Brief Description of the Project and Its Origin
When the Vegetable Garden at the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock was first established as a Pulaski County Master Gardener project in the mid-1990s, the endeavor seemed almost quaint, a throwback to frontier times. Why grow tomatoes and lettuce in an urban backyard when produce was cheap, plentiful and easily available at every supermarket?
However, in the years since, Americans have fundamentally changed their perception of “urban farming.” Worries about genetically altered crops, food contamination, environmental impact and increasing food prices have spurred a renewed interest in homegrown produce.
Consequently, the Vegetable Garden project no longer looks like an atavism, but rather a trailblazer that contributed to spearheading a movement long before it officially became one.
The reasons for establishing it in the first place are more relevant than ever:
- To provide the kitchen staff at the Governor’s Mansion with delectable, organically grown, seasonal produce
- To experiment with and introduce varieties of produce not typically grown in the state
- To support educational efforts that involve urban, small-scale farming, organic growing methods, nutrition, gardening with children, and more.
History of the Governor’s Mansion
The Arkansas Governor’s Mansion, located at1800 Center Street in Little Rock, is the official residence of the governor of Arkansas and his family, the first establishment of its kind in the state. Since its completion in 1950, 11 Arkansas governors have lived there, including Governor Sid McMath, during whose term the property was built, and Mike Beebe, the current chief of state.
Significant additions to the mansion were completed during the administration of Mike Huckabee, 1996 to 2007. His wife, Janet, was instrumental in initiating a complete overhaul and redesign of the outdoor grounds, which was started in 2005 under the tutelage of award-winning, internationally noted garden designer P. Allen Smith of Little Rock. The plans included the relocation of the existing Vegetable Garden to a different site on the lot.
Description of the Vegetable Garden
In 2006, during the renovation of the mansion landscaping, the Vegetable Garden was moved to the southeast corner of the property, off Louisiana and Charles E. Bussey streets, where it sits slightly elevated compared to the rest of the grounds and receives plenty of sunlight throughout the day.
The new site is considerably larger than the original one, measuring almost 3,600 square feet. Arranged in a rectangular, almost square shape, it is surrounded by a wooden picket fence on the north, south and west, and an iron-wrought fence on the east. The traditional enclosure immediately identifies the kitchen garden as such, yet it also prevents Mosel, the free-roaming German shepherd that belongs to First Lady Ginger Beebe, from “exploring” the vegetable beds.
Inside, seven symmetrically grouped raised beds are pleasing to the eye of the visitor and easy on the back of the gardener. Four L-shaped beds encircle a single 13 x 13 foot square. Two long, narrow beds measuring 42 by 5 feet mirror each other on the northern and southern side. A line of espaliers gala apple trees follows the eastern boundary, while the entry gate is located just opposite on the western side.
Each vegetable bed is equipped with a just-below ground irrigation system hooked up to a computerized regulator to ensure optimal watering. Furthermore, each bed is topped with wide ledges that offer a place to sit while sorting seeds, cleaning greens and lettuce or trimming onions. The soil is a special blend of topsoil, compost and other amendments.
Wide footpaths strewn with pea gravel or mulch allow for easy maneuvering of the wheelbarrow and the hauling of compost, soil and straw. Adjacent to the Vegetable Garden are a small, wooden storage shed designed to resemble a country cottage, a 150 square-foot large greenhouse and three roomy compost bins. Completing the setting of an idyllic, yet practical kitchen garden is a nearby children’s playhouse that looks like a miniature model of the mansion itself. Visitors frequently assume that this was Chelsea Clinton’s playhouse, but they are mistaken. The structure was originally built for and sold during a charity auction a few years ago and then donated to the Governor’s Mansion. It adds a touch of romance and innocence no matter the origin, and it delights the school children who tour the grounds as part of a field trip.
Description of Crops and Farming Methods
The Master Gardeners working the Vegetable Garden typically start the season in late February or March and finish around Thanksgiving. Thanks to planning in accordance with the Year-Round Home Garden Planting Chart, published by the UA Cooperative Extension Program, they plant and harvest something almost every week. That includes the very first work day of the year, when they plant cabbage seedlings and collect lettuce and spinach sewn during their last meeting just prior to the holidays.
The annual crops run the gamut from apples (gala, from the espalier trees) to zucchini, and everything in between: greens such as turnips, mustard, chard, spinach and collards; the three “sisters”: pole beans, squash and corn; summer favorites including tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers; kitchen staples such as cabbage, onions, peas and potatoes; exotic touches such as bok choi, broccoli rabe and fennel; pungent flavors in form of garlic and radishes, and much more. The 2008 bounty, not including potatoes and tomatoes, weighted in excess of 500 pounds. Similar results are expected for 2009; plus, for the first time, homegrown strawberries and asparagus.
