06/04/2026
Growing More Than a Garden
One year ago, the Cleveland County Detention Center garden was producing a handful of crops. Today, it is producing more food, growing more varieties of plants, and teaching lessons that reach far beyond the garden beds.
According to lead gardener Tori Rose, the gardens have doubled both the variety of crops being grown and the quantity of food being produced in just one year.
But for Rose, some of the most important lessons begin with one of the hardest and most time-consuming parts of gardening: w**ding.
Every morning, participants head into the gardens knowing there will be w**ds to pull. It is work that must be done repeatedly to give crops the best chance to thrive.
Rose uses that work as an opportunity to start conversations about responsibility, choices, and personal growth.
"What are we w**ding out of our lives?" she asks.
She encourages participants to think about why w**ds must be removed and why simply cutting them off at the surface doesn't solve the problem.
"If you pull w**ds from the top, you just take away the ability to see them," Rose said. "The w**d is still affecting the plants."
The lesson is simple but powerful: problems that are ignored often continue to grow beneath the surface.
Weeding is ongoing work. Some beds are further along than others, but every day begins with the same goal: remove what stands in the way of healthy growth.
That lesson extends beyond the garden itself.
Rose also uses companion planting to spark conversations about relationships and influences. Just as some plants help one another thrive, the people we choose to surround ourselves with can have a lasting impact on our growth and success.
The lessons are taking root in a garden that continues to grow as well.
Throughout the gardens, plants are intentionally placed together to help one another thrive. Basil is planted alongside tomatoes to help discourage pests. Marigolds are planted nearby to help protect tomato roots from harmful nematodes. Rose explained that beans are legumes that help enrich the soil while supporting nearby crops.
These practices are part of the garden's organic, regenerative approach, which focuses on building healthy soil and strong plants without relying on chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
The results are visible throughout both gardens.
Recent harvests have included onions, garlic, leeks, banana peppers, Asian greens, and arugula. Just yesterday, participants harvested 236 onions. Tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, okra, and cantaloupe continue to grow throughout the gardens.
Several crops now thriving in the gardens were not grown last year, including onions, leeks, garlic, tomatoes, banana peppers, okra, and cantaloupe.
The gardens continue to evolve. Sweet potato slips will soon be planted, and beehives are being added to help improve pollination. Roses and sunflowers have also been planted to attract pollinators, helping support healthy growth throughout the gardens.
Participation in the garden program is 100% voluntary. Participants choose to spend their time planting, harvesting, maintaining crops, and helping expand both the South and North Gardens.
Along the way, they learn practical skills that support greater self-sufficiency, including food production, teamwork, responsibility, patience, and consistency.
The impact extends beyond the harvest.
The garden provides meaningful voluntary work that builds responsibility. It creates structure and routine, encourages accountability, and gives participants opportunities to earn trust through consistent effort. The outdoor, hands-on environment supports positive mental and emotional health while reinforcing life skills that can carry into everyday life after release.
What began as a small garden has become something much larger than a place to grow food.
The harvests are bigger. The variety is greater. The lessons run deeper.
And according to Rose, some of the most important growth taking place isn't measured in pounds, buckets, or rows.
It's measured in the decisions people make, the habits they build, and the w**ds they choose to pull from their own lives.
