Emily Paulson, the indefatigable Campus Kitchen Coordinator at Gonzaga University, tells us the story of her garden, which is also a story about her grandmother, her daughter, and what success means.

This year my daughter and I decided to plant a garden in our yard.  Actually I decided to plant a garden, but I knew she would get into it, because all 2 year olds like to dig in dirt and find worms and other bugs. 

My inspiration for this project came from two very strong women.  First, my grandmother keeps up a World War ll victory garden planted in the 1940′s.  She is ninety-one and the garden takes up most of her yard.  She grows a variety of fruits and vegetables to eat fresh and to can.  Growing up during the depression has given her a different outlook on food and where it comes from.  

My second inspiration has been from Michele Obama and her work in the garden at the White House.  That  garden is a reminder to all Americans that we need to be creative and resourceful through this economic crisis. 

My other goal was to get Caty (my daughter) to eat vegetables.  I thought that maybe if she grew them herself, she might be more likely to eat them!

We are growing sugar snap peas, cantaloupe, carrots, pumpkins and tomatoes.  We started them all from seeds indoors and we are currently working on cleaning out our flower beds that will become our garden.  This week we are purchasing manure to mix into the soil (Caty thinks this is very funny).

The Campus Kitchen is very lucky to receive fresh produce free of charge from our local food bank.  However, the current economic climate has caused the food banks to run low on items.  We will donate anything we can out of our garden. 

Being a single working mother does not allow me time or funds to give, but I do have a backyard that I love to spend time with my daughter in.  If we can take that time and do a little good, it is a success.

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