Author: Alexa Gatti

Week 14: POSP Joins In & the Tomatoes Peak

August 28, 2015 / Alexa Gatti / 0 Comments

This week Rachel returned to work and we had a full VIC team to harvest and run another successful stand. It is amazing what having some extra hands and passionate helpers can do to speed up operations and add some more fun to the process to which we’ve become so accustomed. A group of POSP (Pre-Orientation Service Project) students led by Nicole Maksymiw, a Lafayette sophomore, joined Rachel, Sophia Feller, and me for harvest at the Urban Farm. This group of energetic first-years harvested beans, tomatoes, green onions, kale, and swiss chard. It was wonderful to see their excitement experiencing the Urban Farm for the first time. I gleefully answered their questions about produce and VIC. They helped with washing and bundling the produce as well.

At the Urban Farm we harvested over 150 pounds of tomatoes – 6 full harvesting crates – while we typically only harvest 3 or 4 full crates. We didn’t want to let any more tomatoes rot on the vine. In future years, we hope that the Urban Farm will consider planting fewer tomato plants to reduce the excess of this crop which is highly prone to rotting if it is not consumed in a timely manner. The Urban Farm receives a large amount of donated tomato plants, but at the Urban Farm, where the labor structure is more variable than at LaFarm, managing this large quantity of tomato plants becomes problematic. Tomatoes must be tied throughout the summer and efficiently harvested to ensure proper growth and less waste on the vine. Instead, Rachel and I suggest that fewer tomato plants at the Urban Farm would allow for more variety and a more manageable space for vegetable production.

In addition to this substantial amount of tomatoes from the Urban Farm, we received tomato donations from West Easton Treatment Center and East 40. The result can be seen in the pictures below:

This week, we have been focused on sorting out the logistics for the harvest and the Stand. We decided that we would harvest at the Urban Farm on Wednesday evenings from 3:00 to 6:00 PM and at LaFarm from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM on Thursdays. The stand will run through the first two weeks of the school year. One major issue will be storage for the produce. We are still unsure of how much cooler space will be available for us to use in Marquis. Our hope is to also have space in the basement of The Spot to store tomatoes since we can no longer use the classroom in Van Wickle once classes commence.

With the help of Nicole Maksymiw, we are planning to include more volunteers to harvest and help at the Stand for these next two weeks. This week, Nicole organized a group of three additional Landis volunteers to help set up and run the Veggie Stand. This was a great opportunity to meet individuals who are involved in community service opportunities through Landis. They were all eager to get involved with the VIC project and I look forward to working with them in other ways during my senior year at Lafayette. This crew helped distribute produce. They were so happy to work with us! In addition to the Landis crew and Alex (our VIC community intern), Veronica, a returning volunteer who is an Easton high school student, was present for distribution. Other community members also helped set up and distribute produce at the stand. We had a strong team this week!

Landis Crew

Sophia provided a large bubble wand to entertain kids at the stand. Also, Easton Hospital provided samples of a Parmesan tomato recipe. It was delicious and certainly appropriate for a week with so many tomatoes available. One community member even brought a delicious Lebanese dish to the volunteers and VIC staff. It was made with produce from the stand (tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, onions) and chickpeas!

The Veggie Stand has been a success throughout the summer. We are nervous about how everything will flow logistically as we enter the school year. We anticipate challenges with storage and transportation, but we are hopeful that we will have eager volunteers to help us through these last two weeks.

Week 13: The Clouds Were Sad Rachel Left

August 22, 2015 / Alexa Gatti / 0 Comments

This week Rachel was on vacation so it was time for me to take on managing the Veggie Stand solo for a week. Overall, the week was a success, but when all of the organizational tasks fall onto one person, they can become time-consuming. It was a tough week in terms of getting volunteers for harvest and help with veggie pick-ups since many students have returned home for the summer and other obligations are starting up.

Harvest at the Urban Farm took longer than usual, running until about 12:00 PM (we typically finish around 11:AM). This is despite the fact that we harvested fewer pounds of produce than in previous weeks. This week we harvested 275.5 pounds of produce from the Urban Farm as opposed to the 300-330 pounds we typically harvest each week. From LaFarm, we also harvested fewer pounds than in previous weeks – only 83 compared to around 105-190 pounds. Rate of production is slowing down in some crops while others (such as tomatoes) is increasing drastically. We need to be conscious of how many tomatoes we harvest to avoid an excess that will not be fresh enough for delayed consumption in food banks.

