This week for #FoodJusticeFriday, we’ve got a spotlight interview piece on our friend Carmen Ketron, Farm Educator at MUSC URBAN FARM, from guest writer, Joshua Teves. Check it out and go visit Carmen at the farm soon!
Situated near the heart of the medical district, the MUSC Urban Farm occupies a half-acre of what used to be a parking lot. Now, it is full of an incredible variety of fruits and vegetables. I had the pleasure of speaking with its educator and groundskeeper Carmen Ketron, this past Tuesday. Despite the frigid February weather, she gave me a warm introduction to the farm and its mission. Beaming, she told me about how everyone from the community is welcome to come volunteer and learn.
At the farm, you can come to “Work & Learn” sessions where you volunteer time in exchange for taking home some of the crops grown there and education on gardening and growing plants. There is usually an education agenda, but Carmen keeps it flexible when the group size allows.
“Sometimes, someone will come in like, `How do I get rid of this bug?’ So we’ll talk about bugs for a while,” Carmen said.
With many volunteer sessions each week (which you can find on their calendar here) it’s easy to find a good time to come by and help plant new crops, or partake in a harvest. Carmen told me that most plants are seasonal, and so they have four major harvests every year which go to a local food bank, as well smaller weekly harvests. During less cold parts of the year, the Urban Farm also maintains a beehive to help cross-pollinate the Farm and surrounding flora for a good summer harvest. The seasonal crop cycle leaves room for the Urban Farm to keep all sorts of new and interesting crops, with a typical harvest year yielding between 30 and 45 varieties of fruits and vegetables– an incredibly diverse crop for what used to be a small parking lot. This diversity really hits home for some members of the community.
“There is a diverse international community here who enjoy growing crops from their home countries here, because they can’t buy them in a grocery store.”
This is made possible because climate in Charleston is surprisingly compatible with many other climates from around the world, especially East Asia. As a result, the Urban Farm regular cultivates a variety of non-local crops such as Bok Choi variants. This helps people far away from home keep a hold of a food culture that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
The Urban Farm strives to help its community with more than just food and education, but also to help build community. MUSC employees can benefit from a special “Coupons for Crops” program where supervisors can give high-performing employees a “grocery bag” to commend their good service. The recipients can come by the farm to redeem a fresh and healthy reward. In a boost for the morale of the hospital patients, too, the Urban Farm grows cut flowers which many nurses can turn into bouquets to keep patients’ spirits up. This, plus the cooperative ownership of the small farm, all help to foster good community in spirits.
Though the Urban Farm has a huge mission, Carmen summarized it in three simple words:
“Eating for health.”
So whether you’re looking to learn more about gardening or crops, trying to get access to incredibly fresh fruits and vegetables, or just looking for a healthy and supportive community, come by the MUSC Urban Farm to have your fill of food and friendship.
Check them out on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Joshua Teves graduated from College of Charleston with a degree in Physics, and currently works as a researcher at MUSC. He lives with his wife Kelsey and dog Ark, and enjoys camping, reading, and writing.
