JOIP Dispatch: Growing Community: How Brian Brown Cultivates Connections Through Horticulture

By Adonai Ross

When most people think about horticulture, they think about plants. For Brian Brown, though, horticulture has always been about people. Whether it's helping seniors start gardens in five-gallon buckets or working with gardeners to donate extra vegetables to food banks, Brian sees plants as a way to connect with people. As the Regional Extension Agent for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System serving Walker and several surrounding counties, Brian spends his days answering questions about gardens, diagnosing plant diseases, teaching classes, and helping people grow everything from tomatoes to blueberries.

I spent the summer in Jasper as a Jean O’Connor-Snyder intern in partnership with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life, the Walker Area Community Foundation, and UA’s New College. Although I was placed at the Community Foundation to help with opioid settlement funding priorities, I was able to meet Brian at a Kiwanis meeting. Dressed in a polo, khakis, and a pair of Brooks tennis shoes, he carried himself with an easygoing confidence that immediately put me at ease. Sitting down with him, it quickly became clear that his work extends far beyond plants. "It's never the same thing twice," Brian told me with a smile that said he’s seen some things.

That variety is part of what drew him to horticulture in the first place. Growing up, Brian loved science, but he was equally creative. He spent his childhood drawing, doodling, and building with Lego. When he attended Auburn University, he changed majors several times before discovering landscape design. "It was the perfect combination," he explained. "The science behind plants and the creativity of design."

Brian’s face lit up and shoulders relaxed as he recounted his days at Auburn. There, Brian found mentors who shaped not only his career but also the way he approaches people. One professor in particular, Dr. Harry Ponder, left a lasting impression. "He remembered everybody's name. That meant something." Years later, Brian still carries that lesson with him as he works throughout communities across North Alabama.

Although his career has taken him through academic advising, industry work, and even landscape design, the opportunity to return home through Alabama Extension was one he couldn't pass up. Family played a role in that decision, especially as his parents grew older. But so did the chance to serve communities like Walker County.

That commitment to service can be seen through programs like Grow More, Give More, an initiative that encourages gardeners to donate extra produce to local food banks. The idea is simple: Plant one extra row and dedicate it to helping someone else. "We don't think about it because we can go to the grocery store and get food," Brian said. "But nutritious food is important."

The program addresses the double challenges of food waste and food insecurity. What began as a response to needs highlighted during the pandemic has grown into a network of gardeners, volunteers, and food distribution partners working together to make fresh produce more accessible.

Brian has seen firsthand how awareness creates generosity. "Once people know it's available, they give more.” His work also highlights an important community asset: elders in the

community and the knowledge they carry. One of his favorite projects involved helping senior centers establish bucket gardening programs. Participants were given simple supplies, including five-gallon buckets and growing racks, allowing them to garden even if they had limited space or mobility.

For many participants, gardening reconnected them to memories from earlier in life. "It gives them purpose," Brian said. One story still stands out. An elderly man in his late nineties regularly asked Brian questions about plants. Brian helped build him a gardening setup, allowing him to continue growing vegetables despite physical limitations. The man was able to enjoy one final harvest before passing away. "It gave him a little bit of joy," Brian reflected.

Stories like that remind Brian why he continues this work. Sometimes the impact is as simple as answering a phone call. He remembers helping a woman who was worried about a memorial tree planted in honor of a loved one. After examining the situation, Brian discovered that the tree had been planted incorrectly, with the burlap left around its roots. He explained what needed to be done and gave her hope that the tree could survive. The woman was incredibly thankful. "Something like that happens every day," Brian said. Those everyday interactions demonstrate one of Extension's greatest strengths: connecting people with trusted, science-based information. In an age of social media gardening hacks and often-questionable online advice, Brian spends much of his time helping people separate myth from fact. Whether he's teaching classes on canning and food preservation, demonstrating how to grow blueberries, or helping residents troubleshoot garden problems, his goal is to empower people with knowledge they can use.

"You just need a bucket," he said while discussing container gardening. For people who live in apartments, have limited yard space, or think gardening isn't possible for them, that message opens new opportunities.

Throughout our conversation, Brian returned repeatedly to the importance of community connections. He spoke about churches, lifelong friendships, local organizations, and the many people who work behind the scenes to make programs successful. He discussed partnerships with food banks, senior centers, 4-H programs, farmers, and community leaders.

Strong communities already possess the resources they need to create positive change. Those resources are often found in relationships, local knowledge, volunteerism, and a willingness to help neighbors. What stood out most was that Brian rarely talked about his accomplishments alone. Instead, he talked about networks of people working together.

Sometimes community development looks like a large project or a new building. Other times, it looks like a gardener donating an extra row of vegetables, a senior citizen growing tomatoes in a bucket, or a phone call that saves a memorial tree. In Walker County, those small acts of connection continue to grow, one plant, one conversation, and one neighbor at a time.

Adonai Ross is a rising senior at The University of Alabama majoring in Anthropology with minors in Biochemistry and interdisciplinary studies in Medicine. This summer, Adonai is placed with the Walker Area Community Foundation.