Week 10 on the Farm: First Harvest (and more planting)

Weather Forecast: Sunny, 70s.

I'm posting this late this week in part because we had our first harvest and share distribution yesterday and so by the time I got home from Kalamazoo last night, I was too tired to do anything but go right to bed!

We are really grateful that we've got one more week with you all--John & I have enjoyed your company so much this Spring! We've been grateful to have your help too and especially grateful this week, since we've got a lot of plants to get in the ground. We'll spend most of this week's class planting, but we'll also take a little time to show you what and how we've been harvesting and to share some samples.

We'll see you soon!

10th Week: Reflections and Excitement!

Happy 10^th Week!

With this week’s blog post and class Kacey and I hope to facilitate reflection of the past ten weeks and excitement about applying class learning to our post-graduation lives.  To begin this process we invite each of you to think and write about 1) Something(s) you’ve learned by working at Amy and John’s farm, and 2) a favorite farm memory.  Some questions to consider:

• What were you expecting from working on the farm?  Did you have a specific hope/goal in mind when you started?  Did this hope/goal change over time?  Do you think you achieved it?
• Was there a specific skill that you learned?  Or did working at the farm teach you about something more conceptual?
• To what extent has working on the farm helped you understand the conventional US agricultural system and alternatives to it?
• What has working on the farm taught you about yourself?  About your relationship to the land?  To others?
• What are you going to take away from your experience working at the farm?  How do you envision yourself giving back the farm/agricultural communities/food justice movement after your experience at the farm?

Finally, please include a link to a song that makes you happy – we’re going to use them on Thursday!  

Mariah’s Reflection

For me, being able to work at Amy and John’s farm was one of the primary attractions of taking the “Slow Farming” senior capstone class.  Tired of sitting in classrooms, I was excited for the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning.  I wanted to learn skills that I could apply to everyday life in tangible ways.  And I hoped to gain a deeper understanding of what it meant to farm.  

Now, after ten weeks of working on the farm, I think that what I acquired most deeply was a renewed understanding and appreciation of the commitment, dedication, and patience that farming requires.  One example that comes to mind is compost.  I had a basic understanding of the process of making compost before arriving at the farm, but I didn’t realize the importance of it until we started talking about the difference between dirt and soil.  The idea of soil as a complex living system was eye-opening to me - it really only made sense when I stuck my hands into the garden beds and noticed the diversity of matter and animals living within it.  Then we talked about the sustainability of buying versus making your own compost and that conversation has also really stuck with me.  I connected with the desire to be proactive, visionary and sustainable.  These are values I hope to guide my life with, and I appreciated seeing a tangible example of them in action.  Finally, helping make the compost pile and then, turning the compost pile, illustrated to me the patience that is required.  The simple action also made me think about the commitment that is needed when trying to make changes.  Making compost isn’t a fast process, but through its slowness a rich and beneficial product is produced.  Farming isn’t fast either, but in its process something beautiful is created.  These are lessons that I constantly must remind myself of, and I think, some of the biggest lessons I learned at the farm.

Now, my favorite memories at the farm were learning about and eating all sorts of plants that I had never tried before – the tops of the kale plants, the lamb’s quarter, the wild leeks, and the wild flowers.  It opened up a whole new realm of interesting and new food to me!  Connected to this, I really appreciate walking of to the woods with our group and listening to Amy read the passage about thanking the land for its gift of food.  It made me think about harvesting in another way.  Finally, I will also remember the conversations and time spent simply chatting while weeding or planting.  I really appreciate those conversations. 

This song makes me happy:

Kacey's Reflection: 

I have been interested in food justice issues since my first year at K, but this is the first time that I have really gotten to actively participate in agricultural work. One quote that has really stuck with me was Winona LaDukes conversation with her father: “You know Winona, you’re a really smart young woman…but I don’t want to hear your philosophy if you don’t know how to grow corn.” I think that it is so important for that everyone knows what goes into producing the food we eat and I am so grateful for the knowledge and experience that this class has given me and I am excited to continue learning. 