All crops are grown organically, without the use of chemical herbicides or pesticides. Weeds are pulled by hand and further suppressed by a layer of straw. Regular soil analysis, followed by appropriate soil amendment, ensures proper pH levels. Planting crops according to “friends” and “adversaries” (an organic farming method outlined in The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible: Discover Ed’s High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions, by Edward C. Smith) and rotating them each season maximizes plant growth and well-being. Natural fungi are used to counteract nematodes. Incorporating certain ornamental plants (marigolds, nasturtiums) that attract natural predators of spider mites and other pests into the vegetable beds reduces insect infestations. As a last resort, insecticidal soap is applied as needed.
To the Kitchen and on to the Table
The fresh produce is taken to the mansion’s kitchen, to be prepared for the meals eaten by the mansion staff and the first family. Occasionally, the quantities are copious enough to be included in the menu for large dinner parties. Once, the executive chef, Jason Knapp, turned a bumper crop of cucumbers into jars and jars of pickles, which were presented as gifts to visitors, including the Master Gardeners. On another occasion, he baked carrot cake from the carrots grown in the Vegetable Garden. The kitchen staff and Ginger Beebe take a very active interest in the work of the Master Gardeners. They help select the crops planted in any given season, assist in solving logistical or organizational issues and proudly point to the Vegetable Garden as an important contributor to their daily diet.
Challenges
Several challenges await the gardener in charge of a vegetable garden:
- food preferences,
- water supply,
- location,
- personal commitment and
- disease and pest control.
Why if nobody liked fresh vegetables? That would be the ultimate downfall of a vegetable garden. However, the recipients of the weekly harvest—the mansion staff, including the kitchen chefs, and the first family—welcome the homegrown produce enthusiastically and eagerly. Without such a response, volunteer commitment to maintaining a vegetable garden would diminish.
To thrive, vegetables need adequate water and sunlight and regular care. Location of the plot is of utmost importance as is the dedication of the gardener. While the latter was never lacking among the Master Gardeners committed to the Vegetable Garden, the original plot was fairly shady and devoid of a good watering system. Fortunately, these two issues are no longer a problem at the new site. An automated irrigation system with drip hoses located just below soil level ensures regular watering, and the location receives plenty of direct sunlight.
In addition, regular hands-on involvement is required to ensure healthy crop growth. Unlike an ornamental garden—which after establishment can thrive on its own with minimal needs during the summer (mainly water)—a vegetable garden needs to be tended to throughout the year. Crops need to be seeded or planted, watered, weeded and cultivated throughout, observed for damages caused by diseases and insects, prevented from bolting, and finally harvested and pulled out, only to be replaced by a new row of seeds—all within a matter of just a few weeks. Fortunately, the Master Gardeners taking care of the Vegetable Garden comprise almost 20 members, most of whom volunteer almost every week.
Other issues of concern are the occasional appearance of fire ants—which mansion staffers address—and the avoidance of diseases and insect damage. Appropriate farming methods help keep these in check.
In summary, the main challenges affecting the Vegetable Garden have been met.
Educational Impact on the Community
In 2008, approximately 5,000 visitors toured the Governor’s Mansion and its grounds. The Vegetable Garden has attracted plenty of attention from the very beginning. Volunteers who are preparing a community garden near Theresa Hoover Methodist Church in Little Rock have expressed interest in examining the Garden, as have various elementary and middle school teachers and administrators, officials with UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and many other professionals and individuals.
Mrs. Beebe personally likes to guide school classes around the grounds, concluding with a stop at the Vegetable Garden and then asking the children: “How many vegetables do you recognize? How many different types do you eat regularly?” She reports that more often than not the answer to both questions is troubling: “Not many.”
Clearly, a lot of work and education is necessary to teach children about the food we eat; the Vegetable Garden at the Governor’s Mansion is ideally suited to contribute to this task.
Summary
Interest in homegrown vegetables is growing. “Victory gardens,” “community gardens,” “public-use gardens” are today’s buzzwords. This development is spurred by the current economic climate as well as the realization that the American lifestyle needs dramatic changes. Many children today believe their food comes from the supermarket. Fast food and take-out have replaced a home cooked meal. As a result, Americans face an obesity epidemic unmatched in human history.
Gardening has long been touted for its health benefits as it provides moderate exercise, intake of fresh air, human interaction and close connection to nature. Vegetable gardening offers the additional dimension of supplying healthy, readily available and inexpensive fresh produce.
The educational and economic significance of Vegetable Garden as example of successful urban, small-scale farming couldn’t be more valuable. Honoring the Vegetable Garden as the 2009 Arkansas Master Gardener Project of the Year would salute and affirm its importance throughout the state.