Wednesday was the toughest day in terms of completing tasks. I started the day by helping Sophia obtain mulch for the compost at the 10th & Pine St. community garden. We mixed this mulch with rotten bananas and other nitrogen-rich goodies from local cafes. This task required a lot of shoveling and a tolerance for some distinct odors. Afterwards, I was off to pick-up produce donations from West Easton Treatment Center, East 40, and Lynn St. It was a long day of driving and weighing produce.

Thursday I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Edmond’s colleagues who have just moved to the area from Washington state. They spoke of their experience working in food banks in the Ballard district of Seattle. Nancy Walters (Easton Hunger Coalition), Prof. Ben Cohen, and fellow LaFarm students also attended this meeting. The goal was to discuss how the successful Seattle model of food banks and food justice can be applied to Easton. It is encouraging to meet with others who are so passionate and able to share success stories in taking on food insecurity and injustice.

This week’s stand was a success despite the rain! This was the first time it rained during the Veggie Stand hours. Easton Hospital’s nutrition staff attended to share a delicious kale salad recipe (http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/planning-and-prep/recipes/kale-salad-with-fresh-strawberries-and-toasted-almonds). It was a big hit! We had a large turn-out despite the weather and set up an extra tent to provide cover for residents as they waited in line.

One issue we had this week was figuring out how to portion produce and establish a fair cut-off for how much each family should take. We tried to implement a limit of three tomatoes and two peppers, but we ended up with a large excess of tomatoes and peppers. Nancy Walters had a lot of produce to pick up for a local food bank this week (even beyond tomatoes and peppers)! This is also partially do to the weather which decreased turn-out at the stand. This week served as a reminder of the necessity to harvest and portion wisely; also, this week demonstrated the importance of having enough volunteers to make the weekly tasks run efficiently. This will be particularly challenging for the two weeks in September, since classes will be underway.

Week 11: Big Crowd & Tomatillo Overload

August 10, 2015 / Alexa Gatti / 0 Comments

Last week we had around 90 people attend the Veggie Stand. This was our largest crowd of the Based on a poll of families that attended, the crowd seemed evenly split between newcomers and returning participants. Community members were waiting eagerly in line by 5:00PM. We finished setting up early so we opened the stand by 5:20 PM. This week, we will account for our efficiency so that we do not set up too early and keep everyone waiting in line.

Thankfully, as residents waited in line they were able to enjoy the music of Patrick, local keyboard player and friend of Sophia Feller. There was no demonstration this past week, but in upcoming weeks there will be visits from Easton Hospital’s nutrition team and Pam Ruch of the Nurture Nature Center. We hope to incorporate more crafts, music, and potlucks in the final weeks of the stand.

Patrick Playing Keyboard

We had a beautiful cherry and heirloom tomato harvest. The tomatoes looked funky compared to the typical red tomato so residents were hesitant to take them, but we made sure to promote their sweetness and ripeness! Only a few were left over at the end of the night.

heirloom tomatoes

bags of cherry tomatoes

By 6:00 PM the stand was wiped clean of most produce due to the abnormally large, early crowd. This was the earliest we had run out of produce all summer. All that remained in excess were the less reputable tomatillos. We had a beautiful and flavorful harvest, but they were a tough sell to many residents who were unsure of how to prepare them – turned off by their paper-like wrapping. Rachel and I will be eating tomatillos for a while. It’s a good thing they last long after they have been harvested. We are happy to incorporate them into our meals. Rachel even tested out a new salsa verde recipe! We called off the food bank pick-up for this week, because there wasn’t a substantial surplus.

Tomatillo Harvest

This week we hope to attract another large crowd and return to conducting written surveys. This was a strange week because I only returned from vacation on Wednesday, it has been wonderful to get back to the Veggie Stand and I look forward to learning more in these upcoming weeks. Now Rachel and I have begun to update the working guide and creating recommendations for future summers of the Veggie Stand. We will incorporate these ideas into the EXCEL poster presentation at the end of the summer.

VIC donation to Riverside Ministry on July 9th

Week 8: Getting Into the Groove

July 17, 2015 / Alexa Gatti / 0 Comments

Week two of the Veggie Stand was a great success. I am amazed by how well it all comes together on Thursday nights. Rachel and I put in a lot of effort during the week to make sure everything from surveys to fridge space are in place to provide fresh produce and a community space on Thursday evenings.