One of the lessons from the farm that has stuck with me is that a farm is more than a factory that produces food. It is part of an ecosystem. So, when we are supporting local, small-scale agriculture, we are also supporting the blue herons that live in the woods, the monarch butterflies that eat the milkweed, and the soil for future generations. I had never thought of farming in that way and it really reinforced my belief in the importance of community supported agriculture. Another lesson that I learned was the CSAs are really difficult to maintain. The stories about CSA members who looked at the relationships with the farmer as strictly a purchasing contract made me realize how far we have to go as a society in our perceptions of value and our relationships with the people who grow our food, the land and other members of our ecosystem. It has definitely inspired me to become a member of a CSA and to make an effort to get to know the farmers and the land and truly share the risks and the work that are part of the agricultural system that I want to see survive and flourish. 

One of my favorite memories from the farm is when we went to pick leaks in the woods. The passage that Amy chose to read before we started from Braiding Sweetgrass really changed the experience for me. I felt like our energy as a group changed and we went into the woods with a new sense of respect and intentionality. Giving an offering of corn before we began to dig really reinforced the idea that the leeks were a gift and not something to be taken for granted. It was fun to see everyone’s excitement when a big leek was pulled and the quiet way that we all went about trying to pick from the center and take only what we would really use. Before, I would find wild berries or herbs and think “Jackpot!” and would take as many as I could fit into my bag. Now, I will consider both the sustainability and spirituality of the plants when I am scavenging and remember how happy we all were digging up and sampling leeks in the woods together. 

This song makes me really happy: 

In the spirit of reflecting on our experiences and being inspired by solutions for the future, here are some quotes to reflect on before next week. If you have a favorite quote that you want to share, go ahead and add it to your post!  

“Our challenge, as we enter the new millennium, is to deepen the commonalities and the bonds between these tens of millions, while at the same time continuing to address the issues within our local communities by two-sided struggles that not only say "No" to the existing power structure but also empower our constituencies to embrace the power within each of us to create the world anew.”
― Grace Lee Boggs, The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century

"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Rebellions tend to be negative, to denounce and expose the enemy without providing a positive vision of a new future...A revolution is not just for the purpose of correcting past injustices, a revolution involves a projection of man/woman into the future...It begins with projecting the notion of a more human human being, i.e. a human being who is more advanced in the specific qualities which only human beings have - creativity, consciousness and self-consciousness, a sense of political and social responsibility."

"In response to those who say to stop dreaming and face reality, I say keep dreaming and make reality."  - Kristian Kan

“The great thing about the dilemma we’re in is that we get to reimagine every single thing we do. There isn’t a single thing that doesn’t require a complete remake. There are two ways of looking at that. One is: Oh my gosh, what a big burden. The other way, which I prefer, is: What a great time to be born! What a great time to be alive! Because this generation gets to essentially completely change this world.”

-Paul Hawkins

“Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear.”
― Lao Tzu

Week 9 - Emily's Post: Migrant Farmworkers

This week, my focus will be on migrant farm workers. I’m certainly not an expert on this topic, but I think it’s a really important aspect of the food system that should be discussed.

There are many directions we could go, but first it’s important that we all have a baseline level of knowledge. Please look over each of the Farm Worker Issues on this website: http://nfwm.org/education-center/farm-worker-issues/.  Although this information is referring to farm workers in general, note that almost 80% of farm workers are foreign-born and virtually all of those 80% are from Mexico.

Michigan is quite agriculturally diverse, and Southwest Michigan actually has a large concentration of migrant workers. Michigan Radio did a documentary called “Voices from the fields: a story of migrant workers in Michigan.” I’m only posting two short segments, but if you’re curious, here is the full documentary: http://michiganradio.org/post/voices-fields-migrant-workers-michigan

Please listen to these! They’re short!

1) A segment about housing conditions for migrant workers: http://michiganradio.org/post/what-home-looks-migrant-worker

2) A segment about some of the issues with undocumented migrant workers: http://michiganradio.org/post/what-happens-when-more-half-migrant-workers-are-undocumented This segment is particularly interesting because it explores the employers' viewpoints on undocumented workers while showing how policy changes can trickle down and affect migrant workers.

