With a line of 20 people at 5:15 already awaiting the opening of the Veggie Stand, the first distribution last night was a success!!  Ominous clouds hung in the sky, but that didn’t stop about 60 people from coming out to the stand at South 10th and Pine St.  We were able to hand out over 500 pounds of produce thanks to the Easton Urban farm, LaFarm, and East 40 (Northampton Community College’s farm).  We also had the dietitian from Easton Hospital, Alison, come with a sample of a healthy vegetable salad recipe and sample featuring veggies we had at the stand. Everything ran very smoothly – even the hasty clean-up due to the impending storm –  thanks to our volunteers from Lafayette and the community. We had just enough people to be able to conduct surveys and explain the vegetables, while refilling the baskets from the seemingly bottomless supply of squash. All of the left over vegetables were handed off to Nancy from the Easton Hunger Coalition to be taken to a food pantry in order to serve as many families as possible.

This whole week had been a whirlwind of coordinating cooler drop-offs and pick-ups for donations, finding cold storage space, putting together various recipes and signs, and harvesting vegetables at the Urban Farm and LaFarm for the stand. All the hard work paid off!  As I saw the smiling faces of West Ward residents picking out their vegetables, I felt pride in all the work Alexa and I have put in to make this project into something great. When out in the field it is sometimes hard to see the big picture outcome; however last night I finally realized the impact VIC has on the community and felt honored to be a part of the project. While the future of VIC is unknown, it is rewarding to know that this week we helped numerous families get fresh vegetables to put on their table.

As the weeks progress, we aim to stream-line our harvest process at both the Urban Farm and LaFarm. We also hope to increase our number of attendees at the stand and create an even more interactive community space. In addition, we hope to stay in communication with dining services throughout the summer, since they provide us cold storage space. We had just enough room this week, but as harvest becomes more bountiful, we might have to find more storage places. Alexa and I had to trouble shoot all issues (big and small) throughout the week, which paid off because the stand ran as smoothly as we could have imagined. I now realize all the important details that must be accounted for. For example, the recipe board from last year could not be found, so we improvised with a cork board and an easel to be able to display the recipes for participants. Recipe sharing is important to the building of community strength and we were very happy with what we were able to bring to the community. Overall the first night was a great success and I look forward to many more Thursday evenings at the Veggie Stand.

This week Alexa and I worked on advertising the veggie stand throughout Easton. On Tuesday, we dropped off flyers at the Boys and Girls Club and the Health and Wellness Foundation, to be handed out to families visiting both locations. On Thursday, Alexa went to a pub night meeting with members of the cooking matters team. Cooking matters is a program run by Easton’s hunger coalition to teach cooking lessons and provide cooking utensils and food for families to reproduce the meals at home. On Thursday night, I went to the summer nights event held at the Easton Area Community Center by the Kellyn Foundation. I was able to handout flyers to the families in attendance there. We are both very excited to be able to get the word out about the Veggie Stand.

At LaFarm, we have spent a lot of our early mornings harvesting for the dining halls. In the later part of the morning, Alexa and I have done a lot of weeding to prepare the beds for being covered with straw (cucumbers and watermelons) or compost (potatoes). On Thursday at LaFarm, we learned harvest procedures such as weighing, washing and storing the vegetables. The vegetables we used were for the dining hall, but the same procedure will be used when we harvest for the veggie stand. We also, picked up and labelled are totes for harvest. It’s exciting to know that distribution is only two weeks away!

At the Urban Farm, Alexa and I have done a lot of bug scouting on the swiss chard, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini and squash. Lexi has taught us which bugs are important to squish in order to keep the plants healthy and growing strong. We have continued with tomato stringing; getting better and better each time! On Wednesday night I visited the Urban Farm and Lexi was there with two other volunteers building a wash station using the water from the neighbothood center. This is very exciting news for us because if we can wash right after harvest, then we do not have to use the sinks in Farinon. The wash station will also make the Urban Farm more self sufficient.

We have recently been in contact with Kelly Allen, the master gardener of East 40, which is the farm at Northampton Community College. Mr. Allen is interested in donating to the veggie stand and we are very excited to be in contact with him. Hopefully, as the summer continues Alexa and I can make more connections like these and gain more volunteers for the program!

It’s starting to really feel like summer: the temperature outside had risen over the week, with intermittent storms throughout. On Monday at LaFarm, we seeded melons, beans, and winter squash, weeded and staked the tomatoes. Alexa and I learned how to use a stake driver to push the stakes into the ground, they went in easy because of the rain that morning. On Tuesday at the Urban Farm, we planted silver bell squash and eggplant, mulched the tomatoes and eggplants, built trellis for the cucumbers, weeded asparagus and grapes and staked the tomatoes. On Wednesday at the Urban Farm again, we shoveled a lot! We mulched the tomato and pepper beds and spread mushroom soil on the empty beds in the front of the farm. Back at LaFarm on Thursday, Alexa and I harvested peas and strawberries and planted onions, leeks, cabbage and watermelon. To plant the leeks and onions we used a dippler, which is something I had never seen before. It made making holes for the onion bulbs very easy. On Friday, Alexa and I met with Nancy Walters from the Easton Hunger Coalition to discuss a partnership between them and VIC. 

In the afternoons, Alexa and I used our time to do independent research and contact community gardeners, Pam Ruch and Gelmar about helping with the veggie stand. On Thursday afternoon, we had a meeting with Dr. M, Bonnie, Sophia and Alex. We discussed some of the logistics of the distribution nights. We planned to order certified harvesting containers to make harvest days easier. At LaFarm we had already used the containers, so Alexa and I decided that they would be suitable for us at the Urban Farm. Also in this meeting, we discussed no longer using the term “veggie van” to talk about the distribution nights because it might be a source of confusion. Since the operation is more like a farm stand, we decided to change the official name to Vegetable In the Community: your neighborhood vegetable stand. A lot was accomplished at the meeting and I feel that we made progress towards our goals this summer. I look forward to beginning harvest this July!

