Back Roads Eco-Warrior series: Dr. Nancy Dawson

Dr. Nancy Dawson shows some of the
produce from her community gardens 

Last month, I had the opportunity to work on a short film shoot in the small, picturesque city of Russellville, Kentucky. One of the greatest pleasures in a week full of amazing performances and a vibrant crew was meeting Dr. Nancy Dawson. As a historian, she costumed the 1850's story set on a slave plantation. She also played one of the character parts.

And after all that creative awesomeness I found out Dawson is also the Director of the Russellville Urban Gardening Project (RUGP). She's passionate about Gardening for Engagement and the educational programs she's developed around her concept of revitalizing and uplifting her community through the practice of horticulture.

She gave me a tour of her gardens, starting in her backyard in the historic neighborhood.

Dawson started growing her own food after a health crisis, and her realization that she needed to radically alter her personal consumption, meaning fresh, highly nutritious foods needed to replace sugars and empty starches that worsened her health. Though she had no formal training in agriculture, she remembered family and neighbors growing fruits and vegetables in her childhood, so she started to grow some of her favorite vegetables.

Some of the neighborhood kids would come around and ask about the plants, not recognizing peppers or tomatoes. "I realized they thought these things came from Walmart." As a lifetime educator, she got to work filling the knowledge gap.

One of the hoop structures in the
Russellville Urban Gardening Project

Starting with a 4H garden club, which she held on her back porch, her idea for more education grew. Simultaneously, her garden has grown from the pots on her back deck, to an intensive bed, to the three-acre community garden in the heart of the Russellville's black neighborhood.

This year RUGP is piloting an educational program in the local high school. Dawson's plan is for students to use technology for research and for writing field reports. Throughout the semester they'll have opportunities to meet with reps from Kentucky State University to learn about higher ed and careers in agriculture. Dawson's program also includes the high schoolers building an aquaponics garden. I hope to return for another tour!

Access to more variety in fresh foods is a prime benefit for the community. Also--this close to my heart--gardening for engagement includes teaching the value and importance of preservation and protection of nature and the environment.

Radical idea? Dawson herself says she's a change agent.

To find out more about my Back Roads project, currently in development, watch this teaser: