SPIN Farm takes root on Ross and River Streets

It looked like a scene from the movie Tremors: long cylindrical mounds of dirt mysteriously stopping at the corner of Ross and River Streets on the lot where Brown's deli used to sit. However, 30 foot man-eating graboids have been ruled out as the perpetrators.

The mounds are the result of an organic community vegetable plot under the supervision of Dr. Ellen Flint, Lee Pressman and Andy Rhinehardt, Agronomy Specialists from the National Center for Appropriate Technology, who have made good use of the land left over from the demolition of the abandoned deli this winter.

"We did the tilling and made the beds on Sunday, and it was pretty amazing to see the community members come out and ask what was going on," said Pressman.

According to Dr. Marleen Troy, chair of the Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences Department, the committee for the SHE Building was influenced by SPIN farms on various green campuses, such as Dickinson's, when they were touring school grounds in search of features for the proposed "green" science building.

"Fenner Farm," as it will be called in honor of Mr. Fenner, an avid gardener whose vegetable garden once spread across the greenway to the Stark Learning Center, utilizes a new method of gardening called SPIN (Small Plot Intensive); a relatively new, inexpensive type of farming that makes it possible to earn an income from plots of land under an acre in size, including front and back yards. SPIN sells specialty how-to packets online for anyone who is interested in organizing their own sub-farm.

"We feel it would be a great honor to Mr. Fenner and his great contributions to Wilkes," said Flint, Coordinator of the Undergraduate Experience.

As a handheld earthway seeder carefully sowed the land, traces of arugula started to peek through the soil, stretching for sunlight. Wilkes faculty including Troy, Shelley Pearce, Director of the Wilkes Music Conservatory and Sharon Bower, Associate Professor of Art were all on hand to help place floating row covers over the plot, which act as miniature greenhouses to help keep in sunlight as well as moisture.

"It's all very kind of low tech," Flint said.

"I like to be outdoors; I like to garden. It's an opportunity to learn, and the rewards in the end are delicious," added Bower.

A summer internship to work on the farm has been proposed and is still waiting grant approval from the mentoring task force. The proposed internship would pay $8.50-10.50 an hour for four to six positions.

"There seems to be a great deal of interest about the project, and I know the committee is giving it very serious consideration," said Flint.

Even though the grant is still under consideration, students like Natalie Harvey and Rachel Curtis have been helping faculty members prepare the farm grounds for free.

"I hope that the garden will create a bridge that spans across the various departments of the university. I think it is a great opportunity for everyone to come together and partake in such a great activity," said Harvey, sophomore pharmacutical science major.

"Too many people in our society lack an understanding of where food comes from, and the work required to grow and harvest crops. As we move into a time when food prices are rising and crop lands are becoming scarce, it is important to educate people about the importance of sustainable, local farming," said Curtis, sophomore biochemistry major.

All of the harvest will be washed, bundled and packaged in the Fenner Hall kitchen and sold to students and the community from a stand nearby, as it is done at the local Farmer's Market on Public Square. Flint is even in talks with Sodexho food services to possibly use the garden's harvest in the cafeteria.

"We need to sit down and see what their needs are and see if our production could meet their needs," she said.

A workshop on SPIN farming will be held on May 19 and 20 that includes lectures from people all around the country, including an educator from Sydney, Australia. Students, faculty, and staff are all encouraged to participate in the event.

"We're hoping to create and enhance the community spirit that is already here, but perhaps provide another focal point for activity and gathering," Flint said. "We hope in the future that this will be a model for urban farming in the community, and we do plan to hold additional workshops for community members."

"Everybody's excited. We've got a great core group of people and it will hopefully attract more," said Troy.