GREEN SUPERSTAR
SEPTEMBER 2013
Kayleigh Levitt
Even if you haven't had time to go to the Soka Instructional Garden (SIG) yet, you've probably at least heard about it by now. The SIG has been very active this year, offering more opportunities for student enjoyment than ever: there have been garden parties every Sunday, weeding Wednesdays, a Full Moon Drum Circle Planting Party, a fermentation class with Chef Glen, shed painting, the Soka pallet sessions, and the Garden Show with Hip-Hop Congress and Edna the Tea Bus.
We've already featured one of the student garden managers, Leia from the class of 2014, here on our blog, so Sustainability Committee decided to invite the second student garden manager, Kayleigh Levitt from the class of 2016, to share her experiences working and learning in the garden.
Sustainability Committee: What has been your favorite of all of the events the SIG has hosted this year?
Kayleigh Levitt: The Garden
Show was so much fun. It had music, food, lots of different people from a bunch of groups at Soka--all of my favorite things.
SC: What is your favorite part about working in the garden in general?
KL: Working in
the garden is helping me do what I want to do for my career, but on a smaller scale. It's practice in building community around food and food production. It has brought me
so much joy. Sometimes I'm in complete disbelief that I get paid to be there! Sometimes I just
don’t want to leave. The work is really gratifying. I get to eat things right off the vine.
SC: What's the hardest part about working in the garden?
KL: I guess the amount of time that it takes up. The plants require daily attention. Also pests. Pests are the worst.
SC: Had you
gardened much before coming to Soka?
KL: No. Not in
the slightest way possible.
I learned a lot in Dr. Robert's Sustainable Agriculture Learning Cluster. Then I forgot some parts and re-learned by making mistakes. Dr. Robert helps us a lot too.
You have to get into the rhythm of it. Gardening isn't that hard once you get the soil nutrients balanced--it’s just putting
plants in the ground, watering them, and protecting them from pests. But I still have so much to learn! All I know how to do is grow plants from a nursery. After Soka
I’d like to take a Master Gardener’s course and learn how to start
plants from seed.
SC: There have already been a lot of changes at the SIG just this year. Could you talk about some of those changes and how you think they're going?
KL: Lots of change this year!
This year we started square foot gardening, which is basically planting more densely. The only problem is that we need to be more on top of harvesting. We have to harvest pretty much every week. One of the plots was such a jungle we almost didn’t notice a rattlesnake under the leaves! We called security and there was no problem, but it shows how important it is to keep the plants under control.
We've also started companion planting. In permaculture, plants are grouped into "guilds" or groups that support each other in different ways when they're planted near each other (flavor, pest resistance etc.) Some plants definitely shouldn't go together, so we don't plant those next to each other. It seems to be working, but it might not be doing anything. We still do have pests. But all the plants are really flourishing regardless. Someone asked me “Why are your plants on steroids?”
We also did some planting with the moon's cycles. We don't know if that helps or not. It's all a big experiment.
We've really increased our community activity with our events and our interactions with Bon Apetit. When we serve garden food at our events, we serve only food that we grew—no outside food. We've had a lot more participation. So there are more opportunities for everyone to benefit.
SC: What other
changes would you like to see implemented in the garden?
KL: You want to really know the future plans?
We want a cob solar oven with cool glass art built into the
sides. Counter space for preparing food. More native plants. A rainwater harvester connected to
native plant garden (which will be where Soka pallet sessions currently happen. Vertical
growing. Working with the aquaculture center that’s next door. A retrofit of the
community space on the left hand side (where the tables are). Hammocks.
SC: Are there any crops that are not currently grown in the garden that you would like to see next year?
KL: We’re growing pretty much everything right now. One student complained that we grow unpopular vegetables, so maybe we need to grow popular vegetables, whatever those are. Maybe fruit trees. And more native plants.
SC: Do you have a favorite vegetable?
KL: French breakfast radishes because they’re not too spicy and they’re really juicy. But I also love chard for how easy it is to grow, how quickly it replenishes, and it’s a great staple food.
SC: Why do you think it’s important for schools like Soka to have a garden?
KL: It’s important for people to have a more personal relationship with food and vegetables and experience eating fresh, local, organic food. And to experience growing food. It makes Soka a better place. Gardening is also good for getting people outside, away from homework, which is really healing.
Next year, Leia will have graduated but Kayleigh will still be a garden manager, when she's not studying abroad in Ecuador. Next spring, Dr.Robert will also be teaching a full, semester-long sustainable agriculture class, which will do a lot of work in the garden.
For more information about the Soka garden you can check out Robert Lawson's Green Superstar feature or the SIG facebook group.
-
If you know someone who deserves recognition as a GREEN SUPERSTAR in the coming months, please message us below, on facebook, or at SSU_EnvironmentalDepartment@soka.edu .
