On Friday April 19th The UTRGV Agroecology Garden celebrating their 10th year anniversary! Celebrating 10 years of their community garden.
Being a student at UTRGV I mostly spent my final years being a part of UTRGV-TV and Vaquero-Radio. I did get to try new clubs/organizations within the university, but it wasn't until post graduation that I decided to come out to a UTRGV Agroecology event that was open to the public. I didn't think I'd be stepping foot at the university again since graduation haha. The event was making spiropapas with the tools provided, but we got the potatoes ourselves from what I remember. It was also my first time having a spiropapa, but especially picking the potato from the ground. It just hit different. Especially with the folks I was around with at the time. This one event really left an impression on me.
Seeing their 10th year anniversary post really surprised me, but brought me joy. It brought me joy knowing that through out the years volunteers, students, teachers, and just folks like me who stopped by got to experience a community garden. Here's to more years and more experience brought forward by the community garden!
What I really urge students is to try different things while being at school. Even if you're studying computer class, engineering, psychology, or even health classes. If time permits you volunteering or spending some times with clubs or organizations at the university that differ from your field of study may garner a new found interest, new friends, and a new experience.
While I may not have been involved with the UTRGV Agroecology crew for years or even months. The few times that I've come out has really left me learning something new each time. If only Elijah told me about Agroecology while we were in school lol
While out at the event celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the community garden I got to speak to Stephanie Kasper the Agroecology Program Mananger at UTRGV and Apolonio Flores an environmental science undergrad and they are the garden co-manager (student employee.) Speaking to the program manager and a student involved with the program. I wanted to capture their sentiments on their involvement from their different perspectives. What the garden has brought forward to someone involved for years to a student who has made friends through their agroecology journey and this being an expressive outlet they enjoy. Together on this day, celebrating 10 years. Here's what they had to say!
When asked what we're doing here today Stephanie Kasper says "we are here celebrating the 10th birthday of the agroecology research and community garden. So it's an on-campus garden in Edinburg that Dr. Alex Racelis and a committee were able to start here. Over the year it's probably been fifty plus students who have been involved in growing food. Conducting research experiments and building a community around sustainable agriculture, here in Edinburg, here on campus." She continues by saying "We are celebrating all of the people that have been touched and brought together in those ten years and dreaming of all of the future students that'll come through the space and get the benefit by the work has already been done. The kind of groundwork and cultivation that's already occurred in the space."
Now that we have reached the 10th year mark and we just witnessed a ceremonial tree! How does that make you feel as she states "I wasn't here at the very beginning, I moved to the valley in 2017 to do a master's with Alex in sustainable agriculture...by being able to use experience space as a student. And then after I finished my Master's, I was able to stay on here as staff with Alex. And so, I've been full-time staff for the last five years. And I get to, as part of my job as program manager work with all the students that continue to run the space. It's always been a student-run garden and I think that's a really special thing that the students that come through our program, get to do meaningful work, that serves our community, and that they can see, like the tangible outcomes when you like plant a seed in the ground and it grows and it bears fruit and you get to share that food with the community. It just there's it's a really empowering experience and so glad I've had it. I'm so glad so many rounds of students. I've been able to have it here as part of the Agriculture."
How has it been for you being able to interact with students speak with them?
Bringing a sense of guidance and just providing a safe space for them to interact with one another, to create bonds with one another as she exclaims " Yeah, I love the student mentorship part of my job. It is one of my favorite things to come out here with the students.They're so skilled and so creative and bring so many cool experiences to this work and to work with them. So that like they leave knowing how to start a garden, knowing how to work with the tractor knowing how to do all these practical skills that can serve them and serve a community.That's a really special thing to me."
Now we share a few words from Apolonio Flores as I begin by asking how their experience has been being a part of an student ran organization as they say "So, I moved out to Edinburgh two years ago. When I first moved, I didn't know the city. I didn't know anyone here and as soon as school started, I started volunteering here at the Garden. That's where I met. Um, people like Sam Olivia, you know, all of my current friends/co-workers. Working here has just been just a monumental way for me to build a community around me and somewhere where I wasn't familiar with. I I just had like a all-around great experience here and it's really been the source of all the connections I've made in the in the science world. And it has brought me a lot of opportunities"
I saw you by the tree, the ceremonial tree planting and being a part of your new friendships, I'd say surrounded by folks who have been here for a number of years. Even thinking of the students before you. How does that make you feel? As they exclaim "Honestly it's it's a really emotional day today just because I know that this garden has meant so much to so many different people and it will continue to be like that, you know? I just feel great to be out here today."
How do you feel about the experiences or what have you learned by being here by coming by volunteering and being a worker at the organization? "So before I got here, I would only garden as a hobby and it was when I was really young. I didn't have that outlet for the majority of my life. So coming here was like escapism and it granted hands-on experience within gardening and agriculture that I've always wanted. Since I started working here, I've learned a lot more, a lot more about how the food system works here in the valley and, you know, all the intricacies and different sectors that go into it and all the people that it affects and all the people that rely on it. And you know, it's it's been an eye-opening experience on just how big agriculture is here and how important it is for all of us to participate and participate in it in like a healthy, local way"
Along with their final comment " if you want to get involved with us, feel free to come. We're open to everyone. You do not have to be a student or at all affiliated in science or agriculture. Even some of my co-workers aren't even science Majors.
We're open for anyone who would like to come and just learn more. We provide all the resources and it's an invaluable amazing opportunity that everyone should take advantage of because we're out here, and our role is, to help the community is to educate. So, I just like to extend that welcome to anyone who might be reading!"
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