A priest, a farmer, and a rabbi walk into a bar.

No, that is not the kind of comedy Lawrence Caudle performs, but the assistant director of Common Earth Gardens does perform comedy. Really.

“I started it as a way to get over my anxiety about doing presentations and public speaking,” Lawrence said, “and I fell in love with it.” What he likes most about comedy is the freedom of writing his own material, even when that includes “writing it over and writing it over and, hopefully, bombing a little less every time.”

Lawrence was “terrified” the first time he took the stage. “I was nervous, I didn’t know what I was doing, it was late at night, and I was scared.” Since then, he’s learned how to stretch a joke, how to make a joke pop, how to use a mic, and even how to be comfortable. “You have to get comfortable being the only person in the room talking,” he noted, “and when you’re bombing, you have to be comfortable being there in silence.”

Lately, Lawrence has spent more time on coding than on comedy, teaching himself how to write simple code because, “I just like trying new things.” He’s learning the basics, starting with how to create a simple website.

Lawrence grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where he and his twin brother did not farm or even garden even though both of them went on to study and work in agriculture. Lawrence has a bachelor’s in agricultural business from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a master’s in agricultural education from Iowa State. After that he moved to Kentucky to work with the UK cooperative extension office in Powell County and in 2018 moved to Louisville to work with UK’s 4-H youth development program. It turns out one of his friends told him about the job opening with Common Earth Gardens, and he started that position in September 2020.

What Lawrence enjoys about Catholic Charities is the people. “I like knowing I can help somebody. I like knowing that whatever I do can directly affect somebody’s well-being.”

When he’s not entertaining local audiences or learning code, Lawrence likes to take in Louisville, which is “easily” the biggest city he has lived in. He likes to hike, walk at Waterfront Park “when it’s full of people,” and try out lots of restaurants. One favorite is Super Chefs on Bardstown Road, featuring cartoon heroes and a menu with a variety of high-protein and vegan dishes. And wings. Lawrence Caudle knows his wings. Ask him his favorite, though, and he’ll stammer, pause, and finally say, “I like them all. If you bring me some wings I will love you forever.”

Ironically, Lawrence doesn’t garden because he doesn’t have room at his apartment. When he has a house with a yard, though, he will be growing lots of flowers, especially roses. And that’s no joke.

Photo courtesy of Ruby Thomas at The Record