Also, this is the organization in Kalamazoo, Farmworker Legal Services of Michigan, that the story references: http://www.farmworkerlaw.org/advocacy2014

So, I’ll ask you to think/write about:

What, if anything, did you know about migrant workers rights before reading this blog post?

What, if anything, were you surprised to find out?

Of all the complex issues related to migrant workers (labor laws, low wages, health & safety, housing conditions, child labor, education, women’s issues, etc.), what stood out to you? Are any of these more easily addressed/fixed than others? 

I don’t know much about immigration policy, and I suspect many of you might not either. Still, what might an ideal immigration policy look like? How can we give migrants more power so that they can speak out in the face of injustice?

Finally, I want to try to keep this solution-based. How can we, as consumers, help protect the people who are picking so much of our food? 

We’ve talked about the importance of buying local, but is that enough? Buying locally may be better for the environment and even for your body, but we can’t forget the human component of how our food was produced. 

Finally, on a more broad scale, how do we deal with all these intersecting issues? It can be exhausting to consider every aspect of the food we purchase (Is it local? Is is organic? How was it produced? Who produced it, and how were they treated?, etc.), but it’s crucial if we want to revolutionize our food system. I know I get frustrated and overwhelmed at times, so feel free to share any feelings you have about this.

Thanks everyone! Can’t wait to read all your blog posts!

Week 9 on the Farm: Scouting

Weather Forecast: Tuesday, high of 78 degrees F, 80% chance of rain. Wednesday, high of 75 degrees F, 60% chance of rain.

Weather is going to be a big influence on what we're able to do this week and since the forecast keeps shifting, it's a little hard to plan ahead! It looks like there's a good chance of rain on Tuesday afternoon and a possibility on Wednesday as well. Even though that will interrupt our field work, we'll be grateful for the rain since all of the plants and seeds we've got in the ground need it badly.

As we've moved around the farm these past several weeks, I hope you've observed John & I checking both our vegetable plants and the orchard for insect and disease problems. "Scouting" is a term that's used in agriculture to mean actively checking to see what's going on in your fields and it's particularly important in integrated pest management and organic systems where we are trying to get away from what I've heard referred to as the "nuclear bomb" method of pest control--flooding the agricultural ecosystem with broad-spectrum toxins at regular intervals throughout the season. Instead, we spend lots of time observing and trying to figure out exactly what's going on in our crops so that we can decide what actions we need to take to help them withstand pest and disease pressures.

If rain prevents us from working outdoors, we'll go to a local coffee shop and lead you in a virtual "scavenger hunt" to help you hone your pest and disease diagnostic skills. If you have devices on which you can access the internet, such as smartphones or laptops, please bring them with you. Afterwards, we'll visit one or two garden centers and critically assess their pest and disease control offerings.

If we are able to be outdoors, we'll do some active scouting. Depending on soil moisture, we may be able to do some planting as well. If not, we'll give you a taste of orchard work with a little fruit thinning!

Here's a 3 minute video that gives a nice overview of how to scout a vegetable garden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq4b6gEWEFg

Week 9 - Lucy's Post

The microbiome and its connections to diet, soil, and health.

So I know I may have touched on this a little before, but I want to start by giving some background on my health journey and how that led me to become interested in local, sustainable agriculture.  I’ll try to keep it short.

I struggled with eczema, an autoimmune skin condition, for most of my life.  Despite numerous visits to the dermatologist, allergist, and pediatrician and countless prescription steroid creams, I was itchy and uncomfortable a lot of the time. 

A little over a year and a half ago, my older sister sent me some research that connected diet and eczema.  She encouraged me to try a paleo diet.  I was skeptical, and was really unhappy about having to give up the processed, sugary foods that I loved.  But I decided to try it, and the difference was immediate.

Not only was my eczema disappearing rapidly, but I also noticed other positive changes in my health.  I had increased energy, less joint pain, and faster workout recovery.  I  slept better, got sick less frequently, and just felt great throughout the day.  It was almost as if I hadn’t fully lived the first seventeen years of my life; like this fog had lifted that I never knew was even there.

