Author Mirabel Osler once said, “There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling.”
Plenty of smiles can be found at the campus organic garden on Sunday afternoons.
“Gardening is very rewarding for me because I can see the results in a very tangible way,” said junior Natan Harel. “It’s relaxing, simple work that makes sense.”
The Organic Gardening Club is a student-run organization that raises several crops, ranging from asparagus to tomatoes to carrots to fig trees. According to its official statement of purpose, the club intends “to facilitate and guide the creation of a natural space that fosters spiritual awareness and growth, intellectual experience, and a greater sense of community.”
“We invite everyone and anyone to come out and join us,” said junior Lizza Vachon, president of the club. “We have about seven dedicated people who come out every week but we always hope to have more people participate.”
The club incorporates the statement of purpose into the duties that they perform. As a whole, they strive to head in directions that will directly benefit Guilford and its students.
“In the future, I would like to see our crops from the garden contribute to the campus vegetable co-op,” said Vachon. “I’d also eventually like to see the club supply some products to the cafeteria.”
The club’s statement of purpose also states that the garden should provide “a sanctuary where members of the community can safely gather in order to pursue spiritual goals.”
“The garden is intended to be a space for people who enjoy gardening,” said Harel. “It’s a place to meditate, to try new things, and to learn.”
The club also hopes to involve the Greensboro community outside of Guilford, including a community outreach which would give elementary-age children the opportunity to work in the garden. They would learn about topics such as nutrition and agriculture that they probably would not otherwise.
The statement of purpose also appoints the garden “as a place in which students, faculty, staff, and other members of the Greensboro community may learn about the functional application of sustainable gardening.” The club practices several methods that promote sustainability within the garden.
“We don’t use any pesticides, fertilizers, or other chemicals,” said Vachon. “We also take scraps from the cafeteria and compost them.”
The club also reuses and makes materials rather than purchasing them. For example, when they needed a hose to water plants, they asked facilities to solder two old hoses together instead of buying one. Budget issues encourage these resourceful practices but they also correlate with the club’s philosophy of self-sustainability
The dedication and hard work that the club produces indicates that the members stand by the principles that founded the club.
Clutching a handful of seeds, Harel said, “It is so amazing to me that these little seeds all contain life!” As it expands and grows in the future, the Organic Gardening Club will continue to bring life to the Guilford and Greensboro communities.
The Organic Gardening Club meets Sundays at 2 p.m. at the garden by the Pines.