UNC Charlotte Community Garden – Rebecca Byrd

Time	Subject
0:00:07	Interview Starts
0:00:46	Rebecca introduces herself and explains how she got involved in the Community Garden Club at UNC Charlotte
0:01:51	UNC Charlotte Community Garden Club
0:02:32	Foundation of Community Garden Club at UNCC
0:02:46	How UNCC students started the Community Garden
0:03:07	What produce the garden grows
0:03:54	Location of community garden on UNCC campus
0:04:57	Faculty and student community garden
0:05:25	Community Garden Club affiliation with McMillan Greenhouse
0:06:17	Logistics of garden (who buys the plants/when to plant/nurseries)
0:07:13	Student volunteering over the summer break
0:08:58	Landscaping and gardening upkeep
0:09:38	Raised bed and garden layout
0:10:17	Pollinators (i.e. bees) in the garden and a bed dedicated to them
0:10:58	The garden as a student community space and a space for students to host events
0:12:10	Vandalism and community gardens. What the student garden has experienced in terms of littering and stealing in the garden area. How to keep community gardens as clean as rural environments.
0:14:07	Urban agriculture and understanding community gardens in Charlotte. How well known is urban agriculture in city environments?
0:15:07	Produce distribution. Rebecca explains the garden harvest and food distribution to the Jamil Niner Pantry.
0:16:08	Rebecca begins talking about the UNC Charlotte Jamil Niner student pantry.
0:16:32	Describes what the pantry is and how students can get groceries and produce.
0:17:52	Talking about the life cycle of food grown at the UNCC community garden.
0:18:02	Who gives produce and groceries to the Jamil Niner Pantry.
0:18:31	Ask question about composting. Does the student community garden compost?
0:18:46	Rebecca brings up the idea of beekeeping on campus.
0:19:40	Advertising the Community Garden Club and her attempts to gain new student members.
0:20:17	Talk about the social media (Instagram and Facebook) outreach of the Garden Club.
0:21:45	Asked about the major benefits of community gardening. Rebecca talks about what she sees as the benefit to community gardening as a whole.
0:24:09	Talking about the benefits of growing and nurturing plants to fruition.
0:25:02	Asked Rebecca what some of the challenges were regarding community gardening. Rebecca talks about student involvement, commitment to the garden, and running a student organization over the summer when students are on break.
0:27:17	Asked Rebecca if she thought community gardens were helping alleviate some of the food issues currently happening in Charlotte.
0:28:00	Rebecca talks about how community gardens can be an advocate for food insecure communities in Charlotte. She talks about the limitations community gardens experience (in size and amount of food they can produce).
0:28:50	How community gardens can be a voice for communities in Charlotte, since they produce food for specific areas of Charlotte. How community gardens can help larger gardens.
0:29:26	Asked Rebecca what she sees for the future of community gardens. Rebecca talks about incorporating more aspects of gardening such as beekeepers and butterflies.
0:30:31	Rebecca talks about the inclusion of hydroponics in community gardening.
0:31:25	Talk about climate change and its effect on gardens.
0:32:29	Talk about the resources that UNC Charlotte provided to the Community Garden Club.
0:33:38	Discussing UNC Charlotte’s role in being involved with food insecurity in the larger Mecklenburg area.
0:34:23	Discussing food insecurity and how UNC Charlotte could better contribute to the growing conversation of food and communities in the area.
0:35:15	Talking about how much UNC Charlotte could realistically be involved in helping with hunger in Charlotte.
0:36:52	Explaining the location of UNC Charlotte in the “crescent” of the city and what communities surround the university.
0:38:19	Asked Rebecca anything else she would want me to know about community garden.
0:38:55	Rebecca talks about dropping off the food at the Jamil Niner Pantry
0:39:13	Ask Rebecca about what foods grew best at the garden. She talks about rainbow swiss chard and what is easy to grow in the garden.
0:39:38	Talks about the difficulty of growing blueberries and ph soil levels
0:40:34	Ph levels in the soil and help from the McMillan Greenhouse
0:41:37	Planting challenges included full sun, shade, and ph levels in soil. Talking about the location of the garden and how much sun it receives.
0:42:32	Types of flowers grown in the community garden. How flowers can be a benefit and a hindrance for a community garden.
0:43:34	Talking about what is in the garden including bugs, lizards, and bees. How this can make people nervous to garden. (Bugs, worms, stink bugs, bees, etc.)
0:45:46	Rebecca starts talking about her own personal garden at home. She talks about personal plants and water drainage in her apartment complex.
0:46:43	Challenges of urban gardens. We discuss how urban gardening could be seen as a nuisance or bother to neighbors.
0:47:19	Rebecca talks about different types of fertilizers and sales by gardner stores and nurseries. How inconcenancies of gardening (cost, lack of sprouts) can turn people off from urban gardening.
0:48:20	Rebecca talks about some “tips and tricks” of gardening to help beginners garden.
0:49:19	Talking about experimenting with gardening, looking at Google and Youtube to feel more confident in gardening abilities, especially if you are a new gardener.
0:50:48	Ask Rebecca about self-pollination in the community garden. Rebecca explains the process of self pollination and how to do it. Discusses self-pollinating strawberries in the community garden.
0:53:17	Asked Rebecca about her favorite part of being in the community garden club and being the president. She talks about the joys of being outside and the challenges of weeding the raised beds in the garden. She talks about the joys of nurturing plants to fruition.
0:54:51	Rebecca concludes the interview about tips for beginners who are interested in gardening, including ideas for plants for beginners to start, and where to pick up growing kits.
0:56:07	Talk about how sometimes there are “dud” seeds in a bunch of seeds.
0:57:03	:35 Rebecca talks about the benefits of gardening and how it helps people get back to nature and outside of technology. Talking about how gardens can be a place for relaxation, while also producing food for a community.
0:57:41	Ask Rebecca if there are any other questions I should have asked her
0:57:53	Rebecca talks about her childhood experiences in gardening and how it instilled a love for gardening in her. We talk about growing up gardening and memories of gardening.
0:58:41	Rebecca talks about her grandmother and a daffodil growing competition and how important family influence is for gardening.
1:00:13	06 Rebecca talks about loving nature and being outside and the value of the environment in self-care.
1:00:47	40 Talking about growing up with a garden and childhood memories.
1:01:32	25 Talking about how Rebecca’s gardening experience influenced her love for plants and her dream of having a farm outside the city. We talk about ideas of a future farm and dream ideas.
1:02:37	30 Interview Ends

[00:00:08]

>> Savannah Brown: Today is Wednesday March 20th, 2019 at 11:00 o’clock AM. My name is Savannah Brown, and today I will be interviewing Rebecca Byrd, past president of UNC Charlotte’s Community Garden. We are interviewing on the UNC Charlotte Campus. The community garden is maintained through the community garden club, whose mission is to produce good healthy food by working together towards a common goal.

[00:00:29]

This garden will become a space that accommodates the community as a whole. Today we will be discussing the UNC Charlotte community garden, volunteering, and food distribution. So first, can you just introduce yourself and tell me a little bit about how you got interested in working with community gardens?

