With the research program coming to an end, the stretch to write the proposal has become increasingly challenging.

Holy Cross campus is approximately 174 acres, and for the most part it is all on a slope. So where would the community garden even be located? It’s a tough question to answer because truthfully we are limited in the space we can use. The assistant director of physical plants pointed out several problems that we would face in the site selections that we thought would be plausible. As disheartening as that is, it is valuable for us to hear the skepticism.  Post meeting, Matt and I both felt like we need some time to reevaluate what we are doing and to take some time to process everything we have learned. Realistically, we might have been too optimistic. Up until this point, we have only heard positive feed backs and encouragements. Also, visiting other colleges that have been so receptive to such idea did give us an illusion that Holy Cross would be the same.

Even with the small step back, I do believe the meeting pushed us to think outside the box. We continued to network with other faculty members on campus, and it began to spark some new ideas that gave us back our optimisms (you will have to go to the Research Symposium on September 5th to hear our plan ).

Beyond this research and the community garden project, I have also been able to discover something new. The week that Matt and I felt a bit discouraged, it made me think about what this all means. What was I expecting from this research? Why was I doing this? Of course, the idea of physically establishing a garden is appealing, but that wasn’t the reason why I did this. It is nice to see the fruit of your labor, especially if it is something physical; however,  it is more than that. The idea of creating a “recipe” for people to use in the future is a mind-blogging concept.  This recipe we are formulating is not just for us, but it is potentially a tool for people in the years to come. Whether they take this recipe to be inspiring or even discerning—that’s a beautiful thing. Hence, the success of our ‘research’ will not be defined by some tangible measurement; rather it is define by the very act that we conducted one. The very act that we want to researched and immersed ourselves to this idea of creating a garden and writing a proposal to the administrators. This act will promote some sort of conversations—any conversations, positive or negative.

All these questions and reflection led me to explore my hometown, good old city of Worcester (I walked around for roughly four hours on a Sunday morning). As I was walking, I stumbled upon small pocket community gardens and parks that reminded me of why I am passionate. I am passionate because the flaws we see hold potentiality to something much greater. These community gardens stand out like a sore thumb within an urban setting, and it makes me wonder about the imperfections of our daily lives and beyond that as well. The idea of community garden itself makes me wonder about the food movement and our food system. The contrasting physical looks of a garden to a building makes me wonder about our relationship with ourselves, with each other, and with the environment. The idea of a community garden in general makes me wonder about the very idea of producing and consuming—what does it mean to be human? All I know is that, this research is just the end of the beginning.

One of the few gardens I stumbled upon.

One of the few gardens I stumbled upon.

In the original proposal, Matt and I  explained that it is crucial for us to closely analyze other colleges in the region that has an established garden/farm. The importance of doing so is to attest to the feasibility of a successful college garden. The material gathered will provide us with invaluable insight and enable us to compose a more comprehensive report. In order to attain the information, we will be conducting detailed interviews with students and faculty members who are involved with their campus’ garden. Additionally, we have selected a number of colleges to visit. By visiting, we would have a chance to have a more personal face-to-face interview, along with the opportunity to have an upfront look at their garden and how it is operated.

Our first visit was to Yale Farm (check my blog post a few weeks ago), which had prepared us well. For the last few days we were able to scheduled meetings (listed in order) to: Colby College, Bowdoin College, and Williams College.

After a tiring, yet amazing, experience the last week or so, it had opened my eyes to the numerous of directions our very own garden can become to be. I will be highlighting a few key points from each college visits:

Colby College: One of the things I found interesting was that the summer interns expressed that they are independent in regards to tending the garden.  A dining faculty (Colby’s garden expert) further explained that he allows the interns to have this freedom because part of the learning process is failing. In experimenting and failing, one is able to creatively think of new ways to do things. If something did not go well, one seek out for a different method. Learning is a process, where the answer is not always so clear-cut. Moreover, the interview also provided us with a new perceptive of where we would want to locate our garden. Colby’s garden is a little isolated from the campus, and it makes sense for them because at time a garden is not so aesthetic looking. Hence, if we were to establish a garden on campus, this is something we need to consider. For instance, we might seek out an alternative, such as raise beds because it provides a more appealing look and it is also easier to maintain.

