Today was my first work day this year at Sparrow's Nest Organics, our CSA farm. This is the third year we're participating in the CSA and it really feels comfortable and cozy when I go there now, which is really nice. I always like chatting with our farmers, Graham and Allison, and with the sharers that come for their work days. We talk about things like food security and eating locally and growing our own gardens and things like that. Today several of the people there had just watched "Food, Inc." on PBS and so vegetarianism and veganism were also discussed, while we were doing our assigned tasks. Even Graham and Allison's adorable son Ben (pictured right) gets in on the action, toting pails and taking charge of the garden hose!Today an abundance of potatoes were planted, and we got about five thousand of little onion seedlings out of their germination trays and tucked into the cultivator bins ready for tomorrow's crew to plant. We helped get the drip irrigation system set back up in the fields, and took down the ripped plastic sheeting and webbing off of the four big greenhouses.
Graham and Allison have constructed two cabins and are in the process of building a cookhouse/laundry/shower building for their international practicum students - they are studying at Olds College and have come from Mexico. They're also setting up a windmill, the power from which will be used to circulate the water in their irrigation dugout, to keep algae from getting out of hand. With the help of the practicum students, they will also be contructing platforms for raptor nesting, with a view to keeping the ground squirrels and rodents in check. The two cabins, cookhouse and harvest shed all have metal roofs, and Allison and Graham collect rainwater into a huge cistern, which is now full after our recent rain/snowfall - ready to water the raspberries and rhubarb!
So even though my back is a bit sore, my heart is full after a day of working with people who are committed to a healthy, safe, local and just food system for all!
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5 comments:
It's nice to be with like-minded people, isn't it? Not only is it encouraging but you can learn a lot, too. I'd heard about the snow up your way and was thinking about you. Glad you're getting some moisture in the ground.
Hi Liz - yes it is. It's a neat convergence of people who come out there. And a really do learn a lot - like that I can plant potatoes already! The moisture has been a blessing for sure - we received about 12 mm of rain and 5 cm of snow, which was sorely needed. Things are greening up nicely, and I can actually enjoy the warm weather when it comes again, knowing that things are not baked dry.
You're living it!
A little bit, anyway - thanks Hadv :)
Sounds like you have a wonderful group to be a part of now and that's fabulous. It's always nice to get those hands back in the soil and to see the effects of hard work. You'll definitely reap the benefits in the coming months! Hope winter continues to peel back its layers up there!!
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