[00:00:46]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Okay, my name is Rebecca Byrd. I am one of the past presidents of the UNC Charlotte’s Student Community Garden. And how I got involved, it seems like it was so long ago, but it wasn’t that long ago. So I transferred to UNC Charlotte from Quinn’s University by way of Howard.

[00:01:08]

So UNC Charlotte was my third school, so third time’s a charm. And I came here spring of 2016. So I was kind of looking for student groups to be a part of, but just something different. And so I was like the student community garden, that seems really cool, I like gardening.

[00:01:32]

So I just became a member, and then after spending a semester and part of the summer really being a part they asked me do you wanna be the president? So I said sure, why not?

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: [LAUGH]

>> Savannah Brown: Cool, so it’s a club, it’s maintained. So the community gardens maintained completely by a club?

[00:01:55]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: Is it still going on?

>> Rebecca Byrd: I believe so, but honestly after graduating I haven’t still kept in contact with Paula and the other people at the greenhouse who also kind of help with the club. But I still get emails from time to time, so I think it’s still going on.

[00:02:16]

>> Savannah Brown: I think it is too. I was doing some research and I saw that they still have something on the student organization, so it seems like you can still join in. Maybe not as active as it was when you were president, because I read that it started like 2014-ish.

[00:02:31]

Is that right?

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, so can you just tell me a little bit about the garden itself, like where it is, and just what you guys grew, and what’s there?

>> Rebecca Byrd: So it was started in 2014 by two students, I wish I remembered their names, it sounds so horrible.

[00:02:49]

But two students, they got a grant, and this was a part of their grant. And so they decided hey, let’s have a garden on campus. So the garden is located in between stores in Robinson. And we have some hammocks out there, and we grew sugar snap peas, Swiss chard, broccoli, different varieties of lettuce.

[00:03:13]

We also did a couple of herbs, we did basil, we did chives. What else did we do? We did tomatoes, but tomatoes, that’s always tricky because the birds, they tend to say that’s ours. So that’s where we’re located. Although sometimes it’s kind of hard, especially when it gets colder it’s kind of like whoa, gotta start that stuff indoors, and then transplant and bring it outside.

[00:03:39]

>> Savannah Brown: Right, so I’ll include a map for visual reference when I upload all of these documents. Is it up here, the community garden? Where are stores in Robinson?

>> Rebecca Byrd: Okay, so I know what you’re talking about.

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: So there’s the community garden which, that’s actually faculty members.

[00:04:00]

They actually have that house. Do you know that house next to the visitor parking near, is it east deck? I think it’s east deck.

>> Savannah Brown: Yes, yes.

>> Rebecca Byrd: That’s the faculty community garden, so they have little plants and they do that. But the student community garden, it’s between Robinson and store.

[00:04:19]

So if you’re headed towards, like you’re walking past hall. So keep going straight and then, where Robinson is, you see that modern sculpture out front, if you keep walking, on the left. It’s right next to the BM center.

>> Savannah Brown: Okay, I’m gonna have to go do some-

>> Rebecca Byrd: [LAUGH]

[00:04:40]

>> Savannah Brown: Some investigation, because I see the little community garden sign by East deck and I thought that’s where it was, but when I was doing the research, I was like, this is not the same thing. Okay, that makes sense. So you guys don’t have anything to do with the faculty around the community garden?

[00:04:55]

>> Rebecca Byrd: No, right before I stopped being involved with the gardening club, there was a big thing, are we the community garden or the student community garden? Because the faculty members were like well, we garden too.

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: So I’m kind of like okay, everyone wants to have their own special space.

[00:05:12]

So we’re the student community garden, but we don’t have any affiliation or anything with them.

>> Savannah Brown: Okay, that makes sense, but do you have affiliation with the greenhouse?

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: Okay, so can you tell me a little bit about that?

>> Rebecca Byrd: So the greenhouse team, Paula and all the other folks there, they kind of serve as our, I guess, faculty advisers.

[00:05:32]

And so they help us plan what we’re gonna grow each season, what type of activities we wanna do on the campus side of things, and it was good. I appreciated their help, especially as faculty members, to see that they were helping, being involved in this type of thing.

[00:05:53]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, I think that’s really important for student organizations. Cuz you kind of need that authoritative figure, just to help you figure out how to navigate through all the stuff.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: You can see, [LAUGH], I totally understand. So for the logistics of the garden, do the students provide their own plants or how does that work, like the mulch and stuff?

[00:06:16]

>> Rebecca Byrd: So usually, we have weed by the plants, the mulch, all of that stuff, and then we start working on things. Usually in the greenhouse, if it’s cold like right now, we probably would have had stuff already ready and already sprouted. And then, probably, as soon as it gets 60, 70-ish on a normal basis, then we would transplant things outside.

[00:06:40]

>> Savannah Brown: Gotcha.

>> Rebecca Byrd: So I know we had a couple of good people online, I know the Burpee, that sounds like a baby name.

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: The Burpee Gardening people, they have a great website, a lot of stuff to purchase for all your gardening needs. I know we also visited Pike Nurseries, and I liked them, they’re really nice too.

[00:07:04]

They have a lot of good stuff too, for gardening as well.

>> Savannah Brown: Got you, and did students volunteer and help at the club over the summer?

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes, so that was one of the biggest challenges, actually, when I started participating, because a lot of people leave and go home over the summer.

[00:07:23]

And so the garden, it could not be maintained by the landscaping people here at UNC Charlotte because they would wanna spray pesticides and all manner of things down. But when you’re giving food away to the pantry, you can’t really spray some of those things down, especially cuz it’s toxic not only to people but to the plants.

[00:07:46]

So we had to be in charge of that area. Even though, still from time to time, landscape will just spray something down on a plant and it’s just like, what are you doing? But it was definitely a challenge, but students definitely, I think, will Hopefully now step up to the plate and say even if I’m still in the area, I’ll come into Charlotte maybe one day a week or two days out the week to water the garden.

[00:08:15]

So definitely, summer involvement, it’s key and it’s probably, I’d say the most important time for members to really be active. But probably, arguably, the most important time, spring and summer, and early fall, to be really proactive in the group.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, because that seems to be the biggest growing season.

[00:08:35]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: So that’s when you really need the most weeding, watering, taking care of plants. And I was thinking about that because I love to garden, but my plants did the best summer and then early fall. So I know with students coming and going, with this being a student organization, I could see where that would be difficult.

[00:08:55]

Now, did you guys have to mow any grass or anything, or did landscaping do that?

>> Rebecca Byrd: There’s no grass.

>> Savannah Brown: There’s no grass, okay.

>> Rebecca Byrd: There’s no grass, it’s just raised beds-

>> Savannah Brown: It’s just raised beds.

>> Rebecca Byrd: So it’s really good that the only amount of work we’ll have to do is just keeping up with the soil, fertilizing it, making sure there’s no weeds in there.

[00:09:15]

Just pruning plants as they grow, that type of thing. So I’m glad it’s not too taxing [LAUGH] cuz if we had to mow the lawn, like how it is right in front of the school, that would be so much. That would be so much.

>> Savannah Brown: Yes, because I feel like landscaping is always working here, like they’re always on our ground and they’re always mowing something, so well, that’s good.

[00:09:34]

So how many raised beds is it?

