(Editor’s note: Columns may contain opinions which belong to the author.)
By Nick Lovett
ROCK HILL, S.C. – If you had told me several years ago that I’d be trading my heels for garden boots and falling in love with baby chicks, rabbits, piglets and petal pricing, I probably would’ve just stared at you with my big Furby eyes.
But here I am, Nick Lovett—WWOOFer since 2018, part-time college student at Augusta Technical College pursuing my certificate in Sustainable Small Scale Farming, and proud recipient of the (WWOOF) 2025 Future Farmers Program award — living out my soil-covered dream at Kingdom Gardens Farm, an organic practicing Christian co-op located in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
From the moment I arrived, I knew I was somewhere special. The energy here buzzes like bees on sunflowers. The farm is led by none other than Hannah Boggs, Kingdom Gardens’ lead cultivator and powerhouse educator.
She’s not just growing food — she’s growing farmers, and I’m lucky enough to be one of them.
My special farm project under her guidance? Raising and processing meat chickens. It’s hands-on, intense, and incredibly rewarding, albeit that something has eaten 14 of my 26 baby chickens. Let’s just say, I’ve learned that chickens taste good to almost everyone, including Piedmont minks and weasels, as well as the occasional rat. Chicken tractors are also real, and yes—they require daily dedication (and lots of water refills in this Carolina heat).
One of the brightest highlights of my time here has been connecting with the incredible co-op members. Abbie Buchanan, the flower farmer, is equal parts artist and agricultural genius. Her smile is brighter than the sun and she is almost as funny as me! She’s taught me the subtle science of when to cut specific flowers (morning dew is your friend!) and how to price them. Turns out, there’s a whole strategy to arranging beauty in a bouquet and making sure you don’t sell yourself — or your stems — short.
Then there’s Evan Streeter, our local pig whisperer and Friday farm store king. Evan not only raises pigs, but he also creates community every week by bringing baby piglets to the store in a little pen. Watching kids squeal with joy (while the piglets do the same) is something I’ll never forget. It’s that kind of experience that reminds you why local farms matter so much — they connect people to the land and to each other.
Now, I’ve had a few bumps along the way. Like the time I realized that I left my credit card at home. Panic. Pure panic.
But would you believe Liam, Hannah’s husband, who had only met me twice, stepped in and rented a car for me using his credit card so I could get home to my backyard garden (and, yes, my missing card)? It was a moment of pure generosity and a reminder of how deep-rooted kindness grows in places like this.
As a future farmer and long-time WWOOF member, I can say this with certainty: We need more local organic farms in the CSRA to become WWOOF host farms. The need and desire from WWOOFers like me are real.
The next generation of farmers is hungry to learn, and there’s no better classroom than a working farm. Kingdom Gardens is proof of that. It’s more than a co-op — it’s a launchpad for dreamers with dirt under their nails and purpose in their hearts. For more information about WWOOF and it’s Future Farmer Program, please visit their website at https://wwoofusa.org. Additionally, to become a co-op member or learn more about Kingdom Gardens Farm, please visit their website at https://hannahatthegardens.com.
So, whether I’m knee-deep in chicken chores, hanging out at the onsite farm store with Evan, harvesting crops out of Hannah’s massive garden, chasing zinnias with Abbie, or going to church with local residents Bill and Bobbie, I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. And who knows? Maybe one day, someone will WWOOF on my future farm in my home State of Georgia.
Until then—I’ve got chickens to feed and dreams to grow.
Nick Lovett, a seven-year-long WWOOFer from Martinez, Georgia, is gaining hands-on education and training from the alliance of individual farms and farmers who comprise Kingdom Gardens
Farm. Founded in 1971, WWOOF is a global movement that connects volunteers, known as WWOOFers, with organic farmers, fostering cultural exchange and ecological awareness.
