32 What was once a small piece of land near the Honors House became the community garden, a product of teamwork among students and an asset to the Searcy community. The community garden debuted on Harding’s campus in May 2022, and it served as a place where people took walks, tended plants and harvested its crops. Student Association President Megan Sledge said getting the garden started was a group effort.The idea for the garden was inspired by seniors Lily Beth Ayers and Emma Hayes, who were part of Sledge’s physical resources committee on the Student Association in the 2021-22 school year. “At our first brainstorming meeting, that seemed to be the biggest project that we wanted to move forward with,” Sledge said. “We started writing up a proposal to give to the administration for bringing forth a garden, and through a lot of give-and-take and lots of conversations, the garden finally came to be.” Anyone in Searcy could harvest the garden’s crops, but much of the produce was taken to Jacob’s Place Homeless Mission. Sledge said serving the community in this way was the most valuable outcome of the garden. “They’ve been able to use the produce for the families that they help serve, and just the people in our community in general, which has been really cool to watch,” Sledge said. “Just to drive by or walk by the garden and see members of the Harding family either admiring the garden or picking a tomato or taking the time to water has been super special after putting so much work into the project.” When the garden was approved, other students joined Sledge in starting it. Junior Ella Duryea took charge of the project for the 2022-23 school year. She said the garden came a long way from its conception and she shared her plans for other ways to use it in the future, including starting a composting process. Duryea exchanged ideas with assistant professor of English Paulette Bane about potentially teaching a class on food and composting, something that would also benefit the garden. “She’s going to try to help me get a composting process started, and work with the [dining hall] and physical Planting Community The Student Association maintains a garden for the Searcy community. resources to get lawn clippings,” Duryea said. “We’re going to get a compost bin started over there for the garden, and at the same time, that will educate students. It’s hands-on learning for them to be a part of the garden process.” Many students, like junior Shealyn Wade, reaped the benefits of the garden, from its peaceful atmosphere and its produce to the sense of community and teamwork. “You can really see the students step up to take care of the garden,” Wade said. “People have gotten really invested in being on the committee, [by] taking care of the vegetables, watering [the garden] and pruning it.” Sledge and Duryea both said their hope for the garden was that it would be a place of solitude for Harding students and members of the Searcy community. “We’ll have crops produced, but I hope that seeds will be planted much deeper than just the seeds that are planted in the beds,” Sledge said. “Life-changing moments can happen in a place that brings so much stillness and inner peace. It’s been beautiful to watch it grow into more than we could have dreamed.” Written by: Morgan Wrigley
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