>> Rebecca Byrd: I have to think off the top of my head, we have one, two, three, four, five, seven, I believe we have around seven or eight.

>> Savannah Brown: Okay, and is each bed a different produce or do you have them kind of all mixed in?

[00:09:56]

>> Rebecca Byrd: We have them all mixed in, but there are certain plants that are planted next to each other, just because they, I don’t know how to describe it, other than that they thrive being in the same environment. So that’s usually how the beds are set up and how they work.

[00:10:11]

But one of our beds, I remember, is dedicated to pollinators, so we have lantanas, which are really good for butterflies and bees. And we also had strawberries too, so it was this nice little area over there, especially because we have to save the bees.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, no, I think one of my colleagues might be interviewing, I think there’s two bee farms.

[00:10:37]

So that’ll be really neat to see, kind of how that pollination aspect plays into community gardens and large gardens.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: So can you tell me a little about the space? Because I was reading online, the creators of the original garden, they wanted it to be more than a garden, kind of a place for students to relax.

[00:10:57]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes, so we have hammocks out there, and we’ve had some problems with the hammocks, of students stealing them. It’s like we can’t have nice things. But the space itself, we try to have events that will bring in other student orgs. So I remember we had the Turkish Club and they had Turkish tea as well at our end of the year event, we also had live music in the garden.

[00:11:23]

So I think it really could be a bigger space that’s more centered on students, but I just think it’ll take a lot to get it to be that. Let me rephrase it, it will take a lot for the vision of that garden to get to where it needs to be.

[00:11:45]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, and I think it’s difficult too with students because sometimes they’re so wrapped up in all their school work and things like that. So really pushing it to be that, you have to have a really dedicated not just student body but faculty advisor as well. I mean, that really helps getting it there.

[00:12:03]

That was one thing I wanted to talk to you about is one of our questions was vandalism with community gardens.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, and apparently you guys experience that.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes, there’s so much vandalism, but I think also, it speaks a lot for the culture down here.

[00:12:20]

There are certain things that you’ll see that it’s just, I guess it’s not important down here. There will usually be a lot of cigarette butts in the garden, in the beds. And it’s not good to smoke around the plants as they’re growing because they take all that in and it could just wipe out all the plants, and those plants cost a lot of money.

[00:12:45]

[LAUGH] I mean, it all adds up. A $3, $4 plant here and there, that all adds up to over $300 worth of plants and products that you’re having in the ground. There will also be trash bags, snack bags just in the ground, but also if you drive down the street, you see a whole bunch of people just littering and throwing stuff out of their cars.

[00:13:10]

So as much as if you drive outside of Charlotte and into, I call it the countryside of Charlotte.

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: The countryside of the small towns, unconquered, pass there. You see that there’s a lot of land untapped, and it’s beautiful, and there’s no trash on the ground.

[00:13:34]

But if we did that here, there wouldn’t be a lot of trash, or littering, and it just deteriorates the Earth. But I guess maybe it’s just not, I guess, as important to people here, just having respect for the landscape.

>> Savannah Brown: Well, I think that could be something we could kind of segue into, just community gardens, do people not understand them?

[00:13:58]

Because in Charlotte we have a lot of community attempts to do community gardens, but it seems like people don’t really like understand urban agriculture, I guess. So it’s kind of foreign to them, so they don’t maybe respect it as much as the outside country farmers, if that makes sense.

[00:14:17]

>> Rebecca Byrd: I see what you mean, yeah, I definitely agree. I like to drive up, I think it’s Highway 49, and there’s a cemetery right in Harrisburg and right behind it’s like hey, we have plots for our community garden here. But every time I drive by I’m like, [LAUGH] where’s the garden?

[00:14:36]

I just see headstones. So I’ve always wanted to figure out what are these other groups doing to get people involved, other than the flyers and all of that? And is urban farming, I guess, trying to help people that are in food deserts and lacking healthy food? Because good healthy food is very, very expensive.

[00:15:01]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, and so tell me, we could go to a little bit, how did you distribute the food from the garden and tell me just like where you distributed it and then kind of what and how the food was used?

>> Rebecca Byrd: So it was right before the end of the year, we would do our mass little harvest.

[00:15:19]

We would harvest all of it, but we would still have like a little bit there so we have our event people see there’s stuff here.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah. [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: So it wouldn’t be completely bare, but there’ll still be some things there for people to look at. And so we didn’t have a big membership, so it would be if you wanna take home a few things, that’s fine.

[00:15:44]

But we had more than enough to give. We gave a couple of car-fulls, not the whole car-fulls, but the trunk was full [LAUGH] I guess trunk-fulls is a better word.

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: A few trunk-fulls’ worth of fresh vegetables to the niner pantry. And I think that’s been really helpful.

[00:16:05]

Also to see that we have a student pantry on campus, cuz I don’t know if other schools do that too. Even though, I’m not sure if it’s still true. I think the statistic is one in five students is hungry.

>> Savannah Brown: Mm-hm.

>> Rebecca Byrd: And I definitely think there’s a place, there’s definitely a need for that.

[00:16:26]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, so can you tell me what exactly is the pantry? Just kind of explaining the pantry-

>> Rebecca Byrd: So, the pantry, if you are a student, I’m not sure if it extends to faculty members. That sounds horrible. But, I know some of our faculty members, [GROANS] their financial situation is tough.

[00:16:48]

You have to meet certain criteria to be able to be serviced by the pantry but they have like everything there. In my head it’s a full grocery store.

>> Savannah Brown: Really. And so can you just like, as a student like is there any, I’m not sure if you know this but is like an allotment of like how much food you can get or.

[00:17:06]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yeah.

>> Savannah Brown: Yes, okay.

>> Rebecca Byrd: There’s an allotment, I’m not sure what that is.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, that’s okay.

>> Rebecca Byrd: But I know you can get a certain amount of things from each, I call each section of the grocery store but each section of the pantry. You can get like a certain number of items.

[00:17:21]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, honestly, I’ll have to check out and see if other schools do that because it’s really cool. And that’s why I was really interested in talking to you because like food distribution, I think that Charlotte has the abundance of food but distributing it to people who maybe don’t have access or live in food deserts or have a really tough time.

[00:17:42]

Getting the healthy produce. So, I really like that the UNCC Trinity Garden, it kind of like full-circle that makes sense?

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: It was grown here and then went back to the students here. Do you know of any other community gardens contribute to the minor pantry or was it just guys?

[00:18:01]

>> Rebecca Byrd: I know it’s just us but we also have you know, like Food Lion, Harris Teeter, they’re also partners with the pantry so they’ll donate you know some groceries every now and again, which I feel like is great. Now if we could get like Whole Foods Market or Trader Joes you know now that, that would be something.

[00:18:21]

But that’s usually how it works.

>> Savannah Brown: One of the things I was gonna ask is, did you deal with composting at all?

>> Rebecca Byrd: No, but we wanted to get so many ideas especially about composting. I has like a brief idea but it was very brief. About having a beehive on campus.

[00:18:44]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Now, I know people are allergic to bees, and some people would try and go and take the bees and be vandals.

>> Savannah Brown: Right.

>> Rebecca Byrd: But I thought it was a good idea. [LAUGH] I thought it was a good idea.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, one of the things I’m interested in is food waste and composting.

