The community garden is blooming with opportunities, including helping with community service hours, the availability of fresh produce, and the option to learn more about gardening.
Constructed in front of the science building three years ago, the garden is run by Professor Melinda Butler, Professor Mark Brown, and Dean Eric Shows, who all help teach students how to garden and how to harvest the many crops they grow properly.
The garden is filled with beets, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cabbage and leeks. With such a variety of crops to choose from, students can learn multiple harvesting methods. While it was Butler’s idea to start the garden, Brian Johnson made it a reality. Johnson turned what was originally a small patch of bushes into the community garden. Having laid the walkway himself, it serves its purpose well, while being stylish at the same time
Butler invites students to come and help with the community garden.
“Anybody is welcome to come,” said Butler. “I love showing off the garden and talking about it”
Butler recommends those even outside of the biology program to visit the garden.
“Students can use the garden as community service hours, or just to learn and relax.”
Butler uses the garden to teach not only about food, but also how insect life and plants are intertwined. Despite teaching full loads with classes and labs, the professors find time to teach and help with the garden. Brown, assisting the Phi Theta Kappa students to find ways to complete their service hours, decided to push the garden as an idea.
“The foremost purpose for the garden was to enhance learning of students from science, botany, horticulture and other disciplines,” Brown said. “Phi Theta Kappa remains dedicated to helping provide volunteers to continue the project for the foreseeable future.”
PTK student Lake Jordan, needing PTK service hours, decided to help with the garden.
“It’s been fun learning about the professors’ lives,” Jordan said. “Also learning how to help grow and maintain plants.”
For more information on the garden project contact the instructors: melinda.butler@jcjc.edu or mark.brown@jcjc.edu
by Malachi Davis
