Watch, Look, and Listen

by David Will

No one knows everything there is to know about agriculture. As the old saying goes, “the things I don’t know about gardening could fill several volumes of books”. That is why I joined the Men’s Garden Club in 1985. I was thirsting for knowledge.

Passing along knowledge and skills is one of the most important things one can do. I learned more about organic gardening in one year in the Club, than I had learned in 18 years of school - the last six studying agriculture. The knowledge gained was not from one member, but from observation of several men and their attempts to grow great food and beautiful flowers. Sometimes it was from the wives of the men, as a few men seemed to want to keep everything they learned a secret.

It seems that exposure to several of the men had me guessing about what I had learned in college. Don’t ever tell a person that they can’t grow “that” here. They will be stubborn (or lucky) enough to prove you wrong. Several did just that over the years. We each draw upon experiences from our past to shape our future. It is the teachers along the way that help shape our lives.

The garden clubs have some of the best teachers, even if you don’t know the right questions to ask. All you need to do is watch, look and listen. Watch the gardeners at work. Look to see what they are doing and how they do it. Listen to the spoken words and the unspoken phrases that helped shape their lives. Sit at everyone’s knee, for every gardener has something to teach you. I learned a lot from children’s questions.

Last, but not least, share your experiences with those who want to learn. Teaching is one of the best learning activities. As I have journeyed through the years the most important organic lesson I have learned is that “Life is short, then we all compost”. Learn, experience life and teach. You will make a difference in someone’s life.