[00:19:04]

So I was wondering and I think kinda what you’re eluding to is more than just thinking of food as more than just produce, lettuce. Pollinators, I thought that was super cool, and bees, and the whole cycle of the food that we use. So, That’s definitely a question I’m looking to ask all my interviewees is just kind of the life cycle of their food.

[00:19:28]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: So, well, you had kind of alluded to this, but did you guys advertise the club just here on campus, just kind of trying to get more members?

>> Rebecca Byrd: We did, we did the student organization fairs, we did both of those. We would have tabled events usually for Earth Day.

[00:19:51]

We would work with I think it’s called the Campus Green Initiative, CGI. We would also work with, I think it’s called the Earth Club. We work with them, too. Just to get the word out there like hey, we’re a club, this is what we do. If you’re interested in these other things, then maybe you’ll interested in our thing too.

[00:20:14]

That’s what we did. We also have an Instagram account which was just started so, we followed everybody who had- [LAUGH]. [INAUDIBLE] And you know most of them followed us back so we had the members of course like follow us, share the page. We also have a Facebook page and that gets like good hits as well.

[00:20:36]

So we try to do a lot to get the word out there, but I think it’s also not everybody is into gardening like that as well, but I definitely think there’s a place for everybody to be gardener. Cuz it’s not hard. I know a lot of people say, I kill plants all the time, but I’m like it’s at least in my years of living it hasn’t been super hard to kill a plant.

[00:21:02]

>> Savannah Brown: Well, I think there’s a difference too between like house plants.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: And gardening.

>> Rebecca Byrd: That’s true.

>> Savannah Brown: That people can’t really like, they’ll like, like, kill all my plants in the house. There’s a difference when they’re out in the sun.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: Like, in the mulch, you know being fertilized.

[00:21:14]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, I was thinking about, because I’m really looking at community gardens, and a lot of them are either are faith-based or

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: They’re working — so they kind of have a preset community or volunteer base

>> Rebecca Byrd: Mm hm.

>> Savannah Brown: So I was wondering how you guys just get the word out to students.

[00:21:33]

But that makes total sense? And I actually found you guys through the Facebook page.

>> Rebecca Byrd: [LAUGHS]

>> Savannah Brown: If that makes sense? So what do you think are some of the major benefits of community gardening? It doesn’t have to be like our community garden, just in general.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Why do you give people something to do and I definitely think there’s just something like engaging about putting your hands in dirt.

[00:21:58]

I mean, maybe not like their hands, like especially if you’ve got a fresh manicure.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah [LAUGH].

>> Rebecca Byrd: But if you know, putting your hands put some gloves into some dirt and you know, just feeling the dirt and if you get, I guess like maybe a flower or something from the store and you’re transplanting it, just Getting those roots to loosen up a little bit.

[00:22:19]

Just, that process and putting it in the dirt, covering it, then watering it. It’s just, there’s something really relaxing about that. So I think that’s also another benefit. There’s just so much about it that’s. Spun, the process of growing the plants, and watching them grow is the best part.

[00:22:41]

I think right now I’ve been bit again by the gardening bug. So I’ve started some sugar snap peas, and I started them, my gosh, I started them right before spring break. At the end of February. And I put them outside, which like I kinda felt bad about it just because it’s been kind of cold too.

[00:23:03]

So I’m like, whoa. I was like, well, God, they’ll just grow anyways.

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: So finally, two days ago, I got this really big long shoot out the ground and I was like, yes, yes, yes. So I was, I’m so happy about that. And I’m also working on some dutch irises as well.

[00:23:22]

But starting those bulbs is like, it’s a process. So it hasn’t been like the most, like rewarding yet, but it’s still waking up in the morning to see, am I gonna get any new any new sprouts like coming out the ground. Am I gonna get new blooms on these flowers yet?

[00:23:39]

That type of thing is, it’s the excitement of watching something grow that you worked on and that you helped become what it is, I guess.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Helping the plant become what it is. That’s so weird but

>> Savannah Brown: No, I truly understand. I am I don’t even like tomatoes, but I was growing tomatoes.

[00:23:58]

[LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: [LAUGH]

>> Savannah Brown: And I was so excited when I got my first bloom. And I was like, they’re coming. And there is just truly something like. About nurturing something to life.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: Is such a good feeling. And also, being outside, just in the sun, and just kind of like what you said, putting your hands in something and really, I don’t know.

[00:24:19]

I wish that, I think if you like gardening and you kind of grew up gardening, then even if it’s just pots and, you know, plants. But, there’s something special about, you know, just being outside and, so yeah. I think, I think exactly what you said. Definitely the benefits, and it’s kind of hard to articulate those sometimes.

[00:24:39]

[LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes. [LAUGH]

>> Savannah Brown: To be like, it’s just fun to, like, get your hands in the dirt. But.

>> Savannah Brown: I definitely think that’s true. And I think that’s why there’s such a thriving community garden community in Charlotte.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: Cuz I think people really value that, and they like to have their families and their friends get out and do it with them.

[00:24:59]

So what were the, I know you talked about vandalism, what were some of the other challenges you feel like you faced with the community garden?

>> Rebecca Byrd: Also just getting people to be involved. More than what they say they are. I think it’s crazy, UNC Charlotte really thinks the community garden is a great thing.

[00:25:22]

And, you know, sometimes I feel like, in the past, some of the members we had just wanted to, like, be a part of the club, but when it came down to, like, well, who’s gonna take care of the fence over the summer? Coming from someone, while I was in the club, I didn’t have a car.

[00:25:41]

So I would walk over a mile in the heat, in the prime heat. [LAUGH]

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: In North Carolina. Every day, I would wake up every day at 6 AM, before it got too hot, to go to the garden to water. And sometimes, for me with my whole conditions, that would be way too much to do.

[00:26:02]

And so it just became, you know, I felt like I was doing all the work. And even though I’m the president, there have to be other people to step up to the plate. And I think a lot of people want to be, the community garden, they wanna be out there for the accolades, but they don’t wanna put in the work and wake up early to go do the watering.

[00:26:26]

Or say, I’ll help you out. I’ll water two or three days here and there.

>> Savannah Brown: Right. I definitely can see where that would be challenging. And then it causes a little bit of burnout, if one person is just doing all of the work all the time. Even as much as you love something, it can’t be 24/7, cuz I think that that can cause just a little bit of, if you know just somebody could help me.

[00:26:48]

So I understand where that would be challenging. I mean, I know we talked about this, but definitely with students over the summer.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yeah.

>> Savannah Brown: That that would be challenging as well. So I read, I was just doing some some research before our interview, but I read in a 2016 article when you were the president of the club, you kind of talked about how you hoped it’s sparked discussion surrounding food politics in Charlotte.

[00:27:11]

So kind of, what do you think community gardens are doing for this kind of food discussion that we’re having?

>> Rebecca Byrd: That’s a really good question.

>> Savannah Brown: That’s okay, no pressure, I just think food, I mean, you alluded to it earlier, when you were talking about like food deserts and things.

[00:27:30]

I think Charlotte’s going through, like, we have these really fancy boutique food sales, grocery stores, and then we have a really marginalized community of people who don’t get healthy food. So do you think that community gardens are helping kind of alleviate that process? Or is it still just a problem of distribution?

