Let ’ s start at the beginning . Could each of you please introduce yourself and say a bit about your garden-farm ? Travis : Well , I ’ m Travis Key . I ’ m a biologist by training . I studied at Valdosta State and the University of Georgia , and I taught biology briefly at the collegiate level . Brooklyn and I started the garden around 2013 , as soon as we moved to this place , which is Brooklyn ’ s grandparents ’ old house . Brooklyn : It ’ s my dad ’ s childhood home . I ’ m Brooklyn Key , I ’ m a lawyer by trade . I
Brooklyn and Abram Key with was in Athens for law a Georgia Jet sweet potato . school and I graduated during the recession . The only job available was down here in Moultrie , and I ended up taking it . We just thought we ’ d be here for a year , maybe , and now we ’ ve been here for what , eight years ? T : Something like that . B : And the garden ’ s just gotten bigger , and bigger , and bigger every year . ( laughs ) T : We started out with one little plot , then expanded to two little plots , and now we have ten little plots .
The garden is not a full-time job for either one of y ’ all , correct ? T : No . Like I said , she ’ s an attorney , and I have a marketing agency . I build websites , run digital advertising campaigns , produce videos , and stuff like that . The garden is a side hustle . B : It ’ s never been our full-time business . At one time Travis was doing his full-time job , teaching at ABAC , and managing this huge garden .
Oh Lord ! B : And doing some garden consulting for Sweetgrass Dairy in Thomasville . I didn ’ t see him very much !
What originally inspired y ’ all to start gardening ? T : Well , I grew up gardening . After being in college for over ten years , I wanted to get back into the groove of growing my own food once I became settled again . And here , we have the land for it . B : I think there ’ s something special about growing food on the same land that my granddaddy did . While most of his farmland has been sold off or is being rented , we still have these couple of acres where his garden used to be , that my family told me stories about . In the place where we have our garden plots now , someone in my family has always been tending the land . So , it just – T : It just felt right . B : Yeah , getting back to our roots .
JANUARY 2022 MoultrieScene 37