April's Green Superstar: Kayleigh Levitt

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.

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 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 .

November's Green Superstar: Master Gardener Robert Lawson

Green Superstar 

November 2013

Robert Lawson

You may know Robert Lawson as the application and systems specialist in IT.  However, you may not be aware that he's also been a certified Master Gardener for 6 years and was the first faculty manager of the Soka Instructional Garden (SIG).

A Master Gardener is a local resident

...trained to help residents of Orange County become better gardeners. Using a variety of activities such as workshops, lectures, and a garden hotline, these volunteers answer questions about home horticulture, sustainable landscaping, and integrated pest management using University of California research-based information.

3 years ago, Robert Lawson and Dr. Robert Hamersly proposed student garden at Soka under the wing of academics. At the same time, the city was also pushing a composting program. The result was a generally friendly "environment" for a teaching garden at Soka--the result can still be seen in the parking lot near the large conference room. Students work in the garden every Sunday morning!

Robert Lawson has since stepped down as faculty garden manager, passing the title on to Dr. Robert. However, his knowledge was critical to founding the garden, and students continue to use him as a resource.

Environmental Department: What made you become a Master Gardener?

Robert Lawson: "I ran a nursery for 10 years growing California native plants for restoration in the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. I met a number of Master Gardeners during that time... I liked what I saw, so I signed up."

ED: How long did it take you to become a master gardener?

RL: "There is an initial trainer period of 6 months... 12 hours of training are required per year."

To keep their title, Master Gardeners are required to volunteer service to the community 25 hours per year.

ED: As a Master Gardener, what are you qualified to do or teach?

RL: "Being a Master Gardener is different from having a Masters in Gardening... We're amateur-volunteer scientists, the residential side of extension service out of the University of California Cooperative Extension Program."

Masters Gardeners are only responsible for a certain amount of community service--paid staff do commercial horticulture like farms and nurseries. The goal of the Master Gardener program is to teach and share scientific agricultural knowledge. The county encourages Master Gardeners to participate in a speaker program. They often work with schools, especially kindergarten - 6th grade.

There is also an acre of Irvine Great Park devoted to a Master Gardener demonstration garden.

"There are different specialties in the program: home gardening, canning, fruit trees, composting. I've done the composting program. I'm qualified to teach about composting."

ED: What do you grow in your garden at home?

RL: “[My yard] is not very big. But that’s the big thing…putting more into a smaller space.”

His basic garden is California natives. However, he also has a full winter garden and a variety of fruit trees: orange, lime, tangerine, nectarine, plum, apples, cherry, pluot, avocado, and

blueberries. He uses drip irrigation (microsprinklers.)

ED: How do you hope to see the SIG develop in the future? What do you think it should achieve?

RL: "When I ran the nursery, the goal was to produce plants of equal caliber to commercial nurseries. I think the goal for the SIG is parallel--to produce plants and compost equal to what you could buy at the supermarket or garden store.

"It’s a big commitment. People like success. You want to be on a winning venture. And if you can produce that, you’ll be viewed as a winner.”

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Robert Lawson was set to retire in December...but we're lucky to have him for a little longer yet. If you have questions about gardening, composting, or the Master Gardener program, shoot him an email. For more information on the SIG, you can get in touch on Facebook!



 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 .