A Chance to Grow

Four years ago, Barry Burkhart, Ph.D., psychology professor, and John Owen, agronomist and retired director of The Piedmont Area Research Station, both of Auburn University (AU), developed a gardening rehabilitation program at a detention center, administered by the Alabama Department of Youth Services (DYS). The program brought together numerous partners to support the project. AU’s psychology department funds the program through the contract with DYS. DYS also provides the land, equipment and irrigation water; and Syngenta, the Alabama Farmers Cooperative and individuals within AU’s agronomy department all donate seeds and plants.

Between 60 and 80 young men, mostly teenagers, participate in the program each year. The youths produced about 20,000 ears of sweet corn from seven plantings of Syngenta seed in 2014, along with about a dozen other vegetable crops. Syngenta also donated green bean seed. Since its beginning as a small plot, the garden has expanded to 2 acres, and some of the vegetables are double- and triple-cropped.

“The garden helps show these young men that they can make a difference in their world,” Burkhart (above) says. “Sometimes, they get to take responsibility for a row in the garden, which includes planting the seed and watering the plants.

"They participate in decision-making, nurture plants throughout the season and solve problems. These kids did not have a chance to grow and develop before. With the right stimulus, they can."

They are engaged and develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments.”

Owen (below) points out that the teens in the program have come from an instant gratification environment that often encourages more impulsive behaviors. “We’re trying to teach them that delayed gratification can be rewarding,” Owen says. “They participate in decision-making, nurture plants throughout the season and solve problems. These kids did not have a chance to grow and develop before. With the right stimulus, they can.”

The juvenile detention garden isn’t the only outreach Syngenta has with AU. Six years ago, Syngenta began donating corn to the Auburn Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Club. The club grows and sells the corn to defray its expenses for participating in soil-judging contests and traveling to the national joint meeting of three organizations, the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America, each year.

And because the college students learn how to plant, harvest and sell sweet corn, these seed donations contribute to the students’ professional development.

“A top priority for Syngenta is to help make the next generation’s future brighter,” says Paul Backman, a former AU agronomy student who is now commercial unit head of Heartland South for Syngenta.

Through its two AU-related initiatives, Syngenta is doing just that by helping program participants grow alongside the gardens they nurture.