Master Gardener continues to plant seeds
A Madison County gardener has left a growing impact in the metro area, with his reputation and his Dominic's Garden expanding to an even bigger audience.
Last year, John Malanchak started a string of gardening stations throughout the metro area for children and adults, with and without special needs. The name Dominic derives from the inner child born within him.
Dominic's Garden has since expanded to six new locations, including Hope Hollow Ministries in Canton, Grace Ministries at Broadmoar Baptist Church in Madison, and Magnolia Speech School in Jackson, among others. The garden now reaches 400 children, adults, and volunteers around the community. His impact at these new Dominic's Garden locations parallel the ones at the established ones.
"He's been so friendly, and he seems to be a good guy," said Kevin Adams, a camper at Hope Hollow and participant in Dominic's Garden.
Like at other Dominic's Garden locations, planting began early in the Spring at Hope Hollow. Raised beds for planting were already present on-site but were not adequately being used. With Malanchak's help, campers had a chance to plant their own crops and receive personalized attention and instruction from Malanchak, who many call Mr. John, including Hope Hollow executive director, Owen Mullen.
"Mr. John gave them a pack, and they each planted their own plant and just got to watch that whole process, from the very beginning to now," explained Mullen.
"My favorite thing to grow is everything, including flowers and the vegetables. It doesn't matter which one. I just like [doing] all of it," Adams said.
Malanchak started Dominic's garden through a series of life events, most importantly while he was a volunteer at St. Dominic's a few years ago. One day he encountered a couple that had a child with down syndrome. Before this point, even he was hesitant to approach children with special needs. But as the family was leaving, he said that God told him to say goodbye to the child. At first, he ignored what he was divinely told, but he eventually said goodbye to the boy as he and his family left the hospital. And that hesitation has been gone ever since.
The sheer appreciation he received from the boy's father was well worth stepping outside of his comfort zone. And when someone suggested that he used his passion of gardening to help others, Malanchak acted upon it and the rest is history.
"I quit questioning God. I just do what he wants me to do," he said.
Malanchak became a Master Gardener through the Mississippi State University Extension Service. He completed his coursework within one month. To remain certified, he receives educational training through the University and spends countless hours studying whenever he can. He easily passes his required volunteer service work of 20 hours annually with Dominic's Garden.
"In general, master gardeners are happy people, and they just want to share this joy to other people," he said. "I'm so honored to be among them, to be called a master gardener."
His mission has received much praise since January. In May of this year, Malanchak was honored as Master Gardener of the Year at the 2019 Mississippi Master Gardener Conference. He was declared the biggest producer within this region, and his Dominic's Garden was ranked Mississippi's most outstanding project of the year and Mississippi's educational project of the year.
"As long as they're in that atmosphere where they're just running amok, they're not going to learn. But when you start working one on one, they are so interested in it. And if every child that I've run across with special needs likes playing in the dirt, they'll become farmers," explained Malanchak eagerly.
One of the biggest projects at the moment is a Dominic's Garden site located at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum off Lakeland Drive in Jackson. Commissioned by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, it is one of three locations like it within the state.
Malanchak cultivated it from the ground up. He spent over 100 hours alone just preparing the soil to grow multiple varieties of cucumbers, corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, pole beans, bush beans, squash, bell peppers, jalapeño's, and okra. He spends nearly every day maintaining the well-being of all the plants at this location, while focusing on the other 14 Dominic's Gardens in the Jackson Metro Area. Adults from The Mustard Seed in Brandon were the first to visit this site at the AG Museum last week.