There were familiar faces from last week’s Stand, but many new faces as well. I hope to get to know the community members who attend each week. I am eager to get feedback through conversations and survey responses. I was happy when one woman returned with her son and recognized me from last week. She had a warm smile as she made her way through the stand and enthusiastically collected all of the recipes we had on the board. Last week she even asked for Sophia’s phone number in hopes of volunteering at the Urban Farm. It was wonderful to see this energy from residents at the Stand. This is the only way a program like VIC can continue.

We decided to stick to written surveys this week because we noticed people may have felt overwhelmed by oral survey questions at the stand. Something about a person taking notes on a clipboard may be a little too much to handle every week. Written surveys were distributed at the donation and information table. They didn’t take too long to fill out and we felt that the complete anonymity would help us in getting more accurate and honest responses. We hope to get a better sense of the expectations and thoughts of residents regarding access and affordability of fresh produce in the community. We are eager to use this feedback to improve the Vegetables In the Community initiative and Veggie Stand.

This week, Sophia Feller (WWNP) and Pam Ruch (Nurture Nature Center) hosted a container gardening workshop. At their table, residents could choose an herb to plant in a pot or bucket garden and take home. I chose to plant some basil! The residents at the Veggie Stand seemed to be pleased with this workshop and the opportunity to bring a new plant to their home. The VIC team brought benches from the 10th and Pine community garden over to the workshop tent. We also carried the picnic table and umbrella to the center of the lot. We were trying to create more space for people to gather at the Stand after filling their produce bag. At the donation and information table, I made sure to tell attendees that next week there would be a cooking demonstration presented by Easton Hospital’s Chef Jose Estevez. Community members were excited to hear about this and they eagerly accepted the brochure that listed the calendar of Veggie Stand events. We have a wonderful line-up of activities and demonstrations planned for this summer!

Another accomplishment of this week included coordinating produce donation pick-up times. We now have a set schedule in place to drop off coolers and pick up donations from the Lynn Street community garden in West Easton, the West Easton Treatment Center garden, and East 40 at Northampton Community College. With the help of LaFarmer Joe Ingrao, VIC will be placing a cooler at LaFarm to collect donations from community gardeners. Through these donations we have received an assortment of herbs and special crops (such as cupcake squash) that we otherwise would not have at the stand. We are also hoping to receive more recipe recommendations from community members and gardeners.

We knew we would have an excess of kale and cucumbers at the Veggie Stand this week! We had less excess of other veggies than last week. We harvested less Swiss chard due to limited storage space and the large quantity of kale. Each week we will have representatives from local food pantries pick up excess produce. We have been coordinating with Nancy Walters of the Easton Hunger Coalition to bring limit the amount of wasted food and bring more fresh produce into food pantries. Currently pantries rely heavily on canned goods.

VIC donation to Riverside Ministry on July 9th, photo by Nancy Walters, Easton Hunger Coalition

One issue we encountered in this strategy was ensuring that the produce we donate would still be fresh by the time it is served in the food pantry. Particularly in the case of leafy greens, such as kale, ensuring freshness from harvest to table is challenging. This week Ellen and Dennis Potter, the directors of the St. Vincent de Paul Society Food Pantry at 9th and Washington, came to collect produce at the conclusion of the Stand. They plan to incorporate the VIC produce in Tuesdays meal. We will have to be aware of meal times at the pantries that pick up and limiting the excess of leafy green veggies.

I am eager to see VIC grow throughout the summer. I am excited to see new and familiar faces each week. I will be out of town for the next two weeks, but I am confident that Rachel, the VIC team, and reliable volunteers will successfully manage the Stand through these upcoming weeks. I look forward to seeing the progress of the Stand when I return in August.

Challenges of Small-Scale Organic Farming

July 3, 2015 / Alexa Gatti / 0 Comments

When we consume food, we often forget about all of the work that goes into ensuring it’s growth and quality. This past week has certainly been an eye-opening experience in terms of understanding the setbacks, worries, and difficulties of small-scale organic farming. You cannot rely on pesticides to kill the pests destroying your crops and you cannot rely on crop-insurance to over your losses.

