This program is growing upward by Terry Bishop

Tucked away on the west side of campus is a growing, student-driven program that involves several different career paths ranging from construction to conservation. For some students, the Learning Garden is an opportunity to gain experience before graduation.

Scott Alexander is one of those students. He was unhappy with his job and, after a great deal of consideration, he gave up a secure job to seek a degree in construction.

Alexander’s dream is to build environmental friendly living spaces. Knowing how important it is to have credentials, he decided to take the long way to getting the career of his dreams. Although he loves the idea of working for trade instead of money, Alexander knows that is not likely to be the case in today’s society.

Alexander, who’s also a diabetic, says the time he spends in the garden gives him some much-needed exercise without running on a treadmill.

His wife, Lynnette, was extremely supportive of his decision to follow his dream. Standing by her man as she has for 14 years, she enrolled at LCC with him.

Alexander’s passion for sustainable living and coexistence with nature led him to the Learning Garden. Since September he’s learned to grow vegetables he often uses in his homemade meals.

“It would benefit everyone to know where their food comes from,” Alexander said.

The club grows a fall crop and an early spring crop. There are also apple and pear trees.

Rosie Sweetmen, the program director, has offered the Learning Garden to teachers as a place for students to gain hands on experience during class hours. This allows teachers to incorporate the work done in the garden into their curriculum.

Before Alexander was a technical support engineer, he was a cook for 10 years. Now he’s in the construction program at LCC. Alexander’s construction class is building a shelter for students to take refuge when it rains during work parties at the garden. The work parties meet rain or shine.

Now Alexander enjoys time outside rain or shine planting and taking care of the garden alongside people such as Justine Jennings.

Jennings, a student volunteer, is new to the Learning Garden and her first impression of the facility was excitement.

“[I was] really excited to have the opportunity to learn the skill of gardening and take it with me for life,” Jennings said.

One of the program’s goals is to grow the number of vegetables required by culinary students with the possibility of expanding the types of vegetables. The compost used in the soil is half kitchen waste from campus and the rest is leaves and manure.

Members of the Learning Garden club are working towards making compost tea. The fertilizer is organic and contains some kelp meal and fish emulsion. Right now the club is experimenting with composting directly onto raised beds.

The garden offers opportunities to construction, botany, arts and water conservation students before graduation, allowing them to map out and design what to do with the space the Learning Garden occupies.

Shyanne Woods, president of the Learning Garden, was originally in the energy conservation program when she was recruited to organic food production. Woods is currently bringing awareness to the programs by acting as the club’s student face. She encourages students to become involved in the garden’s sustainability opportunities.

Woods says the garden offers the opportunity to plant with her own hands and watch those crops grow.

The club cuts down on its carbon footprint by using hand-powered tools in the garden instead of relying on gas-powered machines. The garden is funded by $1 of the student activity fee and a smaller subsidy from the culinary department.

The club meets in the Learning Garden located behind the preschool playground on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

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Terry Bishop is currently pursuing a journalism major.