GrowMemphis: Community Gardening in the Mid South

Dan Guico Beginning in the 1980's, industrial manufacturing began leaving America for cheaper labor abroad, leaving behind unemployment and a fragmented working-class community. This past March, I led a diverse group of student volunteers through Alternative Spring Break. We worked at various community gardens, preparing them for the upcoming growing season. We found the gardens by going to an organization called GrowMemphis which acted as a liaison between us and the network of community gardens in the area. Through this amazing weeklong adventure, we learned a lot about these gardens, the people behind them and ourselves. We had meetings about 6 weeks prior to spring break, in which we fundraised for the organization and learned about the shortcomings in the American fresh food and produce system. However, a few weekly meetings hardly prepares a group of strangers for spending a week 24/7 together. The first couple of days had their fair share of mainly two things: The view from where we slept: The Old Bridge on the Mississippi River awkwardness and driving. One of the famous first words between two of the participants was, are you new on this trip? In a strange twist of fate, they ended up dating immediately after we got back to campus. Our housing was among one of the most amazing places I have ever been: the First Unitarian Church of the River. Nestled between I-55 (the old bridge) and I-40 (the new bridge) right on the banks of the Mississippi River and at the end of a scenic riverwalk that takes you straight into the heart of downtown Memphis. It is one of the most picturesque locations I have ever seen, let alone slept in. Memphis has a very unique culture. It is home to both Graceland, where the king of rock and roll lived, as well as the Civil Rights Museum and the original site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Then there is the unmistakable activity around Beale St. The sounds of blues, soul, and rock permeate the air. There's the buzz of open-air bars and dozens of restaurants' eclectic promoters convincing everyone that walks by that their food and drink is the best. Needless to say, we had our fill of fried foods and BBQ while on Beale. Memphis also has a quaint trolley system that loops Turning abandoned field to urban farm at the Getwell/New Willow around the center of the city as well as an armada of lit, Community Garden horse-drawn carriages. Once our group got over the tourist phase of being in a new setting, we were ready to get our hands dirty and get to work. Our first site was a small plot across a church, and we were all unsure of what to expect. We met our first contact, Sharon Phifer, a member of the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church who gave us gloves and tools and the task of removing all of last year's remaining growth and to till and fertilize the beds for this year's plants. We were slow at first, but with time, our collective garden confidence began to grow. After we were done, she told us about her vision for this former abandoned plot of land. Her garden fuels a monthly soup kitchen which serves over 100+ people. Her idea is to, bring South Memphis back alive. To her, the garden expresses health for current and future generations. My passion is the children, she said, food is not easy to buy these days.

Our next site was at a non-profit wellness organization run by Dr. John McCall. Built as a colonial-style mansion on a large property that includes a labyrinth, meditation garden, and nature path, the ArkWings Foundation and Retreat Facilities is a place where groups and individuals come to nourish their emotional, spiritual, and physical health. Their motto is taking care of self in order to care for others. John started out as a physician and as he grew, he can to realize that treating just the physical aspect, or body, of a person doesn't bring them up to their full potential. After harvesting and weeding at the Angelus Street Garden Wellness is more than the absence of illness, John said as he spoke of his role in the founding of ArkWings. He has worked with Memphis's inner city youth and brought a sense of accomplishment, nature, and community to kids from broken or lowincome households. He strives to foster growth in the young by having them grow something that is their own and showing them that real food doesn't come from a drive-thru. We spent an amazing 2 days at this site prepping the garden beds for the Good Friday kickoff to the community programs. Our last day, John treated us to Memphis BBQ and we moved on to new things. Our days were tiring, but out nights at the Church of the River never failed to refresh us. We cooked dinner together, played games in the atrium that overlooked the river, and reflected about our days in the sweat and soil. One night was so mild, that a group of us decided to sleep under the stars. It was the first time I had ever done anything like that, but it was something I will never forget. I will always remember the constant rumble of freight trains crossing the old bridge while a faint glow silhouette it. I remember talking into the early morning about what we love and what makes us human. One thing we saw a lot of were elevated garden beds. One reason was that a lot of gardens are built on reclaimed demolished house lots, and that they didn't want lead or whatever was left in the soil from the house to contaminate the vegetables. Another reason was that some patrons of the gardens need to use a wheelchair. An elevated bed allows them to harvest and care for the gardens as well. We visited two other gardens in the following days, the Angelus Street Garden and the GetWell/New Willow Garden. They had equally passionate people working long hours to make something out of nothing. I find it both amazing and intriguing that a small abandoned bit of land can become the focal point of a community and a movement of sustainability and dignity. The one downside of our trip, was that it occurred at a time when most of the community the gardens serve were at work or in school. We got to meet the passionate leaders behind the gardens, but not the The beds at Pilgrim Rest. people it serves. This spring break, I learned of the hardships behind preparing for a community garden, as well as the unmistakable benefits. I saw people changing the lives of others through nothing more than putting a plant in the ground and calling it their own. I've eaten fried strawberries, crawfish, and at least a pound of fried pickles. I've gotten a solid tan as it was high 70's to low 80's throughout the entire trip and I wore shorts and rolled up t-shirts all week. I've made friends who I see around campus all the time. Although it was difficult leading a bunch of younger students and first-time ASB members, I can see the connections form and their attitudes solidify towards service and volunteerism, and it makes all the momentary frustrations fade away. Gardens weren't the only thing growing in Memphis this spring.