The Garden During Quarantine
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and for the United States that has meant a strict lockdown. Of course, we immediately think of how this action affects our restaurants and grocery stores, but what about the source? In a recent interview with the Auburn Community Garden, we get some insight on how COVID-19 has affected this overlooked aspect of food.
Marley Halter, the manager at the garden, says that the garden "is still open and functioning, but with some restrictions”. These restrictions include rules that Ms. Halter and her staff apply in line with the state and university regulations, taking extra sanitary measures. Yet, Ms. Halter says, “All of our renters are still allowed to come work in their garden plots, and we still have some plots available for rent”. In addition, Ms. Halter herself still works at the garden, “performing general garden maintenance and growing produce for our restaurant partners”.
Ms. Halter says, “Our student workers are not currently working at the garden, but (I am) putting in more hours on the ground to keep our mission moving forward during this time. Administrators in the department of Campus Dining are assisting with garden work as well, to ensure we achieve our goal of making a meaningful community impact for those affected by the virus.”
All produce cultivated by renters is theirs to do as they please. Garden staff workers, on the other hand, grow food, the majority of which is donated to the Campus Kitchen at AU or the East Alabama Food Bank. Since the Campus Kitchen is currently closed, all of the produce donations are currently going to the Food Bank.
Ms. Halter says that so far this year, they have donated 152 lbs of produce. Additionally, the Garden is currently planting roughly 6,000 sq ft of summer crops, which will be donated throughout the rest of the year. The Garden’s goal is to “provide more fresh produce than ever to community members who are in need during this difficult time”.
When asked if COVID-19 has made gardening harder, Ms. Halter answered optimistically, “While implementing stricter regulations on gardeners and staff is inconvenient, we are dedicated to keeping our gardeners safe and healthy, and have made every effort to do so for the last few weeks”.
If you would like to learn more about the history of the garden or see how you can help, visit www.aub.ie/communitygarden.
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