An Idea Takes Root

When Matt Gregory turned in his philosophy paper on urban farming, he knew it was far from done. Sure, he'd thoroughly developed a thoughtful, comprehensive argument - but all that reflection on the subject had gotten him thinking: There should really be a vegetable garden on campus.

The seed had been planted. Now it was up to him to make it grow.

He talked around - to science professors, like-minded students, the student club Alliance for Planet Earth, facility administrators. He knew the interest was out there - it was just a matter of finding the land. "Then, through word of mouth, the idea circulated around to the grounds department," recalls the senior English major.

And that's when things started to take root. Before long, a sunny spot had been secured for a raised-bed vegetable garden behind the Rita Liddy Hollings Science Center.

"It's such a prime spot because it's out of the way, so it doesn't seem out of place, but it's not so far off the beaten path that it doesn't get noticed," says Grounds Supervisor Paty Cowden, adding that the area is also home to a native garden as well as a collection of rain barrels that help conserve water and reduce runoff. "I think it's kind of cool to have this little corner of campus that's showing what it takes to be sustainable."

And showing people how little it takes to build a sustainable food system is Gregory's main M.O.

"I want people to see that it's easy to grow your own food - and you reap such huge benefits," he says. "Edible gardens give you the freshest food at the lowest cost. You don't have to worry what chemicals it has on it - and you're cutting energy use. Plus, growing food raises your consciousness."

And, while the little garden behind the Science Center produced corn, okra, black beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and squash over the summer, it's that awareness - that inspiration and motivation - that Gregory is really trying to harvest.

"I wanted to introduce people to the concept with this one edible garden - it's a microcosm of what we should be doing on a bigger scale," he says. "This is just one small step."

The next step? More mini-edible gardens scattered across campus - starting behind the sociology and anthropology departments' St. Philip Street offices, where Tracy Burkett, associate professor of sociology and coordinator of the Environmental Studies Program, has reserved a garden patch for the urban agriculture course she's teaching this spring (and which was largely inspired by Gregory's enthusiasm).

"I could see the garden as a very important part of the environmental studies minor," says Burkett, noting that she hopes to establish hands-on internship opportunities in urban agriculture as well. But, she points out, there's so much more than agricultural practices, soil types and runoff prevention that can be learned from the gardens: "There's something here for business students, for education students - you name it. I really think this is something that could be used across the curriculum." But the potential impact of Gregory's urban-gardening initiative isn't limited to the College's curriculum or even to its landscape.

"If we have another Matt Gregory come along, there's no telling how far this could go," laughs Burkett. But even something as simple as cultivating a good-sized garden at the College's Dixie Plantation could generate enough produce to sell at the farmer's market, serve at catered events and even donate to community organizations. "We have a real opportunity here."

For Gregory, that opportunity lies within the College's natural position of leadership in the greater Charleston area - something that should not be taken lightly.

"We rooted this in education because academia is supposed to be about progress, preparing for the future. The College has to be the role model for the whole city," he says. "If we do this right, we could establish ourselves as South Carolina's urban-gardening authority - the state's mecca of community gardening."

And, considering the groundwork Gregory has already laid for such large-scale success, it's not an entirely unrealistic scenario.

After all, he's got the entire campus rooting for him.