Baldwin Grows is a one-point-five acre plot of land behind Baldwin County High School in Milledgeville, Georgia. Students from the University of Georgia’s College of Environment and Design are partnering with administrators at the high school to envision and implement a master plan for their school farm. The site consists of three terraced tiers with minimal existing agricultural infrastructure, which includes an obsolete pollinator garden and raised planting beds. Other existing site conditions include a concrete path, stairs in the center of each tier, and an irrigation system. The garden is intended for use by the Basic Agriculture and Plant Identification classes and for producing food for the school cafeteria, but holds other opportunities for classes like welding, woodworking, and aviation.

The design development came out of many rounds of client communication and engagement activities. These activities included meetings focused on client communication and feedback, site surveying, and one community engagement activity focused on Baldwin High Schools agriculture class. The engagement activity involved a two part process for gathering feedback. During part one, students were given the option to give feedback verbally or on paper about their experience and knowledge around the site. Part two allowed for further feedback through a site mapping activity. Students used markers to draw on a basic plan of the site with supplemental help from UGA students. Through the client and community feedback, information was gathered on the needs and desires of the school. Following the feedback collection process, several rounds of design iterations were considered before finalizing the plan.

The design intends to revive the space through rich plantings, improved accessibility, and areas for rest and recreation. On tier one, most of the existing conditions remain albeit improved through added plantings and paths. This tier includes raised planting beds as well as a sensory garden with plants meant to stimulate the senses of the user, including soft lambs ear, sweet smelling herbs, and prickly sedum. Tier two consists of row crops for food production, a small circular patio, and a hoop house for planting in cold conditions. Tier three is a fruit orchard where users can enjoy the shade by following a naturalistic path that winds through the trees. The format of this design follows the basic principles of permaculture wherein crops that need the least care are located furthest from the farmer and crops that are higher maintenance are closest to the farmer.