This weekend marks the official end to Spring and the start of Summer. It's an important marker for us as farmers each year. As "real" Summer unfolds, the trifecta of our region's signature combination of heat, humidity, and bugs will tax the plants we are tending. We have prepared them as well as we know how - we treated them well as babies in the greenhouse and prepared their home in the field with nourishing amendments. We continue to prune, feed, water, in some cases trellis, and in all cases monitor the health of the plants. Summertime is the time of bounty but it is also the time of most stress for the plants. Interesting, isn't it?! We'll keep up our work. Thank you for eating the results!
Since we have quite a few every-other-week members, here is a repeat of a portion of last week's update:: As biologists and farmers, we have a bit of a unique perspective on diversity: Our work as organic farmers is to mimic nature as much as possible, and nature tells us that a healthy environment encourages and supports diversity. This is why we grow more than 50 different crops AND facilitate biological diversity IN the soil (macro and micro). We have the same approach to people and we believe our farm (and greater community) is healthiest with a diverse range of race, heritage, religions, etc., present. However, small scale organic farming in our country is tremendously dominated by white people - both the farmers and the customers. We are trying to change this in the small ways that we can while acting against the racial oppression that started on this continent 400 years ago. We are committed to both public and private actions to work toward social justice. We are donating food to BIPOC-led (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color) groups engaged in peaceful demonstration. (If you would like to donate money so that we can donate more food, many people will be most grateful. You can donate through the "Donation to Food Bank" item here in Harvie and send us an email stating that you would like the donation to be to these meals. Harvie keeps 10% of any payment through this site, so if you'd like 100% of your donation to go toward this food, you can write us a check with that information in the memo line. Any "Donation to Food Bank" item without specific instruction gets donated to the Food Pantry at St. Stephens Episcopal Church.)
If you would like support Black led farming organizations, Soul Fire Farm has compiled an excellent list of entities here. As Soul Fire authors state: "The food system was built on the stolen land and stolen labor of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and people of color." This is true. We all need to eat, and if those with the financial means to support agricultural justice can help rectify the food system, we will all benefit.
Thank you for the ways in which each of you are spreading peace and building justice in our community, and thank you for being with us as we continue to learn and do better.
Farm Share logistics reminders:
- When you arrive at pick up: Find the bin with your name, take the contents, and leave us the empty green bin.
Check your label for any circled items that will be separate from the bag. (Ie: Tomatoes, Bread, Flowers.) Collect those items.
Blessings on your meals, and wash your hands often ~
