KTSW Loves: Dunbar Community Gardens

I first met Betsy Robertson, one of the initial founders of the Dunbar Community Gardens, at a lecture series sponsored by the Texas State History Department. Robertson, along with her colleagues Carolyn Jennings and Carmen Rumbaut, presented a talk detailing steps people can take to adopt sustainable practices in their daily lives in the face of recurring instability in both politics and the climate.

The discussion touched briefly on a range of skills that promote self-reliance while benefiting the environment. These included hobbies such as learning how to sew, knowing how to fix a car, and the topic I was most drawn to—how to start a garden. The lecture was unfortunately short, and the fast-paced nature of the event had us rushing between various guest speakers who filled Taylor-Murphy Hall, but I was still curious.

So, I met Robertson on a Friday morning at Jo’s Café for a chat about what resources exist for young college students—especially those living in apartment complexes—who are interested in growing their own food. Our conversation began with Robertson explaining how she developed her roots in San Marcos. Originally from Ohio, she moved to San Marcos in 1976 and has been gardening in one form or another for more than 50 years.

The Dunbar Community Gardens are part of a larger organization called Sustainable San Marcos, which Robertson co-founded along with several other local community members. The organization was established in 2008 as a broad effort to create sustainable infrastructure in areas such as transportation, energy, recycling and food.

The neighborhood gardens were established in 2012 on a vacant property leased from the city of San Marcos for $1 a year. From humble beginnings, it took $14,000 to initially develop the land, largely funded by local charities. Robertson shared early challenges, including a flood that raised the planting beds and decimated the produce. She also emphasized how deeply community was nurtured through the act of gardening. The space is intentionally communal, with gardeners sharing water, compost and experience.

“Our gardeners range from 80 to 30 years old,” said Robertson.

There’s no singular right way to garden, and welcoming different generations allows traditions to grow and evolve in ways that not only benefit individual labor but also deepen our understanding of how the environment is constantly changing—and how we must adapt.

One of my greatest concerns, which I expressed during our conversation, was how gardeners respond to increasingly unpredictable weather in Central Texas.

“One of the easier things to grow during the summer is okra, although okra is a limited vegetable. Texas’ best growing season is winter, which most people don’t realize,” said Robertson.

Beyond being a hobby, Robertson and I both agreed it’s important to think about gardening in terms of food justice. Two out of the 23 plots on the Dunbar property are fully dedicated to donating to the local food bank. The same is true for the Alamo Garden, located north of the university, which was started shortly after the Dunbar Garden.

In building community through gardening, you grant people the ability to exercise self-determination by having full control over what they’re putting into their bodies. Having spent much of my childhood on my grandmother’s farm, I know it’s a valuable lesson to understand the power that comes from consuming something you’ve spent time and care growing. It creates appreciation for the labor that goes into what we eat—and, beyond that, for the collective effort required in sustainability and community-building. As a college student who often struggles to balance affordable and healthy food options, I will be seeking out a garden plot.