Every Friday afternoon, right before the meetings begin, Diablo Valley College’s horticulture club members participate in an activity that has become a notable success. According to various members, it is even one of the things that they principally look forward to every week.

The crop swap, one of the club’s clever ideas to get students interested in the art of garden cultivation, is exactly what it sounds like: Every student swaps the crop they cared for during the previous week for another one that is ready to be nurtured by novel hands. From jade, to aloe vera, to tomato, the range of plants handled is truly broad. And, as if honing your inner botanist was not cool enough, “The crop swap allows people to be creative and literally bring anything they could possibly want to swap for,” said current member and ICC officer Gregory Arganda. Eggs, canned goods, and even kelp are in circulation.

Having begun just last fall semester, it is still a fairly new addition to the club’s list of recreational activities and news of the crop swap has yet to reach more student ears. But for the students it has reached and garnered weekly, Horticulture Club President Peter Swenson speaks on their behalf about why the pre-meeting exchanges have been so successful, saying, “They bring people together.”

Further elaborating on the appeal, Swenson says “It gives our members who have spent a lot of time and energy learning how to grow their plants in their backyards a place where they can exchange their crops and get a sense of value from their hard work.”

Not only has the club sprouted an educational activity that is effectively engaging students—something of large worth to the educational institution it takes place on—but it has also begun a well-received campaign of rewarding hard work and of instilling a deep care for floral life.

The crop swap is not reserved for horticulture club members only. According to Swenson, “It is open to the campus and we would love to see it grow and become a feature here at DVC.”