University Disctrict Farmer's Market: Growing Things

Growing Things

I proceeded to ‘Growing Things.’ The stand itself was long and narrow, with various vegetable plants lining the sides. Towards the back of the stand stood two women. I began my asking the younger women her motivation for working on the farm. The younger women responded by saying that she wanted to continue with her lived experience of living on a farm in South Dakota; wanting to keep that agriculture aspect in her life. The younger woman was interning at the farm.

As for the older women, she mentioned she had been a teacher by training. As a teacher, she felt there was something missing, so decided to do something more beneficial.

Today, Growing Things supplies the U-District a wide array of options from fresh poultry, to organic eggs, to vegetable plants to start your own garden.

University Disctrict Farmer's Market: Rock Island Red

This past Saturday morning I found myself at the University District Farmer’s Market. Being still in pursuit for the personal perspective in growing one’s own food, I couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to ask vendors questions.

The following series of blogs will be a culmination of my experience.

Rock Island Red

I began with the vendor at ‘Rock Island Red.’ I was lured to the stand by the dried peach and apricot samples. The smiling elderly man invited me to take a sample, and so as I chewed on a tiny piece of dried apricot I began to ask questions.

Rock Island Red has been going strong for about 32 years. The elderly man behind the stand was the culprit of the group having started with an organic garden. Inspiration for this initial project was drawn from Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring.’ The man said he’d been particularly drawn to the U-District Farmer’s Market because of the location and because it drew ‘…one of the biggest markets in the state.’ The man also mentioned the fact that because of its popularity with vendors, the U-District Farmer’s Market frequently places requesting vendors on a waiting list. Rock Island Red has been at the U-District Farmer’s Market for seven years.

More on Urban Gardening

I recently came across a declarative statement made (I believe) by George Carlin.

“Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways totally used up and worn out, shouting…man, what a ride!”

I agree with this inasmuch as it applies to our ability to actualize our fullest personal potential based upon innate gifts and cultivated abilities. These gifts and abilities allow us to engage life in joyous, exhilarating, meaningful and personally rewarding ways that, by extension, should benefit the world at large.

It is difficult, I think, to find time to figure out who we are and what our innate gifts are. Our minds and psyches are pulled this way and that by our jobs, families, school, television and entertainment of all types, the Internet, text-messaging on our cell phones and a myriad of other lesser and greater distractions.

Life was simpler during my growing-up years. After school or during the summer we had to mow the lawn and work in our mother’s gigantic garden. We also had to stay on top of our homework and fulfill some household chores – but then we were free to play in the woods or ride our bikes to common gathering spots where we “fooled around.” Adults articulated two basic rules; stay out of trouble and be home before dark.

I appreciate what I had then as I compare it to what is available now for youth as they are moving through the maturation process. My relationship to the natural world, to insects, plants and animals and to wild and domesticated food sources was an intimate experience that I simply took for granted. My grandparents had a fifty-acre working farm where everything that hit the table morning, noon and night was produced right there. I used to work right next to my grandmother in the barn, out in the orchards, in the garden and out in the fields where she nurtured huge marion berry, blueberry, raspberry and strawberry patches. I was able to identify the various fruits, nuts, vegetables, flowers and herbs that she cultivated and that she would frequently send me out to “fetch” for her. She died on Earth Day in 1994 – it occurred to me then that Earth Day was the perfect point-in-time for her to leave the planet.

Jamie Oliver, born in 1975 in the U.K., recently arrived in the United States to take on what he characterizes as not only monumentally adverse food consumption practices, but a pervasive disconnect with food in general. He demonstrates this disconnect by showing elementary students common produce items that they were incapable of accurately identifying in the raw. This is because much of what children are being fed, both in schools and at home is highly processed (the same is true for adults as well).

Here is yet another reason to consider getting involved with urban agriculture. P-Patch Programs are certainly one way of doing this – unless you are relegated to the P-Patch Program’s rather substantial waitlist. But urban gardening can be as simple as planting a small garden in your own yard, or doing some container gardening on a ground-level patio. It is also possible to do container gardening on exterior decks if you live in a condo or an apartment. Growing a variety of edibles in small spaces with very little expense or effort is easier than you think. I will focus more on this later on.

