Opportunity Gardens: And What An Opportunity!

Tell us your experience with gardening...  as answered by Erin King, VISTA staff member and Opportunity Garden participant.

This was the hardest question to answer when I interviewed with the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture not much more than a year ago. It hadn’t dawned on me that it would be important for a Public Relations VISTA to have prior gardening experience. (VISTA is a program through AmeriCorps, and stands for Volunteer in Service to America.)

Now, having been with the Urban Farmers for a year, I can pinpoint countless moments where gardening would have been incredibly beneficial, both in regards to surviving on the living stipend that I’m provided through AmeriCorps VISTA, but also in being able to represent the organization to the best of my ability. Had I not gained experience through weekly workdays on the Urban Farm, I would have been way out of my element.

But I’m excited to announce that with my second year-of-service starting up, I get the chance to work on growing as a home-grower. My studio efficiency has two raised beds and an herb garden, and I qualify for participation within the Opportunity Gardens program.

Today, the Opportunity Gardens ladies and I met for some garden planning and lunch.  They brought my list of veggies I had requested, graph paper, and their shiny new vegetable flash cards to help me feel empowered as I planned out my garden’s planting and spacing for the growing season. They showed me how to block out one square, and then I was off! At points, they would give me advice, like when I was planning to plant entirely too many beans and peas for any one person, or letting me know that carrots and basil love tomatoes. At one point, I actually exclaimed, “I think I’m learning!”

When we returned to the office, they were so proud of my garden plan, they were sharing it with our other office mates. Who knows: They might hang a copy on the refrigerator with “Erin’s First Garden” written on it.

So, to illustrate just how amazing and life-changing gardening (and our Opportunity Gardens program) is, I’ll be periodically posting updates about my first garden from my garden journal, illustrations of things observed in my garden, or other anecdotes. I hope you enjoy these as much as I’ll enjoy sharing them.