The State (June 25, 2011)-- Disabled veteran Mike Steward said he considered ending his life. It was three years ago. He had health problems, his marriage was failing and he was stressed about money.
As Steward tells the story, he was in his Forest Acres backyard, and his tomato plant caught his eye. The plant was withered and dying — a symbol of his life, he thought.
“Then the rain came.”
And so flourished the idea to convert an unproductive plot of land at Fort Jackson into a gathering spot for disabled veterans who water and nurture, harvest and share.
Steward, 48, who has a spinal-cord injury, said gardening gives him a sense of accomplishment.
“Plus it’s very healthy,” he said. “I’ve lost a lot of weight, eating fruits and vegetables.”
The garden has five raised beds, built waist-high. It is crisscrossed by cement paths, wide enough for wheelchairs. And on scheduled work days, it hums with volunteers mowing, weeding and sweating. The garden has a hired hand, Larry McDuffie, but volunteers are critical to the project.
Steward said as many as 15 veterans share the space and the labor. It’s one of 38 fenced areas that make up Fort Jackson’s Victory Garden.
The entire area was given over to gardening about 40 years ago, manager Valerie Kinsley said. It looks to be about four acres, edged by a creek providing irrigation for the growing fruits and vegetables. Fences chart ownership and deter deer.
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