By Aleksandra Sidorova
Herbs and vegetables are taking root in vertical gardens installed in the Cardinal Cupboard and the Learning Center with the hope they nourish student bodies and minds.
Ecology student Kacia Coke teamed up with academic adviser Joanne McGovern to apply for a Green Grant of up to $5,000 to fund the indoor gardens for two years. They started the process in October 2023, received approval in March and ordered the gardens over the summer.
The gardens have already started to shift the mood at the Learning Center. Staff discuss the plants’ growth daily. Passersby step inside to ask questions and examine the sprouts.
“People just really like to see things growing,” McGovern said. “It makes people happy, and that’s what the Learning Center is supposed to be about, too — growing and learning.”
First-year Holden Karrick, majoring in biology, said the plants remind him of his home in Willsboro, New York.
“Every time I see plants, I always try to make sure they know that I know they’re there and I love them,” Karrick said.
McGovern described the environment the plants create as cozy, hoping they spark joy during “dreary” winters. Karrick said he sees plants as a “construct of life energy.”
“It adds tranquility, peace of mind,” Karrick said. “Not a lot of people can really sit somewhere and be peaceful — they need an environment for it. … I feel like even the people who don’t like plants will slowly but surely get in a better mood.”
The stands, produced by the company Tower Garden, also include grow lights with timers, pH kits to measure the acidity of the soil, and resources on how to include the garden into a class curriculum.
For a decade, she “worshiped these things from afar,” never having her own garden, either. Now, she cares for one at work.
McGovern said she felt inspired by nationwide initiatives, such as the Green Bronx Machine, that improved student attendance, academic performance and nutrition by introducing fresh produce — and opportunities to grow it — into learning.
“It’s growth and thriving, I think that’s super important,” McGovern said. “You can thrive. It just takes some TLC, and if you don’t have all those supports, we’ll find those supports for you.”
The plants take about 20 days to grow, and would allow the Cardinal Cupboard to give off-campus students experiencing food insecurity access to fresh produce.
“Who eats all of their vegetables and fruits and berries on a daily basis?” McGovern said. “No one, because they’re way too expensive.”
McGovern anticipates the first harvest — arugula, basil, kale and lettuce — by the end of September.
McGovern is looking for student volunteers to help her and Coke care for the tower gardens. Email mcgo1083@plattsburgh.edu if interested.
“I hope it fosters curiosity and hope that you can do this, too,” McGovern said. “I am still learning a lot, and I’ll be very sad if our seeds don’t do well, but they have a lot of love and support around them.”
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