Here at USC Upstate, we have two areas where we cultivate crop agriculture. First, the areas by the Nursing building where we have plots for the gardening club.
The gardening club is where students can claim a plot in the garden and grow their own crops to keep. The club is about health, mental health, nature, and sustaining your own food.
Not only does the club help students a lot the science majors get to use the plants that are grown in the gardens in their science experiments, as one of the teachers uses what is grown and uses it in their class.
Melissa Storm, faculty advisor of the gardening club, says, “I just want more people to know we exist and know we grow crops in the winter.” From firsthand experience, the gardening club might be a little hard work, but it is very rewarding and very worth it.
The Second area where we have crop agriculture going on is up by the health center at 995 University Way, it’s called the Food Forest. The Food Forest was created earlier this year to boost sustainability efforts, which include urban gardening, food production, food waste reduction, and increasing recycling.
It’s also to give students a look at the food cycle as we watch plants bloom due to pollinators, then die, and give back to said pollinators and sprout new seeds. It’s supposed to simulate a real forest.
There are places for you to sit and enjoy nature. There are books on planting and nature. There are signs are the different plants, butterflies, composting, bees, pollinators, and more. There are walking paths to take a stroll and see all the different plots where things grow. Just for now, you can’t pick any of the crops or plants, so when you go up there, please be respectful to the people who made it happen.
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