At the Urban Farm, Rachel and I have begun scouting for bugs in the morning. Particularly, we search for leaf-miners in the swiss chard, eggplant beetles (the nastiest to squish), and cucumber/squash beetles. We have become masters of identifying these pests in their various stages of life – from egg to adult. These bugs feast on the leaves of plants. Leaf miners actually dig their way inside of the leaf and kill the leaf from the inside out.

cucumber beetle post-squish

leaf miner damage on swiss chard

eggplant beetles that have not yet reached adulthood

During a tornado warning and hail storm on June 30, LaFarm suffered some serious damage. Crops clearly displayed hail and wind damage in the form of holes in leaves, bruised produce, and toppled plants. On Thursday morning we had to harvest many onions that were too severely damaged to remain in the ground. As a result, we harvested a lot of small onions. This will definitely decrease the amount of produce that will be available throughout the summer. We harvested the onions that had toppled greens and were clearly damaged beyond recovery. The onions that remain in the ground are at risk of rotting from disease due to the damage they sustained. A lot of green tomatoes were also harvested along with slightly hail-damaged squash. We also removed pea plants that were severely hail damaged.

This was certainly a lesson in how unpredictable farming can be as a livelihood, particularly small-scale organic farming. Sarah , the LaFarm manager was distraught, saying this forced harvest would not pay off. She wished LaFarm could have crop insurance to at least soften the blow. All of the work she so carefully put into that land could so easily be wiped away by natural forces beyond her control.

hail damage

fallen onions

Food appears to be an abundant product that will always fill our grocery store shelves. People often forget that the food supply is not resilient. It cannot just be assumed that we will always get our food. We’ll just import it from somewhere else, after all! We forget about droughts, disease, pests, soil quality, weather, and climate that are all factors in the food supply. We have adopted an unsustainable way of thinking of food. Mass production, more water, less agrobiodiversity, more pesticides, more fossil fuels, less fresh food, less social connectedness around food, lower pay for workers, worse working conditions. All to feed our habits of consumption.

Week 4: Producing Veggies and Plans

June 21, 2015 / Alexa Gatti / 0 Comments

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

Week 2: Bring On the Rain!

June 5, 2015 / Alexa Gatti / 0 Comments

The rain finally arrived in Easton, quenching the thirst of the parched plants and soil. Though it was a bit cold outside in the rain, conditions were ideal for weeding and mulching at the Urban Farm! We mulched tomatoes, peppers, watermelon and eggplant on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday we also set up a bean trellis, planted kale, and transplanted a row of swiss chard. Though Monday was cut short at the Urban Farm, we were able to seed trays of corn and kale. We also took a farm walk at LaFarm to identify the necessary tasks for the week. Sarah gave us the information we need to be efficient staff members at LaFarm – information about schedules, tools, keys, locks, equipment, the farm layout, and tasks. On Thursday, I had a full morning at LaFarm (Rachel was off that day). Sarah and I planted zinnias, nasturtiums, sunflowers, and other flowers. We also planted basil and parsley. I learned how to use a wheel hoe and rake the beds to prepare for planting. I also learned how to weed efficiently in a full bed of onions. It’s tricky, but with the proper tool – the hoop hoe – it is a quicker job.

This week we utilized our afternoons to review surveys from last summer and identify our research goals for this summer. We also responded to emails and set up meetings with Sarah Fried of Dining Services, Nancy Walters of the Easton Hunger Coalition, and our advisors. On Friday I met with Professor Cohen to discuss the role of our surveys and our plans for a published article on this veggie van initiative. Sarah and I also sent out emails to LaFarm community gardeners, letting them know about the VIC program and the opportunity to donate produce. Community gardeners already expressed interest! I am eager to begin working with my fellow LaFarm interns and to meet more community gardeners. One gardener already made my day when left a beautiful carton of strawberries for Sarah and me! It is going to be a wonderful summer.

Alexa – June 25, 2014: Establishing Community Partners

June 25, 2014 / Alexa Gatti / 0 Comments

Yesterday, Rachel and I met with our Easton Hospital contacts: Stephen Wilson, Vice President of Marketing, and Allison, head of the Nutrition Team. We are working with Easton Hospital staff to coordinate demos for distribution nights. At our meeting we discussed the VIC mission and the goals of our demos. We decided that the Nutrition Team would provide free samples and recipes to demonstrate how to prepare meals with the available produce. We believe this method of getting West Ward residents to try new foods would be more effective than cooking demonstrations. Mr. Wilson explained that cooking demonstrations would be too great of a time commitment. Also, the Kellyn foundation, our other community partner, will be hosting cooking demonstrations at the EACC. At our veggie stand, we will encourage community members to attend these weekly cooking demonstrations and provide a calendar of events, talks, and demos that will be held at our veggie stand or in the community. Mr. Wilson also offered speakers and physicians from other departments of the hospital to attend our distribution nights. He suggested free blood pressure or cholesterol tests.

