Community as Agriculture

By Michelle Hypolite
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut

I grew up watching my mother garden for most of my life which has given me an appreciation for the labor put into the process of creating something that yields much, something that all people can enjoy, and an activity that brings us closer to nature. My mom would spend hours tending her garden, toiling, planting, fertilizing, weeding and rearranging. I never realized the effort it took to keep her garden so beautiful until I moved out and wished to create a garden of my own.

I started from nothing. When I first dug into the earth I had no idea that beneath the grass lied rocks, broken glass, and all sorts of trash that would first needed to be removed before I was able to even think about planting. After the soil was cleared I realized that I could not just plant any which way, I would have to plan, create and design so that my garden would make sense for me, both atheistically and practically. Some plants needed more sun, while others should be placed in the front because they could be overshadowed by taller ones. There was a lot of effort placed in prepping before I could actually put one plant in the ground. Somewhere along the way I understood that it takes a lot of work to enjoy the benefits of a garden. I was tired, dirty, and hot, but I knew that the end product would be worth it. A project that I thought would take a day turned into over a week. By the time the last bush was in the ground I was exhausted. But the work wasn't over yet. I had my garden but something was missing. I needed stones and accents and all sorts of other additions to make the garden into something special.

I feel like if we look at society as agriculture, and we are its tenders, then we can create something extraordinary, too. But first we must prep as I prepped my little garden. Prepare our society by first cleansing of waste and trash (both literally and figuratively). We must start with something fresh and plan its design, then begin to sow into our society, while still allowing it to grow organically. This is the foundation. Things like a good education for all children, regardless of socio-economic status. Good health care as well. We need to plan for the future of our society to flourish  and give back to us as we put into it. Then we can add our accents with the arts and music to make it beautiful, creating something wonderful. And of course, like in any garden we must work diligently to maintain it through weeding and daily maintenance. It is hard work, but the results are magnificent and we will all take ownership and love the fruits of our labor.