To him, life is a bowl of cherries. Edward Grant, a former farmer and now facilities assistant in the Kraus building, has cultivated a lifetime of wisdom and insight through a past once devoted to the joys and art of yielding crops. Farming stands not only as a way of living to him, but gives him eyes to see life all the more fruitful—one cherry at a time.
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His demeanor and smile capture those around him as he walks through the basement hallways of the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology department. “A smile is just a little gift—it’s such a small thing,” says Grant, waving to a student. A faculty member stops and introduces him: “Ed—he’s the Sheriff in town,” the faculty member says.
Plopping down in his office chair, Grant tells the story of his work with the University. “I work with everybody—I’m always moving and I’m always on the go. I really like interacting with people and I haven’t had anyone yell at me for four years, so I think I’m doing a decent job,” he says with a chuckle.
Grant is responsibilities as facilities assistant fall under two departments—ecology and evolutionary biology, and molecular, cellular and developmental biology. He keeps busy problem-solving, helping students and faculty, and tending to the greenhouse that two major University laboratories use in research.
As much as the aged glass house near the northwest corner of the Central Campus Diag remains unknown to many students who stroll past it, so do the efforts of the man who works dutifully to maintain it. Drawing from his life experiences in farming, Grant’s responsibilities include improving greenhouse functionality and facilities. He has created weed mates for the benches to prevent weed growth, advised users of the temperature and lighting controls to keep plants growing, and has advocated for the greenhouse by encouraging its use for unlimited possibilities in education, research and enjoyment.
Put simply, he is the man who does what it takes to keep the greenhouse up and running.
“It’s not too much of an adjustment for me to be here from farming,” Grant says. Growing up in both the lifestyle and business of farming taught him to be creative as well as open-minded in searching for solutions to problems, in addition to understanding the simplicity and truth of being humble as an employee and person. “All you have is Mother Nature and your seeds, and if you can get this crop through harvest time, a storm could come by and wipe everything out.”
A faculty member walks in and asks for a can of WD-40 and Grant directs him to the place with a smile. Students in the laboratories with broken fume-hoods, burned out light bulbs and disintegrated centrifuge rotors all look to Grant for help. “A farmer has to be able to fix things—like his tractor,” he says. “They have to repair things themselves because they can’t afford otherwise. So in turn you learn that machines all have principles as to how they operate,” he says, explaining his ability to help with problems that arise for students and faculty. “It’s just knowledge that you pick up over the years when you farm.”
It’s been years since Grant tilled land for vegetable and fruits, but the memories remain.
“A farmer loves what he does; you gotta love working with the soil,” he says. “Planting fresh soil is probably one of the most invigorating things in life. It’s like a new and fresh beginning.”
