Week 15 Newsletter

Week #15 - Week of September 7th

Things I’ve learned about veggies, people, and community: 

1.        One sungold tomato takes a village: 

a.         Said sungold tomato is harvested around 3:00 pm, right before we’re all about to go home. Spirits are high, it’s probably sunny, and our boots have finally dried. We’re probably talking about something introspective or debriefing, our voices loud so all can hear (at least as far as the edge of the tomato row, which is pretty far). A tomato is examined for color, felt for splitting, and put in our large produce basket. It’s picked up by someone else, placed in a larger container, labeled, and transported to the tomato room (cue scary music). We perpetually shuffle around crates from the past few weeks until we find space. Soon after, the tomato is delivered to its recipient, where an entirely new chain of receiving, prepping, and serving begins. 

2.        The people love veggies, especially when given with love:

a.         My roommates have taken to checking in on Mondays and Fridays after I come home, asking what bounty has graced our doorstep. Excess veggies travel to friends, family, and neighbors; they become dinner contributions, work lunches, and gifts. It feels like a small act of giving, a conversation starter, and a great way to offload tomatoes onto others. 

3.        Working on a farm makes the community feel closer:

a.         Someone always knows where the tomato crates ended up, what bed we should harvest next, or where I misplaced my snips. This crew feels like a community in the well-oiled-machine way: we have our routine and chug along each day. But it also feels like a community in subtler ways: the life updates while harvesting cucumbers, the shared problem-solving on harvest day, and the collective excitement over the largest costada of the season (which a crew member took home to display on her beanbag chair). 

As we move further into the months where the harvest slows down, the planting becomes less intense, and we maybe catch up on weeding, I’m excited to take what I’ve learned on the farm and share it with my community at home, at work, and anywhere where there is shared food.

- Amelia