[00:27:53]

>> Rebecca Byrd: I think that community gardens can take the role of being more advocating towards the issue of food distribution, because I think that’s more what it, more when it comes down to. I know the community gardens, they can help with so much, and like provide produce and fruits and that type of thing.

[00:28:13]

But I think if they raise their voice and said, hey, we’re doing this, but there’s still people on this side of town that have to drive 30 minutes to get to a grocery store Or they don’t have a bus line out there to, they can’t take the, what is the bus system called down here, just the-

[00:28:32]

>> Savannah Brown: CATS.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes, they can’t take the CATS to the grocery store.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: I think that’s really what the community gardening groups should, you know, focus on.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, and then just being maybe the voice, because as they deliver the produce, they can say that people are really hungry here in Charlotte.

[00:28:50]

People do really need fresh produce, and we’re seeing it, and we’re doing what we can to alleviate this, but maybe they just could be, like you said, the bigger advocate, or the bigger voice for the people. I totally, I think that’s why I was so intrigued with community gardens, because I think there’s a focus on community, but then there should be a discussion on, as much as we’re providing for the people in our community, how can we help larger Charlotte.

[00:29:18]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: If that makes sense.

>> Rebecca Byrd: I agree.

>> Savannah Brown: So let’s see, what do you kind of see for the future of community gardens?

>> Rebecca Byrd: Well, we might be gardening on Mars soon. I did watch that movie that came out, who was it? Not Ben Affleck. You know what movie I’m talking about.

[00:29:41]

>> Savannah Brown: I know what you’re talking about. [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: But I think the future of gardening, especially community gardening, will be more inclusive. Just reaching out to everybody, not just within the community, but reaching out to beekeepers, reaching out to. I don’t think there’s a real defined term for someone who’s involved with butterflies.

[00:30:07]

I mean, I know their role within the ecosystem is important, but I don’t think there’s someone who houses butterflies, and just says, like okay, I send you off here. But I just think bringing in as many different people would be cool, and I also think maybe the future would be hydroponics, cuz that’s like really cool, although I think that it might be a little expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.

[00:30:37]

But I think that that could definitely be the future. And I think if they keep talking about, I know I’m looking out the window, I know I’m thinking of water. As the water levels start to rise, there’s no water out here, as the water levels start to rise and the sea levels are rising, I think that might become more of a.

[00:30:59]

Not to say more of an option, but it looks like it might become like a reality that our coastal cities will be submerged underwater. And climate change, that’s real too. So it’s kind of like, what’s gonna happen? So I think hydroponics might be the best option.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, I think climate change is something that’s affecting farmers, and gardeners, and people who are outside, working.

[00:31:30]

And that’s something we’re kind of, with this project, want to kind of understand a little bit more where they’re, how they’re seeing it, and how it’s coming from, but I think it’s Johnson C. Smith who’s doing hydroponics. I have to go back and double-check, but I think they got a whole program where they’re kind of like getting that started.

[00:31:49]

So that’d be really cool if I could interview them, and kind of see how they’re integrating that future of gardening in today’s climate. I was gonna ask you about, my gosh, it just left me.

>> Rebecca Byrd: It’s okay. [LAUGH]

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH] I was gonna say, when you were talking about hydroponics, I thought of Johnson C Smith.

[00:32:12]

Do you think that the university did enough to help you guys, just with the resources that they have? Kind of like, how could have the University of Charlotte maybe helped the community garden more? Or do you think they did enough?

>> Rebecca Byrd: Well, I think UNC Charlotte did more than enough for the community gardening club.

[00:32:34]

But what I do think is, maybe the student group itself could have done more.

>> Savannah Brown: Okay.

>> Rebecca Byrd: You know, I always think we could have reached out to, I think, Queens University. I had to think of the school. Queens University. I know they have a gardening club, and they have a really nice greenhouse, it’s on top of the building, which I’m like, that’s so cool.

[00:33:01]

We could have like reached out to them. We could have reached out to Johnson C Smith. We could have had a nice little intercollegiate community gardening network, but for future days.

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH] Yeah, I was gonna say, I ask that just because, I wonder how much influence the university could have on really promoting this idea of healthy food to people.

[00:33:29]

And it might not be something that the university wants to tackle, like kind of get involved in that discussion about food and food insecurity in Charlotte. But I do like that they, it’s here within the system. Like it was grown here and given back to students. So I think in that way, they really did play a large role in helping kind of people who have food insecurities get healthy foods.

[00:33:53]

And I like that you said that they did a lot, because I think that sometimes, clubs that have really good intentions aren’t supported by their universities.

>> Rebecca Byrd: I think it’s funny you say that cuz, my gosh, I was gonna say something. And right as I was gonna say it, it left.

[00:34:11]

>> Savannah Brown: We both need a coffee.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes, I desperately need a coffee, even though it’s like 11 something. Yes, it was about food insecurity, yes. I feel like the university, they could, you know, the university, I feel like they dip their hands in everything. As you can see, they’re always dipping their hand into construction projects.

[00:34:33]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah. [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Into gymnasiums that, we don’t need five gymnasiums on campus, I just don’t feel like that’s necessary. But I don’t want the chancellor to hear this and then-

>> Savannah Brown: No. [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: I get a email. I kid, I kid, but I definitely think UNC Charlotte has the space, and has the resources to be for the people and, you know, be the voice for people in Charlotte.

[00:35:00]

Even those marginalized, even if you just drive down North Tryon, like you can see it. So, it’s not too far out of the university’s bubble. I just don’t know if UNC Charlotte is really, if that’s something they wanna be behind. And I don’t, not to say I don’t know why, I mean because.

[00:35:23]

They have people come to speak here all the time about racial politics, that type of thing, they even promote people going to vote. So I feel like this is just as important, cuz if the people can’t eat, then how are they gonna vote? That sounds like?

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

[00:35:43]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Like one plus one equals apples, but I feel like they go hand in hand, especially when it comes down to the issues. And soon, election season’s coming up, so I feel like it would be a good time for UNC Charlotte to really be the face of, not the face of the city, cuz that sounds a bit much.

[00:36:08]

But the face of the city, really, and, you know, speak up for things that not only like students, but the community and the city need to talk about. Because you don’t see other people talking about it. I haven’t seen, but then again my citizenship, I’m not a Charlotte citizen or a North Carolina resident.

[00:36:29]

I just live here for school. [LAUGH] I just live here for school. But I haven’t seen any local council members talking about food insecurities in this area, and I just, not to say, I wonder why, but I really do wonder why, because it’s a big problem.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, I think one thing you just said was how Charlotte is in, you know, they call us the crescent and the wedge city?

[00:36:54]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: It’s like the wedge, there’s kind of your wealthier population, and then the crescent surrounds it. And Charlotte, UNC Charlotte is in the crescent. And like what you said about the university’s bubble. We are surrounded by communities that may experience food security, or be in a food desert.

[00:37:11]

And so it kind of is, we are kind of the face of this upper crescent that, you know. If we call UNC Charlotte a leading institution, we really should be practicing what we preach, and helping. And like you said, we host a lot of different things, and so maybe we should start talking about food a little bit more than we already do.