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.

Starting at 7:00am on Tuesday morning at Easton’s Urban Farm, Alexa, Alex, the community intern for the summer, and I planted produce for this summer’s veggie van. We planted peppers, eggplant, watermelon and tomatoes. The Urban Farm has a new drip line irrigation system to water the plants, which we helped to adjust. Right now the Lehigh Valley is experiencing a drought, so the soil was very dry and the new plants needed a lot of water. The Urban Farm has recently undergone and expansion to almost twice its size from last year, which is very exciting for us because more space yields more produce for the veggie van. In the afternoon, Alexa and I met with Professor Cohen to discuss our goals and tasks for the veggie van and our individual research.

On Wednesday, we returned to the Urban Farm to do more planting, watering and weeding. We planted corno di toro, jimmy nardello, better belle, and gourmet orange peppers, cherokee purple, black krim and great white tomatoes, and basil. In the afternoon, Alexa and I did some work in the library: we compiled a list of community volunteers’ contacts, drafted an email to Sofia to send to community members, and created a volunteer sign-in for Lexy to track the volunteer hours at the Urban Farm. Alexa also contacted Alison, a nutritionist from Easton hospital, to see what dates she would be available to present demos and recipes at the stand.

On Thursday, we again were at the Urban Farm planting new vegetables, watering plants from the day before, weeding and spreading mulch. Normally, Alexa and I will spend our Thursday mornings at LaFarm; however Sarah was taking a break this week, so our work at LaFarm will begin on Monday morning. We planted jalapeno and haidulce peppers, sun gold, black krim and yellow pear tomatoes, rosa bianca, pington, ping egg, and egg diamond eggplant, onions and chamomile. In the afternoon, Alexa and I met with Dr. Malinconico to discuss some of the logistics of the veggie van, as well as our individual research goals. After the meeting, Alexa and I went to the library to send an email about volunteering with the veggie van to community members who signed up last summer. We also brainstormed ideas for demos/activites to hold at the distribution nights. It is important for us to set-up the activities for each week of distribution during June, so that we have them planned before the actual distribution begins.

On Friday, Alexa and I attended a lunch and discussion event entitled “Join the Local Food Revolution” hosted by Renew Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council to discuss Urban Agriculture with various contributors to the local food and food justice movements spreading across the area. The discussion topics included: community gardens, urban farms, growing our own economic opportunities and improving the health of individuals and neighborhoods. The various panelists discussed programs related to urban agriculture established in New York, Philadelphia and the local Lehigh Valley. After the panel, there were table discussions to brainstorm ideas on policy relating to a specific topic. For example, my table was about nutrition and we discussed ways to bring healthy and fresh foods to food pantries to distribute to the community. The event was very informative and an exciting way to kick off the summer.

National Night Out, a day in which communities come together and show the strength of their neighborhoods, occurred in neighborhoods all-around Easton and around the country on Tuesday August 5. I enjoyed breaking bread with neighbors and community members at the Potluck taking place at the 10th & Pine Community Garden!

I spoke with some police officers about some of the ways Easton has changed over the last decade, learning about the impact WWNP has had in the community. I chatted with another officer about farming and his experience with backyard gardening. I ate dinner with some faces that were new to me, and shared desserts with Sophia, Lynn, and Lexy, who were all present that evening, helping to organize the event and reveling in the success of the event. It was a pleasure getting to join everyone, and I want to express my sincerest gratitude to WWNP for organizing the event and bringing so many wonderful people together with good music and some awesome food!

This night highlighted the power of a community space and knowing your neighbors. The garden and the surrounding gravel parking lot transformed to a place for people to gather, share stories, and play in puddles from rain earlier in the evening. It was great to see that a community can come together over food and a beautiful summer night. All I did was show up with some mac & cheese, and I got to spend a few hours meeting new people and enjoying being a part of the community.

For pictures and more information about the event, check out the links below:

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2014/08/easton_national_night_out.html#incart_river

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.538178659615010.1073741868.383463098419901&type=1

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Weed-and-Seed/119142324763079

http://natw.org/

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What I’ve been reading:

http://www.co-intelligence.org/CIPol_CSWM.html

http://www.augustana.edu/general-information/presidents-office/sermons-and-homilies/three-attributes-of-a-strong-community

http://www.well.com/~bbear/hc_how_to.html

https://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/benefits/publications/carelink/tipsheets/community.pdf

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-healthcare-disparity-20140309-dto-htmlstory.html

Each week, our distribution gets better and better! We’re becoming more efficient at preparing and running the farm stand as the summer rolls along. Even the weather has been nothing short of perfect these past two weeks! I’ve enjoyed so much being at the farm stand Thursday nights and seeing how excited people get over some of the produce we provide. The most rewarding thing is when you see familiar faces and hear how people have tried and loved vegetables that they had never even heard of before!

This week Alison and Stephen from the Easton Hospital came and handed out samples of kale chips and beet salad, as well as the recipes to make them at home. Alison was able to talk to people about the nutrition values of the food. Everyone loved it! So many people turned down kale when they first got to it, but when they tried the chips, they realized that they actually liked it. We’ve never run out of kale faster! It was amazing to see how open people were to trying the samples and how quickly their attitudes about the vegetables changed. I’m looking forward to our next visit from the Easton Hospital in August!