At either our first or second distribution night we will conduct surveys to determine what types of guest speakers or demonstrations residents would like from the Easton Hospital Staff. We will also ask about the types of foods, ingredients, and cooking utensils the West Ward has in their pantries to create recipes that are more feasible. Allison and our VIC team coordinate recipes based on the responses to the surveys and the vegetables that have been harvested that week. We sent Mr. Wilson the recipes used last year so that we can avoid repeating what was already provided.

As for the Kellyn Foundation: I emailed them last week and they are able to donate vegetables! Aaron Little, a student at Lafayette will be our main contact to coordinate these donations. We are also in the process of requesting donations from Wegmans and Giant. These produce donations will be helpful in sustaining distribution throughout the summer and into the fall, allow us to offer more fruit, and strengthen our ties to the Easton and the Lehigh Valley. Kevin Jackson, a fellow EXCEL student working on Aquaculture and revitalizing the Bangor High School greenhouse, has obtained a plot at LaFarm and has offered to donate the a large amount of the produce in his greenhouse. We will be working closely with Kevin as the summer goes on because our projects share the same goals of making nutritious foods accessible to local families.

Gelmar Moraga, is a Lafayette Community Fellow and graduate of Lehigh University. He is heading the veggie van initiative (with the “ice-cream-truck” model) for the Lehigh Valley – including Easton, Bethlehem, and Allentown. We will be working with Gelmar to compare our “Veggie Van” models, discuss failures and successes, and establish ties to the Lehigh Valley.

As Rachel, Andrew, and I brainstormed for the demonstrations we would host at our veggie stand, we realized that we want to make our stand a place of community. We want events that draw in the community not just so that they pick up vegetables; we hope to connect with more residents and that the residents connect with one another. We hope to host potlucks, recipe-sharing events, facilitate arts and crafts, and attract families. We want our stand to be about more than distribution. With our community partners, this goal will be possible to achieve.

Alexa – June 2, 2014

June 2, 2014 / Alexa Gatti / 0 Comments

This past week has been incredible. Andrew, Rachel, and I have worked so well together and accomplished a great deal. We have finished planting our first plot and have begun our second. We have learned so much from Sophia Feller of the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership and Sarah Edmonds. They are always available to answer any questions. By asking questions and letting them know about our problems, we have been able to overcome any issues we were having. The start of this project has entailed valuable lessons about working as a team and as a member of Easton’s community.

After meeting with Sophia and helping out at the Urban Farm I realized how important it is to be able to ask questions and come prepared to discuss any concerns you have. No matter the time in the morning or what kind of day you are having, articulating your thoughts, taking notes, and engaging in conversation is essential. Being congenial and sincere in all of your interactions is a crucial component of community building and learning from people who have so much to teach you!

I have been talking to Professor Cohen about our role as students at Lafayette and members of the broader Easton community. Though we are members of Lafayette College, we are very much a part of Easton. This summer is not about community service hours or completing assigned tasks or fulfilling a requirement. This summer is about developing deeper ties with Easton and promoting health and welfare through food justice.

I began to truly take on this identity and feel imbedded in the West Ward as we went beyond the fences of LaFarm and visited the Lot Spot for the plant exchange hosted by WWNP. Speaking with community members I learned what an impact beatification projects like the creation of the Lot Spot have on community. One woman I spoke with told me her friends and family questioned her decision to move to the West Ward. She explained that her community and projects like this make her proud as a citizen and happy as a mother. People in the community have even taken the initiative to pick up trash and maintain this area.

At this event, Andrew, Rachel, and I spoke with Lexy Rodriguez, the manager of the Urban Farm. She shared stories of experiences at the farm. She explained that her goal is to get people to be passionate about growing their own food and working at the farm or personal gardens. The system of simply giving food away is not sustainable. Lexy hopes to see more people learn to grow their food — enough to provide full meals and adequate nutrition for themselves and their families.

Our team has made a great deal of progress on the farm and in the community. This week we plan to help out on Yvonne’s garden and continue forging new relationships. As the summer goes on, our relationships with community garden managers and community members will be essential in developing a sustainable program with a lasting impact on nutrition and access to fresh produce in the West Ward. I am eager to dig deeper into issues of food justice. I hope to have a better understanding of our position as students, how community members perceive us, and how issues of nutrition and access to fresh, affordable produce can be justly resolved in the future. Though we are part of Easton, our team comes from a unique position at Lafayette. As the summer goes on, I hope to better understand how this position and perspective influences the way we take on this social issue.