Service Learning Reflection

Due to the amount of work and lack of ability to contact the site contact, I have not been able to help out in the ROOTS garden at all these past few weeks. I hope to be able to help with the actual direct work with the plants (like weeding and watering and such) but I do not know what is needed until I am able to get there and talk to the people who run the garden. Through I haven't worked in the garden yet, I know that through service learning, it will provide a greater appreciation to the production of food, since we are working with it from the start. I also know it will make the problem of food waste more apparent by showing the work involved with harvesting the fruits and vegetables. Academically speaking, the service being done will be helping me to learn more about how GMO's affect the Earth, as well as the repercussions of using harsh chemicals. While these concepts may be learned in a traditional classroom setting, it is worth noting that learning through hands-on work help to foster the relationship between what is being done and what is being learned. I imagine that through working in the ROOTS garden, one would be able to see the community in a different light. The food grown there and the people who work there are great advocates to the way that the community is run, and it makes the volunteers feel more a part of that. When joining a new community, it may be nerve-wracking, but through working, it is easier to see the connections the community has and where you personally may fit in. It also just feels good to help the community, regardless if you're a "true"part of it or not. In the future, I hope to actually work in the garden (obviously), but I also hope to learn better gardening practices and be able to improve the community as best as I can. The picture seen is the front of a different garden, because after 3 different attempts, I cannot find the ROOTS garden at all. I have emailed the supervisor, but the garden is very hard to find. I used this garden instead of a different one because this garden is the one I keep finding directions to get to and have ended up being here for the last 2 times I have searched for the real garden.