I am going to close by providing you with a link to Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution trailer. It certainly provides food for thought.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/about/jamie-oliver-videos/jamies-food-revolution-trailer

Urban Agriculture

This year has been declared the year of urban agriculture in Seattle. Is urban agriculture more than just growing food in P–Patches and backyard gardens? What is local government doing to support food production within the city? Some urban areas in Asia produce more than 60 percent of their food within city limits. Could Seattle be that fertile? Is urban agriculture the way of the future, or simply a hobby for people who have backyards?

According to Stella Chao, who is the Director of Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods which is in charge of the P–Patch Program, there are about 2069 Seattle-area residents currently on the waiting list for participation in the P-Patch Program; compare this to a waiting list of 800 in 2005. On KUOW's Weekday (on April 28), Chao stated that the surge in P-Patch interest is spurred by several factors: increased awareness about urban gardening and environmental issues, and the recent economic downturn which has resulted in people wanting to grow-their-own in order to reduce their monthly food bills.

Aside from the P-Patch Program, there are other grassroots, agricultural-based organizations that are expanding awareness and opportunities for people to dig their hands into the soil. A recent graduate from the University of Washington, Gia Clark, is a founding member of Alleycat Acres, an urban farming collective that aims to transform vacant spaces to create a network of sustainable urban farms in Seattle. This is very cool and provides another way for city dwellers to reconnect with the Earth and thier communities.

http://www.alleycatacres.com/2009/12/who-are-we.html

Another agricultural-based project being explored is Municipal gardening. This is a project that uses underutilized city land (street mediums, transport and utility easements and areas within city parks) which are planted with fruit and nut orchards and edible gardens. This is a top-down model that is overseen by municipal workers but draws members from the community to help maintain and harvest crops. These are shared within the community with excess produce being donated to area foodbanks.

KUOW's Weekday discussion with Steve Scher, Darrin Nordahl, Gia Clark and Stella Chao provides the listener with current information about community-based argriculture inside the Seattle of Seattle and other places around the country; the link is below:

http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=20079

Alberto's Gardening Experience

I seek to develop a greater, more holistic understanding, for what prompts people to grow their own foods; whether it’s for means of self-sustainability, for profit, or to simply fulfill some sort of attachment to the land and mother earth.

I will be pursuing this project by completing brief, yet informative interviews with people I know that garden as well as individuals around the U-District area in Seattle who participate in the farmer’s market and also have their own gardens.

I begin my quest by interviewing my good friend Alberto. Alberto and I were together in school from 2nd grade up until our senior year in high school. I still recall Alberto telling me stories about being away for the weekend either working in his family’s garden or being out in some nearby farmer’s market selling flowers. Alberto tells me that his family first got involved in growing their own flowers when both his father and uncle began collaborating. The men rented a plot of land in the Yakima Valley of Washington state. Here they grew flowers, which were sold for profit. Later on, Alberto’s dad moved on and rented out a different plot where he continued growing flowers and started to incorporate produce. Today, Alberto’s family continues to grow their own flowers and produce on about nine acres of land.

Alberto’s dad enjoys being out in the field. Alberto indicates that his dad will spend the whole day out watering, plowing, and picking flowers and produce. For his dad, having a garden is more than just selling for profit, but an attachment to the land. Alberto says that it’s simply something his dad knows and loves to do.

Alberto isn’t too fond of the garden. He says it’s too hot sometimes to be out there picking produce for the weekend sale. Nonetheless highlights include being able to eat fresh food through out the summer and into mid-winter which is when the beginning freezing temperatures inhibit plant survival. Alberto enjoys seeing frequent customers whom he indicates are mostly retired individuals. It’s these people that come for fresh produce straight from the farmer. A community bond is created as Alberto also shares that customers and other vendors will share recipes with one another.

Thus far I think I’m off to a good start! I wanted to start with Alberto because I’ve known him for awhile and because I knew his insight would be a great beginning for what I hope will be a journey into the lives of those who grow. In Alberto’s case, I note that the influence in growing produce (and flowers) comes from wanting to make profit. But, once we dig deeper, it’s also important to understand the concept of self-sustainability and also the idea of simply wanting to maintain some sort of attachment to the land.

Below is a link to the Yakima Farmer’s Market web-site:

http://www.yakimafarmersmarket.org/

Profile Statement

alterNative Gardener will be a blog our group (Claire, Jose, Keven, Mariko, and Sarah) can make public our feelings about alternative ways of living. Topics such as local gardens, farmers markets, traditional environmental knowledge (TEK), and more will be covered. Just as we are becoming aware of other available life choices, we want our audience to learn from our findings. This blog is a medium for any who would like to explore alterNative life options.