Colby Garden

Colby Garden

Bowdoin College: In contrast with Colby, Bowdoin operates in a different manner. Bowdoin has a garden director and garden assistant that work with dining. Bowdoin’s ‘garden’ is much bigger; therefore, having the two additional staff members is necessary. In addition, the interns cannot be as independent, since the size of the farm requires much more work and maintenance. However,what I found fascinating was how well dining and the garden staffs work with each other. They communicate with each other and collaboratively comes up with new dishes that incorporate the produces that are grown from Bowdoin’s garden. This relationship is something that I hope a garden on Holy Cross’ campus would established—a sense of unity. Food can be creative and inspirational. If dining works closely with a garden that symbolize the idea of sustainability and virtues, it will be fully immerse with the college’s overall mission. Every aspect of our lives reflect on who we are, and that does not excludes the food that we consume.

Bowdoin Organic Garden

Bowdoin Organic Garden

A local grocery market we stumbled upon in Brunswick, ME. There are so many amazing local stores in the area!

A local grocery market we stumbled upon in Brunswick, ME. There are so many amazing local stores in the area!

Williams College: The garden at Williams is funded under the college’s Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives. Similar to Colby, there is one person overseeing the garden and interns, and for the most part interns have a wide range of freedom. On the other hand, I thought it was interesting that their gardens were located in a very visible part on campus. The staff leading the gardens on campus explained that the more visible it is, the more likely everyone on campus will contributes to maintaining it. It is also interesting to note that the two gardens are both relatively small in size. One of the gardens is solely made up of raise beds.This was a great experience for Matt and me because Holy Cross is very limited to space; thus, Williams’ model can potentially be something Holy Cross can replicate. Additionally, we were already thinking that raise beds would be the best option for us, and being able to see how it is utilized was extremely helpful. Lastly, something that sparked some interest was the idea of growing ‘edible’ plants throughout campus— such a simple idea holds so many meanings.

Greetings from Williams

Williams Sustainable Garden

Williams Sustainable Garden

Williams Sustainable Garden–raise beds!

Everything we experienced was very inspirational as we continue along our research. We are so appreciative that the staffs that met with us had set aside some time to show us around and answer our questions. It also made be so grateful for this opportunity this summer, the Mellon Program have allowed me to explore all these wonderful new places, as well as meeting different people with different values, characters, and visions. At the end of the day, it reminds me that I am truly not alone in this journey, rather I am part of something much bigger

Do you ever feel like life needs a pause button (let’s leave the philosophical argument aside)?  Lately, I have been semi-wishing I had one. My research is kicking in full gear and there’s no sign that it is slowing down from here—half freaking out and half dancing with joy. For the last three weeks, I have cultivated an immense number of new ideas, new outlooks, and new inspirations. There are so many avenues that Matt and I can follow when creating this garden and writing up the proposal. All these aspects make me feel a little overwhelmed at times, since each discovery pulls me from one idea to another.

At my grandma’s garden, I am at peace at last.

A good chunk of the background is on a steep hill, raise beds are the best viable options!

Being reminded that I grew up watching and helping my grandma garden rejuvenates my state of mind. A good handful of the literature I read talks extensively about gardens being a movement to promote sustainability, address social and political issues, and symbolize self-sufficiency.  All important, however, my grandma’s garden means something different.

In “The Meaning of Gardens,” Mark Francis and Randolph T. Hester quoted a Hmong gardener, stating;

“Well, when we are working in the garden we just enjoy working and doing things like that, kind of fun to do, but when the vegetables or things that we grow sprout and come out, the vegetables just remind us of our country so we feel sad and miss our country.”

The quote relates to my grandma a lot…and also to many immigrants who move to the United States. Part of them is awestruck by their new life in America, but another part of them cannot let go of their homeland. This touched me.

Cultures are created by humans, and it is often time viewed as a negative thing. Culture is what some view to be the separation between one people to another. Yet, in my eyes and what some scholars argue, is that culture is what makes us human and what truly brings people together. Establishing a community garden would remind us that the cultural barriers are created out of resistance, instead unity is what promotes justice. Today, we alienate people that we deem to be ‘different,’ but in a garden all social and political walls are almost non-existence.

