It was rainy this morning as we packed the van and harvested produce for YMPJ. It was kind of nice actually – misty and heavy and fresh. I gathered squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes and tomatillos, while the others harvested green beans, potatoes, corn, and flowers. We also offered potted oregano and cilantro plants.
We got to the Bronx at 11:15am. People were showing up asking about produce while we were still unloading the van and setting up the table! We asked them to wait, but still we could barely put it out fast enough once they started coming. 20 minutes later, you barely would have known anything had happened. It would have been gone sooner if we hadn’t asked people not to take so much and intentionally saved some back for the second wave of people who came (most of them seniors from the apartment complex across the street)! It basically turned into a grab-fest – get as much as you can while it lasts! – and we only garnered $8 in donations…I guess that’s what happens when you “sell” produce by donation to economically marginalized people...
The experience really tested the limits of my generosity. It wasn’t that I didn’t want people to take the food or that I was hoping there would be leftovers. No, I guess I just wanted to see more awareness and appreciation for the hard work that went into growing the food, and for the fact that it was organic and local. The cynical mind in me says that the only reason the folks who came were interested in the food is because it was free; they couldn’t have cared less about where it came from or whether or not it was organic. They were just happy to have good fresh food that they could afford for once! For one day in August in the Bronx, the Freedom Farm crew was able to provide access to lovingly grown, healthy organic vegetables to those who normally wouldn't have it, and I am so glad for that! I just hope they noticed how delicioius those potatoes were and savored them...
No comments:
Post a Comment