AUC’s Adopt-a-Plot Promotes Organic Gardening

After a test launch in Spring 2013, the initiative is now in full swing, teaching AUC community members how to grow their own vegetables, fruit and herbs in designated plots on campus. “Many people involved may have never farmed or planted anything prior to participating in the Adopt-a-Plot program,” says Frank E. Bartscheck II, a graduate student in journalism and mass communications. “Getting your hands dirty, planting a little seed, watching it grow, care-taking the plot to ensure a quality harvest...all of this provides a greater understanding of the Egyptian environment and how it works. Getting to enjoy the fruits of one's labor after harvest further provides a wonderful punctuation to a great lesson.” RISE provides each gardener with a plot of land, which is moderated by a team of RISE researchers who teach participants how to care for the earth and how to be responsible for ensuring the health of their hopeful sprouts of okra and bell peppers. The initiative aims to be an educational experience, proving that gardening is a healthy skill anyone can posses. Aside from teaching students and participants how to grow produce, the initiative also aims to give back to the community. “We harvest the crops and participants are able to take some vegetables for personal usage,” says Bartscheck. “Additionally, a portion of the successfully harvested crops are donated to the local community.” In addition to the plot adoption program, RISE is offering cultivation classes at AUC during the 2014 school year. RISE will also sponsor a seminar on December 7 titled “Sustainable Food Production in Egypt.”