My grandma’s garden showcases a mixture of culture. As years pass, she begins to grow more common American vegetables and fruits; such as romaine lettuce, blueberries, and raspberries. That is beautiful in itself. Human beings are capable of adopting new perspectives. Our differences can appear to be so vastly diverse, but in reality, it is us who chooses to be separated. My grandma’s garden shows that she is not afraid to be proud of where she is from, and at the same time she is not afraid to call America her second home. Hence, by cultivating a community garden, it allows everyone to be part of a unique blend of ideas.

The Mellon Summer Research Program’s theme for this year is called, “Scholarship on the Cutting Edge.” This did not particularly strike me at first, but within three weeks of my research, it began to speak some volume to me.

On the cutting edge means something that is ‘up to date’ or ‘trendy.’ When I first thought about it, it felt almost like an insult to the academic field. Why do media outlets, the general public, and gradually academia only care about what is current or what is popular? It feels as though it deludes us from leaving our comfort zone and that taking a few steps backward is forbidden. If academia must constantly be restrained from this ‘deconstructionism’ mindset, it loses its potential to develop fully and provides a multi-layer of complex insight. It is like saying one can only do something in a particular way, which means authenticity is lost.

Understanding the world and critically analyzing it requires a mixture of old and new.

So how did my research proposal get approved? A community garden on one hand symbolizes this urgency for a movement to go back to the past, as it urges one to trace back to one’s root. It calls for a departure from the modern-technological world one lives in–the complete opposite of ‘cutting edge’.

However, as I slowly began to be engrossed with my readings, the theme ‘on the cutting edge’ means something new to me, and even further, it pushes me to think about my research differently. Community garden on the other hand is, in fact, on the cutting edge.

You may or may not know, but community gardens used to be funded by the federal government as an emergency relief program. Yes, those victory gardens back then after and during WWII was actually created to provide adequate food for local communities rather than just a symbolic entity. Overtime, the creation of community gardens reflected the various concerns that were being faced during that particular time period. Interestingly enough, the benefits of having a community garden remains the same, but advocates would portray it in a way that sounds appealing and timing to the general public. My conclusion is that from one generation to the next, people are socially constructed to think a particular way or view things in a particular light. However, claims have to start from the fundamentals, no matter what. For community gardens, the urgency for them never died down, it was just constructed in a different way as society developed. It shows that no matter how much we attempt to neglect our natural world, part of us, the primitive part of us, holds on to it subconsciously. We forever belong to Earth.

As I am gradually developing what the proposal will look like, it only becomes clear that the establishment of a community garden on campus calls for a ‘movement.’ We need to get students, faculty members, administrators, and the citizens of Worcester excited. We need to begin a movement that calls for the necessity of a community garden–that is on the cutting edge. The cutting edge symbolizes a movement. It symbolizes the ways and means of stirring controversy and momentum, which calls for ideas of the past and present to be integrated as one. I was naive to be misguided that deconstructionism is only used to reflect post modernism ideas, though that could be the case for some scholars, but for other scholars and myself on the cutting edge is exactly about going backward. We begin our understanding from the ‘basics’ to create something entirely different. It is not about trying to overthrow the old ideas, but it is about transforming and restructuring it to form something that will move people—get people talking—get people excited—get people to break away from their comfort zone, and instead stand on the edge with all the anxiety, fear, determination, and readiness.

It has been amazing to actually have time to sit down and read, and this time around I am following my own ‘syllabus.’ Besides our initial goal to spend the first three weeks doing literature reviews, we also got the amazing opportunities to meet with the coordinator for the Urban Garden Resources of Worcester (UGROW) program under the Regional Environmental Council (REC) in Worcester, and a day trip to Yale University to meet with the director of “The Yale Farm,” on Friday. I will post a separate blog entry about the two visits later this week!

Thursday June 12th: We met with the coordinator of (UGROW) to discuss our potential roles with the organization. Matt and I, along with our advisers, believed that getting hands on experience would give us tremendous insight on the basic knowledge in community farming. In addition, we got to hear some amazing new projects that UGROW is currently working on. It would be great to be able to get involved, especially in something that is still in the midst of being fulfilled. Getting a front row seat in how a community garden is created, not only would allow show us the basic methods in beginning a garden, but we would be able to scout out the partners in the community that would help us move forward—and that is key. Building connections is probably the most crucial aspects of starting any new venture.

