Agriculture Club Blooms at SCC

On the northeast corner of SCC’s property, next to the Language and Communication Building, Brandon Gibbins and the rest of the Agriculture Club are hard at work in the community garden.

Few people are aware that SCC has a community garden where garden fanatics and not-so-fanatics alike can express themselves through their hands and grow crops, flowers and even cacti.

Gibbins, an SCC student and agricultural engineering major, spends hours tending to his 1,200 square feet of “dirt,” babying his seedlings until they sprout into a garden filled with organic fruits and vegetables.

A big smile spreads across Gibbins’ face as he talks about his dreams for the club he created. He says he wants to “create a revolution in organic gardening by involving as many people as I can.”

Together with a few helping hands, he plows, sows and waters his piece of land, seemingly oblivious to the sun beating down on them. Reggae music plays through his computer as they work, making the atmosphere mellow and the work go by faster.

Chase Cunningham, a member and the club’s photographer, says that “with gardening comes creation through natural resources that have been here since the beginning (of time),” which he uses as inspiration for his photographs.

The land may look bare as there are only mounds of dirt right now, but don’t be mistaken. In a few months, the garden will be ripe with fruits, vegetables, and brightly colored flowers.

Nick Bursi, SCC student and lead floriculturist of the club, says he likes the agriculture club “because it’s fun and rewarding to work hard and watch what you planted grow into a beautiful plant.” He also said that he initially gained interest in gardening so he could grow flowers for his girlfriend.

Although the Agriculture Club is not yet an official club, Gibbins is in the process of finalizing the paperwork required to make it a reality.

The club is searching for people wanting to help out, and no experience is necessary. “It is a community experience where the knowledge, structure, execution, future, and the ultimate success…(is)…constrained only by the dedication of the group,” according to the official fan page on Facebook.