July 2008

Define the word family and you’ll come up with thousands of definitions, but family isn’t always blood. Family is often people who come together in similar interests. Like my “garden family,” we aren’t blood or related, but have common interests and get along. We have each others back and we support each other, which is very much one of the definitions of family.

I came to this conclusion this evening at our potluck. We all came together and brought bounty in the form of food. We chatted, we laughed, we smiled. A gathering, very much similar to communal tables in Europe, or dinners with family. It was just a time to have fun and get to know each. A time to grow as a group aka “family.”

I’m sure we all feel the same way. We all have are roles, we might not know them yet but we have them. And although, we might lack these roles, we do have a same goal. That goal is to grow the garden beyond what it is now and grow our family. We don’t turn away and we don’t judge. We take you as you are and give you the tools to garden. We are “Project Grow” and we are growing together and strengthening the community in small steps.

We are not the only ones, The Slow Food movement started in the 80s in Italy, began part of it. Alice Waters started it in California. There are more CSAs and gardens than ever. Farmer’s markets are popping up everywhere. This “slow” movement is slowly taking over and changing things. Maybe even one day reshaping the food supply chain. But for now we are still rebels and protesters against the USDA and commercial farming. Big business are realizing the power of the movement and hopefully are trembling. Because we are the future, one day we’ll be back to the basics-plant, grow, eat.

I’m glad to be apart of this movement and very much grateful to my “garden family” and am happy to be part of the evergrowing club.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”-Margaret Mead

I never thought about ending up on the East Coast. I always thought of myself as a Californian girl. Move out to L.A. or San Fran, eat seafood, go to Napa. Those were the dreams I had, as a teenager and as a college student. But circumstances like an internship with Southern Living, and other personal ongoings prevented me from that goal.

So I left for Alabama, only to move back to Texas, started seriously applying for jobs. I began working for a local paper, but within two months. The EC paper called me for an interview and I came out for it. I fell in love the moment I saw the water.

I guess at heart, I was always a beach girl. So I saw EC and realized that if I got the job I would be going to a rather small town, but that was o.k. with me. When I went back to Texas, I left Norfolk with sand still in between my toes.

I got the job, obviously and accepted. My mom and I made the trek out here. It was a very long drive, one which I hope not to do anytime soon. I hadn’t expected to have a garden here, that was some what of a surprise to find that they had a community garden.

I never liked dirt until now. It is strange how your likes changes when you are older. Never in my younger years would I have done this, but now after learning about organic and the food supply chain, I cannot help myself. A hundred years ago that is what happened, people watched the crops grow. Now it is often watching this screen that I am typing to you on. However, there is a change in society happening, more people are starting gardens and eating locally.

Often due to food prices, but others because they have read or seen the food chain and want a change. I am happy to be apart of it here in Elizabeth City and hope the garden and the people working in it will inspire others to take part. Because it only takes a few to impact many.

Let me explain a little bit more about me.

I guess you can say farming is in my blood. My great-grandfather was a farmer, before and after the war. My grandfather helped to manage the farm and my father manages most of it today. Personally, I haven’t been back to the farm in at least a decade. I remember it though. The corn higher than me and the the cement post that had W. Allison on it. Maybe it was then that farming was ingrained in my blood and I just didn’t know it yet.

Years passed and I didn’t think much about the farm. Or did I know what was going on. But I would end up at the University of Texas at Austin and I would be sucked into its liberalism and into its culture. Soon I found myself boycotting Taco Bell and the war. I became a vegetarian because the dorm cafeteria food looked down right gross. I started going to Whole Foods and eating different produce every week. I then switched to veganism, then back to vegetarianism, pescetarian, finally back to being an omnivore. A cycle that took almost 2 years.

During this time, I found Austin’s Farmer’s Market and went down regularly to buy produce. I got use to vendors and seasons. I began learning what was in and out of season. I tried my best to flow with them, but occasionally bought berries in February. I learned how to make root beer and where the freshest fish market was. I learned about bison and wine. Austin made me a foodie, but a foodie without a garden.

Though I do confess. I did have a patio garden last summer. It ended badly. I tried growing tomatoes and herbs. Well, the herbs were a success, but my tomatoes kept on being stolen. By who, I’ll never know, but eventually I moved them to a friends only for them to never produce. It could have been the pot or the soil, but again I don’t know.

I learned a lot from my years in Austin. Much of it has influenced me to this day.

Part 2….How I got to Elizabeth City….

Welcome to Project Grow.  In the very near future we will be featuring the words and wisdom of Jerry Allison in this space.  Project grow is a Community Garden Project located in Elizabeth City, NC and affiliated with The Food Bank Of The Albemarle in providing gardening space, training and produce to the local at risk community.  Jerry is our resident journalist who is currently working for the Daily Advance.  As an established blogger she will be writing about gardening, cooking and other food related topics.  Stay tuned for more.