Friday June 13th: Although Matt and I were planning for the end of June to make our college visits, we were more than happy to have the chance to go down to Yale University. The director of Yale Farm was simply wonderful. I have to admit I did do some research before we headed down there—and without a doubt the Yale Farm’s director is extremely knowledgeable.

We left around 9 AM Friday morning, and unfortunately we were greeted with a downpour, but that didn’t dampen our excitement. By 1130 AM we arrived in New Haven, CT and boy did I fall in love with the city. The streets were pristine; several shops and cafes on every street corner, and at the same time there was this nice quaint atmosphere that made you forget that you were in a city to begin with. I wish I was able to take some pictures, but the rain was unbearable by the time we got there.

Before our meeting, Matt’s sister, who works in the area, was kind enough to take us out for lunch. The place she picked aligned with our mission of sustainability quite well. It was called, Claire’s Corner Copia, a vegetarian restaurant established since 1975, with a motto declaring: ‘good ingredients for a better world’–quite humbling and inspiring, I think. As for their food… delish–homemade lavender lemonade? Yes, please. So, if you’re in the area I would highly recommend :>

Now, getting down to business, after our meeting with Yale Farm’s director it dramatically changed our course of action. It might sound upsetting, but Matt and I are extremely grateful that we came to this realization early on. I don’t really want to go into too much detail, since there’s a lot I can say, but it was clear that we need to revise our strategy.

Initially, we have outlined our proposal as such:

Part I: Why Garden and the Benefits of Community Gardening—this ranges from an ethical, social, political, and academia standpoint. More importantly, since the proposal will be introduced to the faculty members and administration at Holy Cross, we need to show them that the mission of the college fully supports a community garden.

Part II: Case Studies—this consists of doing case studies of other colleges that is similar to Holy Cross, in order to show the basic logistics in gardening methods, how to organize garden staffs, what steps did they took to get their garden implemented, and so forth. Matt and I envisioned creating a chart-like form to showcase each college’s methods, hoping that it will provide us a variety of ways Holy Cross can structure their garden.

What We Learned: We need to put more emphasis on how the garden reflects the College’s mission statement. That means creating real excitement on campus and gaining support from students, faculty members, administrations, alumni, and even parents. Even though providing the administration a detailed outlined of the methods and logistics that goes into gardening is useful—the bottom line is, it’s more important to showcase the urgency or the need of implementing one. Some ideas Matt and I thought of were creating a detailed poll that will be distributed to the student body, or an event that would be exhilarating to the campus and community. A strong foundation is the answer.

As I am reading through some of the books and articles that I have gathered, many scholars claim that farming and gardening addresses the concern of ‘food politics.’ Food politics, for this blog’s sake, refers to the “ethical, political, and ideological concerns that affect food decisions by consumers” (Andrew Flachs). One thing that truly hit home for me, and has been a reoccurring theme in many of my readings, was the idea that a community garden reminds us that human beings are just another species on Earth. We are nothing special, just another complex, intricate, and beautiful piece of a bigger puzzle. Yet, often time the choices of food we buy display our unconscious awareness that what we eat represents our ethical decisions.

In my original proposal to the Mellon Summer Research committee, I wrote, “There have been numerous scholarly articles declaring this particular generation as the ‘me’ or egocentric generation—where the ‘I’ is of the upmost importance.”  Is it not true? As humans we always like to see ourselves as the ruler of the Earth, and due to this perception we feel empowered to do whatever we please.  An even greater dilemma is that we forget to reflect on a deeper level of our relationship with the natural world—especially those of us living in urban areas.

This egocentric view that we have of ourselves greatly affects how we act ethically and can arguably be the main reason why the concern for environmental sustainability have become so popular. We have forgotten the importance of preserving what is already there; instead we alter it to our pleasing. Thus, community gardening brings many people back to the realization that the environment, ‘what is out there,’ is a part of us. We are also out there.

In “The Agrarian Vision,” Paul Thompson reflected on a story Michael Pollan (a prominent author and food activist) discussed in one of his works, which talks about Cathedral Pines, a natural preserved in Cornwall, CT. In 1989, the park was completely destroyed by a violent storm, and the main debate was whether or not to restore the land to its ‘original’ state. Pollan sided with those who argued that they should do nothing, as he further stated that the Cathedral Pines was the “second-growth forest, replacing hardwoods that had been cleared by European settlers…” (Thompson).

