A New Era For JBOLC and Meg's Garden

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It is a new era for JBOLC and our gardening and our practice. As a concession to continue to be permitted use of the space on campus the entire front fence of Meg's Garden has been removed. After being unpermitted to garden there from March of 2021 to just this past month - it has been yet another awakening for sure. We knew full well that this was coming eventually - especially after there was an attempt to take down the fence during our Saturday market. However, imagine if what you felt was your protection for what you've been doing for the last 6 years has suddenly been removed. Kind of a naked feeling for sure. Not only are plants and trees exposed, but our market set up equipment, our seating and tables, childrens' learning materials - arts and crafts, paper, boards, everything now left to the good intentions of our neighbors to not steal or destroy. The timing of this removal means more work for us, more worry and concern and anxiety. My previous request for a postponement until after the growing and market season were completely ignored - not ever responded to. Having worked in these gardens and experienced needless destruction, time after time, I know enough that this is also about my own body's vulnerability. I feel it when the plants I have been caring for and observing as an expectant gardener are butchered. I have been writing like crazy because after all of the drama over this garden for over a year I need to let out my anger and disappointment in meaningful and constructive ways. I have experienced enough surprise attacks and threats on this garden for a lifetime, whether intentional or by default, it amounts to a kind of top down, hierarchical and abusive management protocol that places "cleanliness", order and ease of maintenance (ie. use of small gas engines presently banned in different parts of the country) above any concern for the actual natural ecosystems in place. I have witnessed, in this past month alone, two pollinator gardens - actual sites of citizen study - at the mercy of weedwackers and the men just doing their jobs wielding them like destroyers from another planet. As a career educator, I am appalled by this waste of opportunity. I have also seen our constructive and collaborative decision making and countless outdoor learning opportunities ignored or eliminated because of what's been decided by maintenance personnel and obnoxious administrators. And maybe this is all reaction on my part and people are merely acting out of ignorance (or what James Baldwin and others refer to as innocence) - but there is nothing more vicious to the environment than this kind of innocence or ignorance - and this is what I feel and care about. But the picture is not all that bleak either and it serves us no purpose, beyond stating our outrage, to dwell in our anger. The fact is that we have a garden back and, though we have real challenges, we can still operate as we have been with compassion for the earth and plants in our care and for our garden community. We can garden without fences! And we could address the unforeseen with inquiry, problem solving, collaboration and cooperation and truly make something new. We can continue to seed for a better and more just future. That's what JBOLC is all about. We're open to suggestions but sign making has already started.