The past two days have offered Katie and I a great chance to engage two very different communities that we are a part of. On Friday, we were in Newburgh, New York attending the annual assembly of the Dominican Sisters of Hope. The land that we are renting is owned by the Dominican Sisters of Hope and is still home to 4 Sisters who work in the Greater New Bedford Area. We were invited to attend their annual assembly to become more familiar with their organization, as well as to meet many of the Sisters who live in places other than Dartmouth.
On Saturday we were back home on the farm, harvesting cucumbers and other produce to display at a table at the 3rd Eye Open. We attended the festival and displayed information about local foods, genetically modified foods (GMO's), and 350.org, a campaign working to educate the global community about climate change and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. We passed out free cucumbers (and salt) to many folks who enjoyed the refreshment during the 90 degree heat. We met new neighbors and also listened to some great hip-hop acts. The efforts are a part of our ongoing work to help promote local foods.
We are also active, partially through Katie's work at UMASS Dartmouth's Office of Campus and Community Sustainability, in local conversations about supporting the development of community garden spaces. As fresh produce prices continue to rise in the grocery store, and as we learn about more issues related to food safety (tomatoes and salmonella); I feel the future of healthy eating will be a mix of local farms and gardens. The work that we undertake on Tucker Road will hopefully offer a chance to help provide a resource for the local community as we consider the many methods of sustainable vegetable production.
No comments:
Post a Comment