By Sutton Snow, Reporter
ROME, Ga. — One of life’s best-kept secrets is gardening. My boss in Berry’s carpentry shop, Jake Hackett, mentioned the idea of planting a garden. He invited the shop’s students to participate, and the seed was planted.
I asked Hackett where he got the idea to start a garden, which isn’t a typical activity for a carpentry shop.
“Mainly books by Charles Dowding and wanting to learn how to be self-sustainable,” Hackett told me.
He admitted to not having much gardening experience going into the project.
“It’s head knowledge put into action,” he said. And the purpose? “To provide organic food and integrate organic healthy produce into our diets . . . and to give students a sense of self-sufficiency.”
The garden is located behind the campus police station near the president’s house. Getting it started consisted of measuring, marking rows, planting seeds, and watering. We measured off 20 by 20 feet or 400 square feet. We tilled to prepare the soil. Next, we planted carrots, beets, collards, mixed lettuce, greens, broccoli, and brussels sprouts.
Teniya Evans, a student supervisor in the shop, said she loved the experience, especially “learning how to use a tiller and the camaraderie.”
“It takes a lot of planning, and it’s not as easy as it seems,” said Evans, a music major.
She said she plans to garden in the future because it will save money.
“It’s a cool experience to be able to grow your own food,” she said. “Having a direct relationship with your food is great, too. It’s better than getting fast food and not knowing where things came from.”
Sophomore Michael Vaughns, who also participated, said he simply “loves gardens.”
Vaughns said carrots were his favorite thing that we planted. I asked if he planned to garden in the future. “I would love to do so for the aesthetics and sustainability,” he said.
Dr. Brian Campbell, an associate professor of environmental studies and anthropology at Berry, said gardening can teach many valuable life lessons.
“A garden needs constant attention, including proper watering, mulching, fertilizing, and weeding,” he said. “And gardening is very healthy for mental and physical health.
Personally rewarding
I know I found this experience to be insightful and enjoyable, and I acquired a valuable life skill. Going forward, I believe having a garden will make for a great hobby. I’m not exactly sure what I want to grow yet, but it would most likely be a mix of fruits and vegetables, maybe bell peppers and strawberries. Having a garden would allow me to relax and learn at the same time, as well.
We in the carpentry shop are planning to harvest this week. My boss said we would cook everything up right after harvesting. I want to thank Mr. Hackett for thinking outside the ordinary and giving us a chance to participate in this rewarding endeavor.