This was a productive week in terms of VIC planning and in terms of vegetables harvested. After our meetings with Nancy Walters (Easton Hunger Coalition) and Sarah Fried (Lafayette Dining Services) we were able to report back to the VIC team with updates. Peter Todaro and Miranda Wilcha, the two summer 2015 Digital Humanities Scholars, were able to attend this week’s VIC meeting. We were able to discuss our shared goals. Peter and Miranda’s digital humanities project will provide Easton residents with information on where and how to access fresh, affordable, and locally grown produce. We will all be working together closely throughout the summer in order to acheive our common goals of bringing the community together with fresh produce.
We have now confirmed that we will have fridge space in Farinon this summer. Sarah gave us the good news when we met with her on Tuesday afternoon! Since Marquis is under renovation, we did not think we would have access to a fridge on campus. Luckily there is space for us in the basement of Farinon.
As for news at LaFarm, there is now a washing station set up to wash our harvest on site with potable water! This will certainly make the harvest/distribution day process easier. We now also have new containers for harvesting. They are easily stackable, carry-able, and washable. Instead of harvesting for both LaFarm’s campus farm stand and the VIC Veggie Stand on Thursdays, we will solely be harvesting for VIC because the LaFarm stand will no longer be on Thursdays this summer.
We have begun to meet more community gardeners (and, as of Friday, new LaFarm interns). Now we must begin to remind community gardeners at LaFarm and in the West Ward of the opportunity to donate produce to the Veggie Stand throughout the summer. Alex, a resident of Easton and VIC team member, will be working to connect us with the West Easton Rehab Garden and the Lower Hackett garden. Unfortunately, Yvonne’s Friends and Family garden is no longer growing produce this summer. We will miss working with Yvonne! With the Urban Farm’s expansion, the current community gardens, and produce from LaFarm we will certainly an abundance of produce for the West Ward community.
At the Urban Farm we spent most of our time this week stringing tomatoes. Those plants are getting large! We also put up another cucumber trellis and planted several seed varieties of cucumbers. Rachel and I are becoming masters of string tying.
We weeded a lot this week, but it was all worth it because we have begun to harvest a bunch of peas, strawberries, herbs, and a few Japanese eggplants at LaFarm. At the Urban Farm we have been harvesting radishes, kale, lettuce, garlic scapes, and even some summer squash/zucchini. We are excited to get started with more advertising for the Veggie Stand and to see even more progress at the Urban Farm and LaFarm in the coming weeks!
6-16 Urban Farm tied tomatoes
6-17 summer squash harvest
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