JoHannah Biang
UGArden farm manager and Double Ag Dawg JoHannah Biang is now working on her doctorate in crop and soil sciences
What can you tell us about your career path — how did you become UGArden manager?
I have bachelor's and master's degrees in horticulture from UGA.
I'm currently working on a doctorate in crop and soil sciences through the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) at UGA. My master's degree is what brought me to UGArden.
My research on green walls was under the direction of Associate Professor David Berle and was housed at UGArden. Dr. Berle was instrumental in making the students' vision of UGArden a reality.
I saw firsthand how students were learning about growing their own food and I wanted to be a part of that. Prior to this, I had been working in ornamental plant production at the Trial Gardens at UGA.
What brought you to CAES as a student and why did you choose your field of study?
I came to CAES as a transfer student from Gordon State College.
The horticulture department at UGA is what brought me here. I was exploring the field of horticulture and working at Mill Pond Gardens, a local garden center, in Fayette County while I was attending Gordon State.
It was there that I realized how much I loved plants and wanted to make it my career. I enjoyed studying and learning about all the plants and educating customers on plant care, selection and design.
What is your proudest recent accomplishment?
Last fall semester I was able to teach a class, "Organic Agricultural Systems," or HORT 4125/6125, at UGArden.
I had assisted with this class in the field for several years and finally had the opportunity to be the instructor. It was a dream come true and confirmed to me that I could teach a class of my own and really enjoy it.
How would you say school and community gardens impact the people that learn from them?
Growing your own food can be a very empowering experience. Not only do you learn what it takes to grow that food, harvest it and prepare it, but you also learn more about yourself and who you are.
Particularly in school, campus or community gardens, you add an element of community that can work to bring people together who may be completely different but are coming together for a common purpose — to grow their own food.
What advice do you feel would be most helpful to students today?
Try out different jobs in your field of interest. For horticulture students, there are so many different things that you can do in the field.
I tried to work within as many different aspects of horticulture as I could while I was a student so that I could narrow my interests down.
Also, never say never. I had no intention of going back to graduate school or working with vegetables. Keep your eyes open for possibilities that may not be on your radar.
What is the most important thing for the public to understand about your work?
At UGArden we teach students how to grow food using sustainable practices.
I would say 90% of the students who come out here are not CAES majors but are simply interested in growing their own food. This is important because we are connecting a host of students with agriculture and where food comes from.
Additionally, and this is the most important aspect, the food that we grow at UGArden is donated back to the greater community — through the Campus Kitchen at UGA and the Office of Service Learning — to food insecure seniors and their families.
What is your favorite part about what you do?
I love being outside. But I think what I really love is showing folks how they can grow their own food and watching their confidence grow as they go and do it.
If you could do anything else, what would it be?
I would love to teach more formally one day.
I'm finishing up my doctorate on campus farms and student experiences and impacts, so hopefully I will have that opportunity soon.
Can you tell us more about your doctoral research in crop and soil sciences? Did your work at UGArden help to inform your chosen projects?
I am finishing up a Ph.D. in crop and soil sciences under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Jo Thompson.
My area of research is on campus farms and their impacts on students who participate in intensive experiential learning internships at these sites. My work at UGArden has definitely informed my area of research.
I have managed UGArden for over 10 years and have seen students gain community, confidence, and even change career paths based on their experiences at this campus farm. I wanted to document these impacts formally so that it could add to the literature around campus farms and encourage their support by their institutions of higher education.
Read more about JoHannah's career path in the 2022 CAES Almanac.
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