Kayleigh Levitt
Even if you haven't had time to go to the Soka Instructional Garden (SIG) yet, you've probably at least heard about it by now. The SIG has been very active this year, offering more opportunities for student enjoyment than ever: there have been garden parties every Sunday, weeding Wednesdays, a Full Moon Drum Circle Planting Party, a fermentation class with Chef Glen, shed painting, the Soka pallet sessions, and the Garden Show with Hip-Hop Congress and Edna the Tea Bus.
We've already featured one of the student garden managers, Leia from the class of 2014, here on our blog, so Sustainability Committee decided to invite the second student garden manager, Kayleigh Levitt from the class of 2016, to share her experiences working and learning in the garden.
Sustainability Committee: What has been your favorite of all of the events the SIG has hosted this year?
Kayleigh Levitt: The Garden
Show was so much fun. It had music, food, lots of different people from a bunch of groups at Soka--all of my favorite things.
SC: What is your favorite part about working in the garden in general?
KL: Working in
the garden is helping me do what I want to do for my career, but on a smaller scale. It's practice in building community around food and food production. It has brought me
so much joy. Sometimes I'm in complete disbelief that I get paid to be there! Sometimes I just
don’t want to leave. The work is really gratifying. I get to eat things right off the vine.
SC: What's the hardest part about working in the garden?
KL: I guess the amount of time that it takes up. The plants require daily attention. Also pests. Pests are the worst.
SC: Had you
gardened much before coming to Soka?
KL: No. Not in
the slightest way possible.
I learned a lot in Dr. Robert's Sustainable Agriculture Learning Cluster. Then I forgot some parts and re-learned by making mistakes. Dr. Robert helps us a lot too.
You have to get into the rhythm of it. Gardening isn't that hard once you get the soil nutrients balanced--it’s just putting
plants in the ground, watering them, and protecting them from pests. But I still have so much to learn! All I know how to do is grow plants from a nursery. After Soka
I’d like to take a Master Gardener’s course and learn how to start
plants from seed.
SC: There have already been a lot of changes at the SIG just this year. Could you talk about some of those changes and how you think they're going?
KL: Lots of change this year!
This year we started square foot gardening, which is basically planting more densely. The only problem is that we need to be more on top of harvesting. We have to harvest pretty much every week. One of the plots was such a jungle we almost didn’t notice a rattlesnake under the leaves! We called security and there was no problem, but it shows how important it is to keep the plants under control.
We've also started companion planting. In permaculture, plants are grouped into "guilds" or groups that support each other in different ways when they're planted near each other (flavor, pest resistance etc.) Some plants definitely shouldn't go together, so we don't plant those next to each other. It seems to be working, but it might not be doing anything. We still do have pests. But all the plants are really flourishing regardless. Someone asked me “Why are your plants on steroids?”
We also did some planting with the moon's cycles. We don't know if that helps or not. It's all a big experiment.
We've really increased our community activity with our events and our interactions with Bon Apetit. When we serve garden food at our events, we serve only food that we grew—no outside food. We've had a lot more participation. So there are more opportunities for everyone to benefit.
SC: What other
changes would you like to see implemented in the garden?
KL: You want to really know the future plans?
We want a cob solar oven with cool glass art built into the
sides. Counter space for preparing food. More native plants. A rainwater harvester connected to
native plant garden (which will be where Soka pallet sessions currently happen. Vertical
growing. Working with the aquaculture center that’s next door. A retrofit of the
community space on the left hand side (where the tables are). Hammocks.
SC: Are there any crops that are not currently grown in the garden that you would like to see next year?
KL: We’re growing pretty much everything right now. One student complained that we grow unpopular vegetables, so maybe we need to grow popular vegetables, whatever those are. Maybe fruit trees. And more native plants.
SC: Do you have a favorite vegetable?
KL: French breakfast radishes because they’re not too spicy and they’re really juicy. But I also love chard for how easy it is to grow, how quickly it replenishes, and it’s a great staple food.
SC: Why do you think it’s important for schools like Soka to have a garden?
KL: It’s important for people to have a more personal relationship with food and vegetables and experience eating fresh, local, organic food. And to experience growing food. It makes Soka a better place. Gardening is also good for getting people outside, away from homework, which is really healing.
Next year, Leia will have graduated but Kayleigh will still be a garden manager, when she's not studying abroad in Ecuador. Next spring, Dr.Robert will also be teaching a full, semester-long sustainable agriculture class, which will do a lot of work in the garden.
For more information about the Soka garden you can check out Robert Lawson's Green Superstar feature or the SIG facebook group.
-
If you know someone who deserves recognition as a GREEN SUPERSTAR in the coming months, please message us below, on facebook, or at SSU_EnvironmentalDepartment@soka.edu .
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