I look down at my clock, it's 9:59am. A slight breeze wisps across the rows of chard, lettuce, radish, onions, and beets. The crew is beginning to wake up and come out of their grogginess as they sip on some freshly brewed coffee (cold, refreshing, and smooth), while two crew members run across the farm rows rushing to make it before the 10:00am start time. As it is every day, the crew splits into three, and I take a third over to the open-air kitchen on the side of the farm to begin today's cooking lesson, rather the cooking session. It is not a lesson taught by a chef, or instructor, or even me. Rather, it is a session where collaborative-based learning takes place. While it is my job to buy the extra ingredients not grown on the farm, and make sure we stay within the given budget, and make sure everyone stays safe, it is the creative juices and spirit of the group to put together a meal that is unique, delicious, and most importantly balanced.
The Saturday farmers market (where crew members go to sell the crops harvested just the day before) leaves us on Tuesday with a leftover plethora of chard, kale, radish, bok choy, beets, arugula, and the list could go on. The plan?: Sauté the veggies, or incorporate them into the meal lightly planned out ahead of time, and of course, toss together a massive green salad like we have at every meal. Don't have any carrots? Well, just walk about five feet and pull out freshly grown carrots from the farm, rinse them, and toss them in. Now this is a concept that never truly came full circle until working on the Seattle Tilth Youth Organic Farm these last two weeks. That connection that we humans have with the soil and the food, and the whole food cycle has been completely cut off when you walk into a grocery store, and pick up a bunch of carrots pre-washed and ready to eat. You completely miss the part where the soil has to have the right nutrients, and be cared for. You missed the part where no pesticides were harmfully sprayed on the crops (if they're organic that is). You even missed the part where the crops had to be weeded, and watered, and protected from other predators. And you missed the part where the crops were harvested, and cleaned, and brought so beautifully to your store.
The Saturday farmers market (where crew members go to sell the crops harvested just the day before) leaves us on Tuesday with a leftover plethora of chard, kale, radish, bok choy, beets, arugula, and the list could go on. The plan?: Sauté the veggies, or incorporate them into the meal lightly planned out ahead of time, and of course, toss together a massive green salad like we have at every meal. Don't have any carrots? Well, just walk about five feet and pull out freshly grown carrots from the farm, rinse them, and toss them in. Now this is a concept that never truly came full circle until working on the Seattle Tilth Youth Organic Farm these last two weeks. That connection that we humans have with the soil and the food, and the whole food cycle has been completely cut off when you walk into a grocery store, and pick up a bunch of carrots pre-washed and ready to eat. You completely miss the part where the soil has to have the right nutrients, and be cared for. You missed the part where no pesticides were harmfully sprayed on the crops (if they're organic that is). You even missed the part where the crops had to be weeded, and watered, and protected from other predators. And you missed the part where the crops were harvested, and cleaned, and brought so beautifully to your store.
I missed all these components that went into growing a head of lettuce, and I even consider myself a pretty passionate food person. So, it makes me wonder about everyone else that hasn't thought twice about where their food is coming from. We watched an amazing documentary called Dirt, and the main thing that it taught me was that farming isn't about farming the crops as much as it is about farming the soil. Soil is Earth's living skin, and without it, life could not be sustained. It is the key to life on our Earth. It's so much more than just dirt. It's a living, and breathing organism in a sense. That's why Seattle Tilth's mission is so amazing, spreading the importance of keeping this skin healthy and alive, through its organic farming practices. And, more than just a cooking program, Seattle Tilth inspires to create a deep appreciation and understanding for the soil and for the food that is grown for our table. A healthy and balanced meal is so much more appealing to eat when you have grown it with your two hands. With so much time and effort the crew members put into the crops here, it's so rewarding to finally see the food set around the outdoor kitchen table, so wonderfully prepared and ready to eat. The faces of the youth I work with on the farm light up when they look across the table of food they have created for the 30+ of us there. They already seem inspired to take their new found skills home with them and experiment.
I don't think I've ever appreciated the food I've eaten the last 21 years of my life until I stepped on this farm and felt the life that was growing all around me. The soil is happy, the plants are happy, and most importantly the crew members are happy.
Love the soil, and it will love you back.
Abby Farley
Duke Class of 2015
Love the soil, and it will love you back.
Abby Farley
Duke Class of 2015