为了富足和审美而耕种

Foxcroft’s 2024 Helen Cudahy Niblack 1942 艺术 Lecturer Joneve Murphy's career in farming started right out of college. “I had just finished college and was looking for a summer job while I figured out what my next move was going to be. We had 20 acres in production, and I worked almost 80 hours a week that first season.”

“在我新工作的第三周, I called my mom and told her that this is what I was going to do for the rest of my life,墨菲继续说。. “她从一开始就对农业不感兴趣. I went to school for biology, thinking that I wanted to be a scientist. 不幸的是, 科学家不得不在室内呆很长时间, 运行数字和比较数据点. I wanted to spend all my time outside, and the farm felt like one giant science experiment. Every day was different with new problem-solving opportunities, 从那以后，这就是我的工作.”

墨菲在接下来的几年里辗转于几个不同的农场, 沉浸在知识中，进行园艺实验, 然后去了小华盛顿的旅馆, where she started a garden to supplement their Michelin 3-Star restaurant. "I love showing up at the back door and seeing the chefs get excited about each delivery.”

After several successful seasons, Murphy decided to take a sabbatical. She had always wanted to travel and learn about agricultural techniques in different countries. She contacted multiple non-governmental organizations and individual farmers, 自愿教授有机实践, 以及学习. 始于欧洲, 然后她去了亚洲, 非洲, 和中美洲，然后返回美国. 

“我花了两年多的时间旅行, 在18个国家的225个不同的农场工作,墨菲分享道。. “I got to learn about all the different business models that farmers use and the techniques they employ to deal with their various climates. I will be forever grateful for the time I spent traveling and learning. Those two years taught me more about farming than the entire 12 years I had farmed previously. It was, and still is, the most impactful thing I've done with my life.”

回到小华盛顿的旅馆, Murphy brought new ideas and a desire to add more artistry and whimsy to the garden. “One of my first initiatives was to add more flowers into my space. I learned the importance of flowers during my travels not only to increase food production and fruit size by bringing in wild pollinators, but flowers also helped to bring in other beneficial insects and increase the overall health of the garden. I also started to get more into the aesthetics of the garden beyond just keeping it neat and tidy. I had seen incredibly beautiful gardens in my travels, and I felt ready to put my artistry to use.”

从那里, 她变得更有冒险精神——尝试各种颜色, 纹理, and heights to create beautiful and beneficial plant pairings. “We regularly pulled between 6000 and 8000 pounds out of that quarter-acre garden, 而且这个数量似乎在逐年增加,她分享道. She also decided to explore her artistic side by creating unique structures and sculptures out of planting pots and garden produce, and even an insect hotel to attract beneficial insects to add a bit of whimsy to the garden. 

“所有这些都为花园增添了更多的深度. Our work to lure and keep beneficial insects had wiped out most of our pest problems and our effective microorganism sprays had done their work over the years. 花园比以前更健康了. 此时此刻, I was able to stop using organic spray to manage pests or fungal diseases, 这是我们最好的一个赛季, 既可用于生产，也可在厨房内使用. It was the first time in my career that I went a full season without having to use any spray … the garden buzzed with life, 人们从四面八方赶来参观.”

在所有这些成功之后, Murphy decided to strike out on her own to consult on garden designs and structures using local or onsite materials. More recently, she has begun experimenting with growing pigment plants. “我一直很喜欢画画，”她分享道. “I've got around 30 different types of pigment plants that I'm putting in and experimenting with this season. My dream is to start an art farm where I grow different art supplies and have people come there to take classes and learn how to use them.” 

After answering a multitude of questions from students and other guests, Murphy spent the remainder of her time at Foxcroft conducting an "Art in the Garden" workshop, where she worked with students to build a natural trellis structure using freshly cut branches and teaching them about the best materials and tools to use for the job so that they can feel confident in building one on their own. 

Established in 2007 by Austi Brown 1973 in memory of her mother, the Helen Cudahy Niblack 1942 艺术 Lecture Series seeks to bring a variety of fine, 文学, 执行, and practical artists and designers to Foxcroft to share their work, 创造过程的本质, and the breadth of artistic pursuits with both students and the community. 它赞助了一位百老汇演员和导演的访问, 牛仔冠军诗人, 来自塞内加尔和纽约的嘻哈艺术家, 音乐家, 说书人, 和更多的.