States came from people’s home gardening (Wikipedia.org). Since then, there has been a massive decrease in the home garden. Store bought produce had become common place and as a result people have stopped growing their own food. However, by encouraging home gardening, communities can have sustainable, more nutritious produce readily available.
Growing from its humble beginnings as an ash dump in the late 1800's, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has come to represent today the very best in urban gardening and horticultural display. The Brooklyn Botanical Garden blooms in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world. Each year more than 750,000 people visit the well-manicured formal and informal gardens that are a testament to nature's vitality amidst urban brick and concrete. More than 12,000 kinds of plants from around the globe are displayed on 52 acres and in the acclaimed Steinhardt Conservatory. There's always something new to see. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden offers a variety of public programs all year long. Tours, concerts, dance performances and symposia are always on the roster, as well as special one-time events that feature elements of the Garden at their peak. Each spring the Brooklyn Botanic Garden celebrates the flowering of the Japanese Cherry Trees with our annual Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival), and each fall is spiced up with our multicultural Chili Pepper FiestaA few of the "Many Gardens within a Garden" include the Children's Garden, tended each year by about 450 kids, ages 3 through 18; The Cranford Rose Garden, exhibiting more than 5,000 bushes of nearly 1,200 varieties; The Herb Garden, with more than 300 varieties -- "herbing" is apparently taking the country by storm as people rediscover medicinal, culinary, and other uses; and The Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, a beautiful creation featuring a Viewing Pavilion, Waiting House, Torri, shrines, bridges, stone lanterns, waterfalls, pond, and miniaturized landscape.
Have you ever felt stuck? Wherever you are, it’s the absolute last place you want to be. In the book Into the Wild, Chris McCandless feels stuck just like the average everyday person may feel. Chris finds his escape plan to the situation and feels he will free himself by going off to the wild. I agree with the author that Chris McCandless wasn’t a crazy person, a sociopath, or an outcast because he got along with many people very well, but he did seem somewhat incompetent, even though he survived for quite some time.
The documentary film “The Garden,” by Scott Hamilton Kennedy captivates and captures the South Central Los Angeles farmers struggles and conflicts they faced trying to save the South Central Farm. The 14 acre garden grows fresh vegetables and fruits, such as: corn, beans, papayas, and etc. It was one of the largest community garden and became known as the urban garden. Doris Bloch, the founder of the community garden, said in the documentary that the land could be use to build a garden for the community residents to grow their own food. Bloch said “ very low income family that deserves to grow their own food… land, people, food, it's a pretty simple idea. happy days.” The farmers took an advantage to use that land to grow their own vegetables
Americans, as a whole, are fat, over-indulged, lazy, entitled humans. As a whole, yes, yes Americans are all of these things. In 2004, Alison Motluk, a freelance journalist who writes for numerous magazines including the New Scientist, The Walrus, and The Economist, pens an article called “Supersize Me: It’s Time to Stop Blaming Fat People for Their Size.” Motluk blames the food industry for increased portions. She blames the food industry for unhealthy, addictive additives dumped into our food. She blames the food industry for easy access to fast food. She blames city growth for making it near impossible to walk to get food therefore, people have to drive to get sustenance. Motluk blames schools for fat children because physical education
#M003 Meta Title: Landscaping Your Home Meta Description: As a homeowner, landscaping is an important part of home maintenance. There are a few elements to consider for a beautiful landscaping project. Meta Keywords: decorative rock Las Vegas, landscaping Las Vegas Summary: There are many elements involved in creating and maintainting beautiful curb appeal.
The term “organic” is almost everywhere in modern society, whether it’s used to promote a product or it’s debated on whether it really benefits the human diet. Organic food is heavily debated on as it appears more and more in local grocery stores and farmers markets begin to populate, it raises questions such as “Is organic food better than food grown with pesticides and biologically engineered genes?” and “Are there benefits to eating organically over foods grown in any other way?” In terms of what data and results show in research may help lead to answers to most of the heavily debated issues throughout discussions on organic food.
Transition: We all know that save money is a major benefit for, but that is not all that gardening can do.
Our world is growing! Growing in population that is, but the resources are staying the same. To help with the growing of the population that will be happening in the 21st century, science and agriculture need to work hand-in-hand. They need to stand together to make a break through together, to insure that everyone will have food on their plate. We need to work to have larger yields with the land we have. Some people say that humans need to change their diet, and others say that we should destroy hundreds of acres of wild land.
Organic farming has mushroomed drastically in importance and influence worldwide from its modest beginnings in the first half of the last century. Organic farming is production of food and livestock without the use of herbicides, pesticides, weedicides, fertilizers or genetically modified organism and use natural resources such as manure and compost instead. In other words, it is a production system which maintains the quality of soil ecosystem as well as human beings. According to IOWA State University, “the chemicals were not used for farming before World War 2. A number of munitions used in farming have contributed to field of agriculture. For instance, ammonium nitrate used as ammonium nitrate fertilizer”.
Home gardens offer a wide variety of benefits to the environment and serve a diverse group of people. Home gardening provides a source of fresh produce and free of chemicals, it also gives you complete control over the chemicals and products used during the growing process. A home garden allows you to pick the produce when its ripe, unlike produce at the store is often picked before its fully ripe. The quality and flavor of the freshly picked produce from home is better than the produce that might have unknown chemicals and was likely picked several days or weeks before being sold. The produce retains more nutrients when consumed shortly after being picked, making your home garden vegetables a healthier option. A garden also provides a positive environmental impact. The compost allows you to recycle certain kitchen and yard waste into a nutrient-rich additive for the garden. This provides natural fertilizer for you plants and reduces the wastes you produce. If you choose to avoid or limit chemical use, you reduce pollution from your gardening activities. Besides being good for the environment gardens have environmental gains for us. Gardening help control urban temperatures, If the environmental landscape design is effective it can cool your home in summer and warm it in winter, it can also reduce the energy cost by up to 20%. Gardening, and all the physical activity that goes along with it, leads to a better overall physical health, weight loss, improve you bones, and reduces the risk of having osteoporosis. “In a study of 3,310 older women, researchers from the University of Arkansas found that women involved in yard work and other types of gardening exercises had lower rates of osteoporosis than joggers, swimmers, and women wh...