“A garden for everyone. Everyone in a garden.” That is Rose Hayden-Smith’s mission statement, which serves to remind her that most of the work she does and the effort she makes should go towards that goal.

Hayden-Smith was a speaker at career day; she is the director of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) offices in Ventura/Southern Santa Barbara, and she is also the Director of the county of Ventura Farm Advisor.

As a UC ANR she yields new ideas, cares of health and well-being, help those that feed and clothe (farmers), nurture the future, and serve the land ant its people.

Hayden-Smith’s mission statement encompasses all those things; gardens can help better the health and well-being of everyone, and lead us towards a brighter future.

America is not as stable in food production as one might think. Take Iowa for example: it has gone from being a big exporter to being a big importer. The massive amounts of corn grown there are not used to feed people, but rather to feed cattle or make ethanol.

There are also high rates of food insecurity and hunger across America, partially due to the economy, but also due to the change from exporter of food to importer of goods that has occurred, and is occurring, in many states. Sustainability also comes into question when talking about our country’s agricultural problems according to Viviane-Simon of Oregon State University; sustainability can help many of our production problems. Gardening, however, as Hayden-Smith said, can help ease agricultural problems having to do with consumers.

Gardening cannot only ease food insecurity and hunger, but also improve American diets by giving more people access to fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those that live in intercity areas. Gardens also create a stronger sense of community in people.

Hayden-Smith feels that she has made a big change by increasing the number of community gardens, and by educating people. She educates people about gardening, turning them into master gardeners that “serve as extenders of knowledge” and support community projects. She especially enjoys the change she affects in youths through education; how she affects what they study, helps them to develop new skills, and helps them improve the quality of their lives through new information.

Farming programs such as 4-H have profound effects on students’ lives

Foothill Technology High School senior Amanda Marshall describes her experience: “4-H has really helped me broaden my horizons. I’ve learned how to knit and crochet, I’ve completed probably 80 hours of community service in high school, and I am currently the co-president of my club.”

Education is important to Hayden-Smith’s life, not only through educating others, but how her unique education helps her in her career.

Hayden-Smith has a BA in English Literature, an MA in Education (Reading), and an MA in US History/Public Historical Studies. Her English degree has helped her, because her job involves writing for audiences and presenting information. Her education degree has helped her in her pursuit to educate others. Her history degree has helped her by allowing her to use knowledge from our past, sometimes concerning public policy.

Hayden-Smith’s history degree has helped her with her garden goal, by allowing her to look back to WWI and WWII, and their “victory gardens.” Victory gardens, were a form of public  policy put in place by the federal government concerning food conservation and gardening.

“Victory garden” is a term used to describe national gardening efforts, where the federal government asks American citizens to garden at schools, public places, and work places, to increase food output.

Hayden-Smith’s professional brand, Victory Grower, has the same idea of increasing gardens, in the same sort of ways, to ease our country’s food problems.

Be on the look out for Hayden-Smith, she not only has a blog, but a book coming out soon on World War II and, of course, gardening.

“A garden for everyone. Everyone in a garden.” Gardening is the path to a better future, according to Hayden-Smith.