By PAIGE DESORBO
Staff Writer
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The cold is coming quickly but that isn’t stopping the Saint Rose garden on Partridge Street next to Alumni Hall. The new addition to the college campus grows more than 18 different all organic vegetables including cucumbers, rhubarb, chives, and peppers. The garden will continue to grow and harvest through the winter months with window frames that will cover the plants. The man behind the garden is Ben Atwood, a graduate student earning his Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at the College.
“I hope to one day combine my love of writing and gardening and maybe work for a non-profit food action organization,” said Atwood.
Atwood not only maintains the garden but also donates almost 95 percent of the vegetables to the St. Vincent food pantry located at 984 Madison Ave, just across the street from the garden. So far, Atwood has given more than 370 pounds of produce to the pantry and continues to donate one to two times a week since May. The social director at the food pantry Angela Warner said,“We are always excited for fresh produce.”
The pantry usually gets 500 pounds of produce a week from the Regional Food Bank. With Atwood’s contribution he helped more than 1,333 people in the month of August, including senior citizens, adults, children, and infants.
Getting the garden started took more than two years for approval. Vice President of Student Affairs Dennis McDonald was concerned that there would not be enough interest to keep the garden going.
“I thought it was a great idea, but I had concerns on whether interest would be sustained over the summer once the spring semester ended,” said McDonald.
Atwood, a Guilderland native, worked on his uncle’s farm as a child. He then moved on to work at Pleasant Valley Farm outside of Saratoga, and Neversink farm in the Catskills. The Saint Rose garden is watered every day and the fertilizer is bought from a horse farm Atwood drives to in Albany on Krumkill Road. Atwood pays $20 per truckload of fertilizer. So far the garden has been fertilizerd more than three times.
The garden was originally brought to life by Colin Ruggiero, a former music education major at the college. Ruggiero grew up about an hour south of Albany in the Hudson Valley. After all the details were worked out with Dennis McDonald, Ruggiero started on the garden. Ruggiero had previously worked on a small vegetable farm before working on the Saint Rose garden.
“I just wanted to keep growing food and share that opportunity with others,” said Ruggiero.
Ruggiero is currently on a bike tour from California to New York.
Atwood agreed to take over the garden after Ruggiero no longer attended the school. The garden attracts students as well as faculty. Many help Atwood whenever they are free.
English professor David Morrow donated some vegetables including tomatoes, eggplant, and winter squash that he had grown from seed at home.
“I am a big supporter of urban gardening and of people, wherever they live, having a go at growing their own food, which is healthier and tastier,” said Morrow.
Joseph Frank, a senior and studio art major, helps with the garden when he can.
“I got involved because I appreciate agriculture and because Ben is a friend of mine,” said Frank.
Another studio art major, Josephine Calabro, says “I got involved because it was a great idea to have a college garden dedicated to a good cause. I also love gardening.”
The campus has been in talks of building a new residence hall right where the garden is located but nothing has been decided. McDonald is in discussion with administrators on campus about that site so for now would prefer not to identify it.
“We looked at another potential location for the garden that we may move forward with either way, because we both think it will provide a better location and a larger plot of land to work,” said McDonald.
So for now the garden is here to stay and will continue to donate to St. Vincent as well as blossom over the winter months. The last of the tomatoes will soon be picked but lettuce, spinach, and cabbage can be looked forward to in the winter.
“There is beauty in the shape of the beds and how plants look aside one another” said Atwood.
Saint Rose Community Garden Prospers