[00:37:31]

Yeah, I think that’s super important, and I hope that the club can really revitalize, and incorporate all of this talk about food. And maybe this project could even, it’s something sponsored by UNC Charlotte students. And so it could be something that kind of sparks that revitalization, again, at least in gardening.

[00:37:54]

But it does take a lot of volunteers, a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work, and not just by one person. And I think any farmer would tell you that, it’s hard to run a big farm with one farmer, so.

>> Savannah Brown: Is there anything else about the community garden you kind of just would like to tell me about?

[00:38:18]

I think I was primarily interested in the food distribution, I thought. So you guys just did one harvest at the end of the growing season? And when would you typically take that to the pantry?

>> Rebecca Byrd: We would usually take it there like April, like end of March, actually no, not end of March, April, May.

[00:38:43]

Like right before it really starts to hot out.

>> Savannah Brown: Gotcha.

>> Rebecca Byrd: And sometimes we would do it in the fall as well, depending on what we planted or grew.

>> Savannah Brown: And would you just drop it off? You never-

>> Rebecca Byrd: No, we would go in there and put it in the fridge.

[00:38:58]

>> Savannah Brown: You would? Nice.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Talk to the people at the pantry. That type of thing.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah. That’s good. So there was some kind of interaction.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Mm-hm. And then we would record what we gave them.

>> Savannah Brown: Okay. Was there any best-sellers? I mean, that sounds like [LAUGH].

[00:39:13]

>> Rebecca Byrd: I don’t know if there were any best-sellers, but I do know everyone was a fan of the rainbow Swiss chard.

>> Savannah Brown: That would be fun.

>> Rebecca Byrd: So it’s definitely, not to say it’s a easy grow, but it’s really a easy grow, and it’s a overabundant plant. So you cut it once, and it’ll just keep growing.

[00:39:33]

>> Savannah Brown: Was there anything that was really difficult to grow? Well, the tomatoes, you said.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Tomatoes, but blueberries are especially difficult, because the pH in the soil has to be at certain level. It just, everything has to be perfect.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: That’s definitely like trickiest thing to grow, but everything else that we’ve done has done well.

[00:39:54]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, did you guys use fertilizer?

>> Rebecca Byrd: I believe we have, I’m not sure like what, but we don’t like spray down anything. Just, you know, to keep it, not organic but just to keep it, you know-

>> Savannah Brown: But there was no, like, chemicals?

>> Rebecca Byrd: No.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, okay.

[00:40:12]

>> Rebecca Byrd: No chemicals used, it was all natural.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, was it hard to, and maybe this is where the greenhouse people came in, did they kind of know the soil level? You just said the pH levels, were there any other plants that needed like specific pH levels?

>> Rebecca Byrd: Well, outside of the garden, I know citrus fruits need a certain pH level, and so it’s kind of a hit or a miss.

[00:40:42]

It’s either perfect and it’ll do well, or the plant hates it, and I’m gonna die right now. [LAUGH] I’m gonna die now. I hate this soil, it’s not perfect, what are you doing? So I know those two tend to be really finicky when it comes to that. But I know there’s an instrument you can use to test the pH and I’m like, this is so cool.

[00:41:11]

And you just like plop it in there and it’s like ding, good for whatever level it is. And if it’s not, there’s usually different acidic soil mixtures you can add to it. So that’s definitely the biggest planting challenge, I guess.

>> Savannah Brown: Right, I know that some plants, some like full sun, some like shade and sun.

[00:41:37]

Were parts of the garden shaded, or is it mostly full sun?

>> Rebecca Byrd: It’s mostly full sun, but I know in one area that’s closer to, well, actually there’s two areas. One area that’s closer to the gondola, it gets shady a little bit. And then the side that’s closer to, you’re exiting Robinson, and you’re going across the street to get to those apartments, I think it’s called like Haven49 or something.

[00:42:11]

That’s a really shaded area, but it’ll still get full sun.

>> Savannah Brown: Got you.

>> Rebecca Byrd: So it’ll just get shade for like the end part of the day, but it’ll still be like full sun.

>> Savannah Brown: I’m trying to think if I have any other planting, I’m curious about anything else planting.

[00:42:29]

Did you do any flowers?

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes, we do lantanas. We do, I believe, dahlias. We do brown-eyed Susans, and I think we did something else, but I can’t remember off the top of my head. But yes, flowers, I love flowers because it’s the beauty. But sometimes, part of me’s like, I wanna get something I can eat.

[00:42:58]

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: [LAUGH] Like something I can really get into, and use it, and feel like I gained something from this. Cuz sometimes with flowers, even if they bloom the next year, I’m just kinda like, this is just some flowers. But with growing vegetables and fruits, it’s kind of like, I get to enjoy this next year too.

[00:43:24]

It’s that type of thing.

>> Savannah Brown: Did you find that people were nervous to garden? Was anyone ever scared to start gardening?

>> Rebecca Byrd: It’s not necessarily, like, scared to garden, it’s more scared of what might come out the ground. [LAUGH] Or like what might come towards you. It’s more of like the spiders and the bugs and the bugs that bite, and it’s not good, it’s scary.

[00:43:51]

[LAUGH] It’s a little bit scary sometimes, I’m not gonna lie.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, just like the outside critters.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yeah, like, even I’m not a big bug person, the only bugs I’ll tolerate, bees, butterflies, although a lot of people are like bees? Yeah, I like bees, cuz they’re not gonna, at least to me, they haven’t done anything to me.

[00:44:11]

They’ll just land on my hand and then fly away. I won’t even get stung, and I’m like my God, look at that!

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: But the worms, I’m fine. But the big spiders, not the little, the big spiders that, nope, that’s it. And then every now and again, ticks, those really big beetles.

[00:44:32]

Or the, I don’t know what they’re called, there’s a scientific word for them, but I call them the roly-polys.

>> Savannah Brown: Yes. [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: I don’t like those either.

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: They just, sickening. Centipedes, millipedes, uh-uh. Salamanders, they’re cute, so I tolerate them. But other than that, I think it’s more the outside life that really, it’s kinda like, I don’t do bugs.

[00:44:56]

But you’ll get over it soon, but it’s not all the time thing when you’re gardening, so.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: [LAUGH]

>> Savannah Brown: I understand. The one bug I really don’t like are cicadas.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Ugh.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, and they come out of the ground. So those are weird.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

[00:45:10]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Those and stink bugs, they’re the worst.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, I feel like North Carolina, I feel like we have an abundance of stink bugs for some reason. [LAUGHS]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes! And I just don’t understand how, where did they come from? Why are they here? Why are they attracted to being near my space?

[00:45:28]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Well, not necessarily near my space, but just here in general. Like I just really would like to know. [LAUGH] I really wanna know, because they’ve just, when I was gardening in my, I have a little patio garden on my porch. This is like a side note, I hope I haven’t bothered my neighbor downstairs, because I attached three, I got them from Home Depot.

[00:45:54]

It’s like three railing planters.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: And I love them, like you just attach them to the railing with some steel zip ties. They’re all-season, all-weather strong. But like, the water drains straight out, and goes, like, straight downstairs. So I’m like, I hope my neighbor isn’t bothered by seeing all this water drip down in the morning, for his morning cigarette.

