Today people are worried about the food they’re consuming more than ever before. Between frightening documentaries depicting the disgusting chemicals in our food and constant research coming out about how red meat actually isn’t good for you (shocker), people are craving food they can trust. Paying a few dollars for an organic bundle of spinach doesn’t seem so bad now compared to the pesticides and chemicals your regular spinach will have. But what if I told you there’s a magical place at UF that will give you free organic food for the price of learning?
UF’s Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Club (OSAC) and UF’s Ethnoecology Society own land across from Lake Alice where they grow an abundance of fruits and vegetables. And yes, you’re envisioning correctly, it’s the same place where the bats live. Right behind the bat houses is a world of agriculture and green hippies waiting to meet you.
You can get involved in multiple ways, but two of the most popular include having your own plot in OSAC’s garden for a small fee per semester or by pulling up your sleeves and getting to work in the Ethnoecology garden.
I decided to check it out to see if the garden was everything I thought it’d be. I started off at 5 pm last Friday afternoon with no idea how to garden and zero knowledge about agricultural practices. Ethan Kelly, one of the heads of the Ethnoecology garden and previous president of OSAC, helped me fit right in. He took me and the other newbies around and showed us all of the lettuce and kale we could have if we joined the garden. He also gave us a tour of the green mulching process, where they use weeds to create new soil for plants. But more than anything, he introduced me to a unique kind of community that comes together each Friday afternoon in the gardens.
Via: facebook.com
“There’s a core group of people that stay,” Kelly said. “They know about it and are passionate about it, this is their thing. They love eating food they’ve grown.”
And while you may think there wouldn’t be enough food to go around, it’s actually the opposite.
“There’s enough produce to feed multiple households here,” Kelly said.
Kelly’s passion radiated as he taught me how to tell the difference from weeds and sprouting kale. Though I did manage to mistake kale for weeds a few times, I couldn’t help but feel connected to this new, earthy place. Here’s a few of my main reasons for joining garden clubs here at UF.
Gardening is therapeutic
As I reluctantly got on my hands and knees to pull weeds out of the garden, I realized how therapeutic this small, green area could be. I quickly forgot about everything I had to do and just yanked weeds from the ground. It was a stress reliever to know that my simple act of weeding a garden could be used for green mulching, and ultimately be used to grow more food. When I was given the privilege of planting the garden’s new eggplants, I couldn’t help but have a huge smile on my face! My little eggplants that are so small right now will one day be used to make a delicious meal for someone. The thought is overwhelming. I’m helping feed the world.
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It’s an educational experience
I’ve always wondered where my food comes from and while picturing a happy farmer in overalls used to suffice, I wanted to know more. Meeting tons of young students who were enthralled by the possibility of creating a world full of sustainable, organic food made me hopeful. Every plant science, horticulture and agriculture major was more than willing to answer all of my questions about everything gardening related. I learned how to drill logs for planting mushroom spurs and how to build a compost to create reusable soil.
Make hippie friends
The people of the garden world are cool as shit. Instead of playing beer pong and having empty conversations at frat houses, they talk about changing the world. They teach each other and share new techniques. Everyone is super friendly and there is an overwhelming sense of community as soon as you get there. Kelly told me how they have different events all the time from potlucks to bonfires, where students are more than welcome to come. They might be the ones with the green thumbs, but after just one afternoon there I immediately felt accepted in their little green world.
Free food
I should have started with this one, because food is everyone’s favorite reason. There are multiple options for obtaining free food at the garden. The first is the potluck. When I arrived at the garden there was a cute potluck set up with apple pie, hummus, salsa, brownies, fresh salads, kale chips, roasted potatoes and beer (an added bonus). It was so adorable to see everyone contributing by using organic ingredients, and some that even came from the garden, to cook with. The second free food option is to simply pick it! By joining the club, you gain the freedom to help harvest and pick some of your own food. There is nothing better than picking a head of lettuce and eating it as a salad that afternoon.
Via: oregonlive.com
After my knees were covered in dirt and my manicure was clearly beyond recovery, I felt satisfied in knowing that I created sustainable food by working a few hours in a new place. The thought quickly brought a smile to my face as I noticed everyone in the garden walking over to the bat houses.
Almost on cue, the bats scurried out of their houses and overwhelmingly flew overhead.
“Close your mouth!” someone yelled.
And while my friend got bat pee down her arm, I couldn’t help but notice the beauty of all of these animals flying in sync. I looked around to find at least fifty strangers all watching the bats and thought, if only they knew how much more was in this secret garden. But I suppose some secrets are best kept to yourself.
Featured photo courtesy of: Facebook