That is a perfect example which depicts our impulse to modify our surroundings. What researchers and scholars have shown is that incorporating a community garden reminds us that we cannot control everything; instead, we should act so within our means. Gardens symbolize our relationship with the natural world around us, and that we need the environment more than it needs us. If we are craving for an apple, and it is not apple season—it is what it is. Nature tells us we should not go out of our way—because, as we come to realize, doing so leads us to destructive consequence. Of course, this viewpoint can be completely wrong, but is it not worth thinking about?

In solidarity,

Cindy

Works Cited

Flachs, Andrew. “Food for Thought: The Social Impact of Community Gardens in the Greater Cleveland Area.”Electronic Green Journal 1.30 (2010): 1-9. Web.

Thompson, Paul B., and Inc ebrary. The Agrarian Vision. Lexington, Ky.: University Press of Kentucky, 2010. Culture of the Land: A Series in the New Agrarianism Web.

Today, I  want to take the time and go into details about the overall goal of the project and the breakdown of the first few weeks. My research partner, Matt, and I will try to answer three questions:

• Why a garden? – Why should we choose the medium of a garden as a vehicle of expression?
• Why a community garden? – By incorporating the community into this garden project, in what ways does Holy Cross and local organizations benefit?
•  What type of garden? – In order to determine what agricultural methods the garden will use, we must decide what crops to plant, what agricultural techniques will be used, and answer other physically and spatially oriented questions.

Let me explain a little further. The first two questions are crucial because our (American) culture is often centered upon that which is convenient and quick. Hence, why should an individual take time out of their busy day to garden if one can drive or walk down the street and buy something?

For the first three weeks, the majority of our time will be spent collecting data and doing literature reviews in order to compile concrete evidence and insight as to why a garden, and more specifically, a community garden is beneficial to the individual, the community, and the environment (I am sure, as we conduct further research other related questions will arise). Once, we have a good grasp of the fundamental questions, we will move on to learning the type of garden we should have and what it takes to actually create one that will succeed in the urban/New England areas.

As for my own personal experience, I wholeheartedly believe that a community garden is needed as it symbolizes something much deeper.

One of the things that inspired me was a class I took as a freshman in college, which was a food philosophy course called, “I am, Therefore I Eat.” The class gave me the tools to start critically thinking about the topic of food, and lead me to volunteer for the Community Harvest Project. This organization is a non-profit, which grows, tend, and produce fresh vegetables and fruits in order to assist with the alarming hunger issues in Worcester County. I first learned about the non-profit organization through interning at the Community-Based Learning department at my school. The department’s mission is to encourage students to take the theories they learn in class and try to critically apply them with hands-on experience. I did just that. It should be noted that when I did volunteer for the Community Harvest Project, I was a junior; yet, the knowledge I have gained from the class as a freshman resonated within me. The different ideas, theories, and discussions from a few semesters ago came back to me.

My time at Community Harvest Project showed me that farming is similar to a form of art—it is intricate in many ways. The method you use must be executed accordingly, or else your crops will fail. The way you act on it requires a delicate hand, as well as pride for your work. It is exhausting and sometimes redundant that you almost want to give up, similar to a painter who can’t seem to get that one aspect of his work the way he likes it. Moreover, it requires knowledge about your surroundings because you might just stumble upon some friendly—or not so friendly—creatures. Lastly, farming is unpredictable, which requires you to reevaluate and do some experimenting.

Frustrating as it seems, there is a beauty to it. The idea of growing and harvesting produce is something to take great pride in, as the work is not easy, and it takes a tremendous effort and devotion in order to have a successful season. In addition, working with other people and being in touch with the environment results in something deeper. The engagement and the awareness you gain from forming relations with strangers, acquaintances, or friends can create a unique bond and learning experience. You find something about yourself, and you discover something new about the world. Oftentimes in our mundane routine, we tend to ignore the dysfunctional and flawed parts of our lives because we like to feel ‘comfortable.’ Thus, tending a garden, side-by-side, to produce something so fundamentally valuable in our daily lives creates a positive sense of unity and harmony.

I am positive that through this journey I will discover new answers and develop a new way of thinking. Essentially, academics and experience goes hand-in-hand as it forces us to constantly have an open mind and critically examine the world as a whole. Until next time fellow foodies! :>

Cheers,

Cindy