[00:46:16]

[LAUGH]

>> Savannah Brown: It’s funny you say that, because I also live in a apartment complex, and I had a neighbor above who did the planters, and the water would drip down. But I would just put my plants out there, so that they would get some of the water.

>> Rebecca Byrd: [LAUGH]

[00:46:32]

>> Savannah Brown: So hopefully, it never bothered me too much. But I did feel bad sometimes when I watered mine, I knew it’d drip down again, so that’s definitely a challenge of urban gardening.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: And again kind of feeling like you might be bothering someone, like with smells or bugs or whatever.

[00:46:50]

Which I think, maybe not here, but do you think that would turn anybody off from community gardening, being a nuisance almost?

>> Rebecca Byrd: I think it could, cuz sometimes the people are like, you have to fertilize your plant again?

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: I mean, well, yeah, that’s kind of how it works.

[00:47:07]

[LAUGH]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Why are you going to Home Depot to buy another type of fertilizer? I was like, well,I also feel like the nurseries and the garden centers, they do a good job of getting you to buy things. It’s kind of like how Babies R Us and those type of stores, they prey on new moms, because they know you’re going to buy all this stuff, even though chances are you don’t really need it.

[00:47:30]

So I have three different types of fertilizer that they all do the same thing, although one is specifically for citrus fruit. But, I’m kinda like, what, do I have a problem? I just keep buying things.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: I think that, I mean if you have a spending problem, that might turn you off from gardening, just having to buy things, I mean, but it’s fun.

[00:47:49]

I mean, who doesn’t like shopping? But I definitely feel that small inconveniences of gardening, like, well, like this plant, it’s not like sprouting in two days, and it’s been in full sun, you know. Well you know, sometimes it’s the germination time, sometimes it’s ten days, sometimes it’s 20 days.

[00:48:10]

How’s the soil? Have you been keeping it moist? What have you been doing? Sometimes those tips and tricks, have you tried rotating your planters to getting more sun? Those type of things sometimes help. Have you been adding some coffee grounds to the dirt?

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Little things here and there, I think can help.

[00:48:34]

And Google is always the best helper.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah. Well, and I think too it is kind of just experimenting a little bit.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yeah.

>> Savannah Brown: Because when I first planted my peppers, they were not doing good. They just kept looking so sad, and I was like I thought they wanted full sun, or maybe it’s too much sun, so I kept moving them around the patio but I think with gardening, especially people new to gardening, it might be a little bit of a turn off.

[00:48:56]

And you’re like nothing’s happening but it really is just being like, well, maybe I need to do a little research on maybe they like to be out in the sun for some of the day, or maybe they need more water than I was giving them or something like that.

[00:49:08]

So I think one of my suggestions kind of like what you were saying is for new gardeners like don’t give up.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yeah, don’t give up, just keep going.

>> Savannah Brown: Just keep going.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Just keep trying. Go on Google, look at a whole bunch of articles. YouTube too.

[00:49:22]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: A lot of urban gardeners, urban farmers, they have like YouTube Channels that are really, really like they’re really fun. They’re also like kind of corny, but they’re cute and they’re helpful. And they give you all the tips and tricks that you need. I think, when was it?

[00:49:38]

Over the weekend, I had just bought a little mini meyer lemon citrus bush. So, I’m kind of like, okay,like how tall is this going to get? Like is it going to be like, like this forever. I am going to get any fruit this summer? Am I not?

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

[00:49:52]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Because like, to me like, that’s like the main thing, what am I going to get from this. [LAUGH].

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: That’s sounds horrible, right? I’m focusing more on that. And so I went on YouTube. I’m like, okay, so what do I do with it? There’s blooms, there’s flowers on it.

[00:50:05]

Do I need to self-pollinate this with a little paint brush? Do I just leave it? Do I try and find some bees and just sit it there? What do I need to do? So YouTube definitely, YouTube and Google have been the biggest help for gardening and then if you go to the garden centers just asking the people that work there, because they usually.

[00:50:28]

Now if you’re going to like pike nursery, not Home Depot or Lowes because sometimes you know that’s like a hit or miss.

>> Savannah Brown: Yes, they do. But you know sometimes you do have to go to a nursery or garden center because it’s people that are raising those plants.

[00:50:40]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yeah.

>> Savannah Brown: That really know how to help you. Did you ever have to self-pollinate in the community garden or the bees-

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: You did have to.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Some things, we did self-pollinate like the strawberries, we help the bees a little bit which I always think is good just it’s like two seconds just to go around a little paintbrush and tap tap here, and a tap tap there, it’s easy but it’s fun, it’s all about getting that perfect moment, I guess.

[00:51:10]

It sounds awkward.

>> Savannah Brown: How do you self-pollinate? I have never done that.

>> Rebecca Byrd: So it sounds like, well, it sounds very sexual when you talk about it but you’re just waiting for the perfect moment when the pollen is I don’t know how to describe it but I think it’s called the pistol.

[00:51:28]

Inside it’s super duper, I don’t know any other word to describe it, super duper lubricated, and then you tap the pollen and you brush it on there. And then you go to each different bloom and you repeat it.

>> Savannah Brown: Okay I’ve never done that but I definitely know exactly what you’re talking about.

[00:51:46]

Like when a flower, when you get one that honestly they look like kind of wet on the inside-

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, okay, so was it for strawberries?

>> Rebecca Byrd: Mm-hm.

>> Savannah Brown: Or was there anything else you had to do it for?

>> Rebecca Byrd: Not that I can recall, I’ve done it for my meyer lemons even though they didn’t require it, because it’s a self-pollinating tree, so it doesn’t need it, but you know, everyone’s is like it doesn’t like [CROSSTALK] it doesn’t hurt it if you do it.

[00:52:14]

So I’m like, well, why not? But I definitely think that helps, especially with all the technology we’ve got in this area, throws the bees off from traveling and getting to where they need to go. I definitely think that helps and especially if you live in an apartment complex.

[00:52:34]

I haven’t seen any bees, but also then again, our landscapers, not to say they suck, but they don’t put out lots of flowers and stuff. [LAUGH]

>> Savannah Brown: Right.

>> Rebecca Byrd: So we’re not gonna see lots of bees or bee action over there. So I definitely think pollinating by hand is a necessity, but if we could get these that would be great.

[00:52:59]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. I never really thought about that, I mean if we don’t have bees and you’re not somewhere with self-pollinating plant, you kinda have to do it. But, yeah.

>> Rebecca Byrd: [LAUGH]

>> Savannah Brown: So I guess it’s just kinda my final question is what was your favorite part about being in the community garden club and being president.

[00:53:19]

>> Rebecca Byrd: My favorite part of course is like telling people about the garden but also just like being there gardening. Like that, it’s just so relaxing, it’s just like just putting your hands in some dirt is just you know. Now some things about gardening is just like weeding.

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

[00:53:36]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Like weeding those beds a headache, horrible but pruning the plants like that type of thing just taking the dead leaves off. It’s like that pattern of going to each, I guess, each plant and doing that over and over, it’s just there’s something like, even though it’s like methodical it’s just relaxing.

