Facebook "Grow Gang Group" Encourages Gardening Tips, Seed Trading, and Exploring Traditional Roots

By Mahlon Smoke

Gardening is an integral part of the community, it's where people can learn to grow their own foods, to learn the importance of gardening, and even understand the traditional methods of growing the Three Sisters (corn, beans, and squash). While gardening is popular with lots of young families and individuals who wish to grow their own foods, many find getting into gardening difficult or intimidating at first glance. It was for this reason that Chantelle Beeson started the 'Grow Gang' on Facebook; to allow people a place to ask questions, share tips, or exchange seeds and/or vegetables from everyone's gardens. Since launching this year, the Facebook group's numbers have grown almost every day with beginner gardeners to those who wish to share their expertise with others.

Beeson was inspired by a post where people were talking about getting together and swapping vegetables that they've grown. Everyone and anyone who has had a garden knows all about having grown too many zucchinis, cucumbers or tomatoes. With the Grow Gang, the extra harvest could be used by someone else. Beeson took it upon herself to start the group with an idea and hopes of promoting a community that relies on each other for food and for survival. In Beeson's own garden, she is growing celery, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, summer squash, and so much more. All of which she is excited for, especially when she started this garden when she was pregnant with her fourth child. Last year she had to let her husband take care of the garden. With some help from her youngest two children, Ranenhawitaneh and Wathetiiostha, this year she is more than happy to take care of it herself. Like most kids her sons love digging in the soil.

Since the group started, people have been sharing their gardens online through photos, posts asking questions, and sharing their knowledge with others. What impressed Beeson the most is that some members of the group are from places that use different techniques for their gardening like raised beds, tilling, fertilizing with fish guts, and some more traditional methods of gardening.

"It's all about sharing knowledge with the end goal being to share our spoils and feed each other," said Beeson about her hopes for what this group can someday achieve.

With the COVID vaccine being distributed and the pandemic slowing down, Beeson hopes that someday she and other Grow Gang members will be able to share the fruits of their labor with each other and the rest of the community. But for right now, Facebook is the place to share photos and progress of their gardens. Beeson intends to lead and learn as she works on her own garden.