[00:53:59]

It’s like, this go here, do this, it’s perfect. All right, do the next one. It’s just, it’s relaxing. Very, very relaxing. I mean it was a great experience. I love being a part of the gardening club, even though it was hard. [LAUGH]

>> Savannah Brown: Yes.

>> Rebecca Byrd: It was hard doing a lot of the hard work, getting other people involved I really enjoyed it, it made it made my time at UNC Charlotte like, I made it nice.

[00:54:28]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, and I think, I mean, just from listening to our interview, it just sparks so much joy to be a gardener even if you’re just like you’ve got three plants at home or something. So I hope from this interview, we can help others just feel like it’s not scary.

[00:54:43]

You can do it and it can be a really fun, relaxing activity. And benefit your community. Overall whole.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Exactly, it really can, even if it’s you’re starting off small. Start maybe with a bamboo plant. You know those those do well you know if you put in your bathroom.

[00:55:05]

It does perfect there you don’t really have to do much just water it once a week. Just keep the shower mist juices. It’ll be fine. And then if you find that that’s doing well start off with like some peas, yes please I always feel like every first grader always does like peas.

[00:55:26]

At least I did peas. [LAUGH] I remember doing peas in my classroom and watching that grow was easy. And then, of course, they have lots of like grow kits at Home Depot, if you wanna start there and they some like herb. You could grow it right in your kitchen, they give you the containers, it has directions on it.

[00:55:48]

So it comes with directions so it can’t be all that bad, although I will say sometimes you will get a dud seed. So sometimes the dud seeds, don’t feel bad, sometimes we all get dud seeds. It happens, so a dud seed shouldn’t deter you from being a gardener.

[00:56:06]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, I had two great peppers. So I had three pepper seeds, two of them, beautiful, did the best. One of them just couldn’t It just didn’t take, and that just happens. [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: That’s usually how it happens. You’ll get a good majority that, they’ll sprout and they’ll be fine.

[00:56:22]

And then you’ll always get those one or two that you’re like, well, I did everything perfect, all you had to do was just grow. That’s all you had to do. The sun is shining, just say, okay, I’m gonna sprout now. That’s all. But it’s a great process, it’s fun.

[00:56:39]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, it is fun.

>> Rebecca Byrd: There’s something back to nature about it. It’s, you know, when you’re gardening, it’s like you can’t really, not saying you can’t really be on your phone while you’re doing that, I mean, you can. But if you wanna get dirt all on the touchpad.

[00:56:52]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, really be involved in the process.

>> Rebecca Byrd: It takes you outside of technology and Facebook and all of that stuff, and just outside, just doing something. It’s relaxing, it’s-

>> Savannah Brown: No, I totally agree. They’d be like, why are you rotating your plants again? And I was like, leave me alone.

[00:57:12]

It’s nice to just be out here. And I would just trim two leaves and prune them, but it still is nice to just put your phone away. Especially when we’re surrounded by technology all the time, gardens really can be this place of just peace, and refuge, and relaxation.

[00:57:31]

And I think, community gardens, if you’re experiencing that, while also you’re producing food, it’s just such a win-win.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Yes, exactly.

>> Savannah Brown: Are there any other questions I should have asked you about the community garden?

>> Rebecca Byrd: No questions. But I guess this will be my one little moment in the interview to say this.

[00:57:51]

I’m definitely thankful for my childhood, I guess my childhood experiences in gardening. I remember as a kid, my mom, in the summertime, we go to this mega store out in, I think it’s in, trying to figure out the directions on the map. It’s like southwestern Massachusetts, called Mahoney’s, and it’s the best.

[00:58:17]

To me, it’s the best place ever, [LAUGH] it’s the best place ever. And I have so many fond memories going to the store with my mom. She would say, all right, so what do you wanna plant? And so she would let me pick out some things. And she’d say, well, we can’t grow that because we don’t get full sun over there, so you have to pick something else.

[00:58:33]

So that experience, and also, my grandmother, she judges daffodil contests. It sounds so weird, so-

>> Savannah Brown: No, I love that.

>> Rebecca Byrd: So she lives in Rockford, Illinois, and so they have a daffodil growing competition. And so she grows daffodils, and this is what she does. So every time we would go to her house, she would have, I wish I brought a picture of it.

[00:58:59]

She has the most beautiful front and back yards, flowers everywhere, different types of daffodils all in a little field. It’s kind of like, how does one have all this time and dedication to grow this? And she’s very organised, she has the little tags and when she grew it, and what type of variety, and the scientific name, handwritten.

[00:59:24]

[LAUGH] I’m one of those, you know, you just could have put regular shmegular daffodils. I planted this on February 1st, right here. But she really gets into it, and that’s her thing, so I’m just happy that I had those types of experiences that really made me want to garden now.

[00:59:44]

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, for sure. Do you think people need that to want to garden, or do you think it just kind of helps?

>> Rebecca Byrd: I definitely think it helps, but you know, I definitely think, how could you not? I mean, just walking around the street, how could you not say, one day, I wanna have an apple tree.

[01:00:05]

Just nature, the world around you, it’s just so beautiful. How could you not wanna say, I just wanna grow a little plant or something. It’s just, not to say, I don’t understand how people don’t like it, but I don’t understand how people don’t like it or see that it adds value.

[01:00:25]

Not even just for the Earth, just for self. I guess it could be a part of, well, it is a part of self-care. Yeah, just having something to relax and take time away from life. But it’s a full circle type of thing that you get to take part in.

[01:00:44]

It’s cool.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, I mean, I think the same thing. I grew up with just a garden. And one of my favorite days of the year was when we’d go to the nursery and we could each pick out something that we were gonna grow and like take care of.

[01:00:56]

The same thing, my mom was like, we have a full sun garden, so you can’t have these certain things. But even though I didn’t, maybe, as a kid, realize all the intricacies of gardening, it still was just a love for working outside and being able to pick something and watch it grow.

[01:01:12]

Kind of like your little pet, like you’re just taking care of it. So yeah, I totally see where you’re coming from, and I definitely think that for me, now, is why I like to at least have a couple plants on my patio. Cuz I’m like, even if I can’t have a full garden, I still like to have a little something.

[01:01:29]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Exactly, I don’t know, I always feel like, because of my gardening experience, I’m like, ugh, you know, some days, in graduate school, these professors, I’m not trying to give it to them. [LAUGH]

>> Savannah Brown: [LAUGH]

>> Rebecca Byrd: Sometimes I’m just like, I could just leave this all behind and quit school and just move out to Harrisburg and have a farm.

[01:01:50]

But then I’m like, having a farm is expensive in itself. So I’m like, I can’t really do that either. [LAUGH] But it’s always, I would leave it all behind just to have a farm in the countryside with only a landline phone.

>> Savannah Brown: Yeah, I think my overall dream, one day, is to have a farm to table area with my farm.

[01:02:14]

And people can come for dinner and I can just be like, here’s all my produce, here’s for dinner. I know, i think about that too. You know, my grand dream, if I had all the money to do whatever I wanted, that would be it.

>> Rebecca Byrd: Exactly, it’s perfect, what more do you need?

[01:02:29]

>> Savannah Brown: I know. All right, well, thank you so much, I’m gonna go ahead and turn this off.