My eczema was better than I could remember it, but still not gone completely.  I knew there must be something more. This is when I first came across the idea of the microbiome, “leaky gut”, and its connection with autoimmune (and other) diseases.  All of my free time was immediately channeled to learn ways to restore my microbiome and heal my gut. 

I made it a priority to find vendors at the farmers market who were strictly sustainable and used absolutely no pesticides.  Knowing that they were chemical-free, I also stopped washing most of my vegetables and embraced any bits of soil (and soil bacteria) that were left on them.  I began to eat even more fiber in the form of fruits and vegetables, and especially made a point to eat foods that are probiotic (fermented, having good bacteria) and prebiotic (things that feed the good bacteria).

I have now been completely eczema-free for several months, and I feel like a totally different person than I was two years ago.  I’m a firm believer that the microbiome is the future of medicine, and I will be studying the microbiome in relation to diet and autoimmunity for my PhD.

Here’s some general info on the microbiome and it's connection to leaky gut and health status.  Even if you don't have time to check out any of the other articles, PLEASE read this one: https://chriskresser.com/9-steps-to-perfect-health-5-heal-your-gut/ 

So what does this have to do with sustainable farming?  Here are just a few connections that have been on my mind:

Pesticides and antibiotics perturb the microbiome.  Pesticides are harmful to the microbiota.  Antibiotics, particularly broad-spectrum antibiotics, which are routinely given to conventionally raised farm animals, make their way into meat, egg, and dairy products.  When you consume those products, you are essentially giving yourself a low-dose of antibiotics.  Yet another reason to always buy organic/sustainable produce.

Working on a farm gives you a more robust microbiome.  One of the reasons that our microbiomes are so compromised in the first place is that we live in a world that fears dirt and germs.  Studies have found that kids who grow up on farms playing in the dirt have less allergic disease because they have more robust immune systems: http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/can-farm-life-cut-allergy-risk/

We were meant to eat soil microbes along with our food.  We evolved eating vegetables dug straight out of the ground, not vegetables that are coated in chemicals and sterilized.  Most people are deficient in species of bacteria that are found in healthy soil.  This is a great article talking about how we should focus on cultivating healthy soil ecology in order to ensure our future health.  http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/06/healthy-soil-microbes-healthy-people/276710/

Our microbiomes determine our food cravings.  I alluded to this in a previous class discussion, but I think it’s important.  Our diet determines our microbial composition, and vice versa.  If we want to figure out how to reshape our collective diet to support more sustainable food systems, we have to consider the role the microbiome has on our brains.  http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/your-gut-bacteria-want-you-to-eat-a-cupcake/378702/

Microbiome hype might help fuel the food revolution.  The microbiome is a rapidly expanding field of research and as more and more people understand its implications on human health, I believe more and more people will choose to buy real, organic, sustainable food and invest in soil cultivation.

I’m really looking forward to discussing this with everyone on Thursday.  I’d be happy to take the discussion towards personal health,  soil ecology, or the effects on the healthcare system itself, depending on what interests everyone most.  Here’s some questions to ponder, but feel free to take this anywhere:

Had you heard of the microbiome before?  Are there any other connections you can draw between the microbiome and sustainable farming?

Was there anything that really surprised you from the articles?

What implications might this have for you personally?  For the health care system as a whole?  For the food system?

Why don’t doctors warn you about the detrimental effects on your normal gut flora when you take a course of antibiotics? 

Why is the role of diet and nutrition in general so downplayed in modern medicine?

Why are so many doctors not aware of this / not utilizing this knowledge in their medical practice, particularly with conditions (like autoimmune disease) which supposedly ‘have no cure’?

Week 8 on the Farm: More Potatoes, Bees, Transplanting, Weeding, More Bed-Making. Otherwise known as the week when everything happens all at once.

Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 50s on Tuesday; Low 60s on Wednesday.

This really is the time of year where we feel like everything needs to happen NOW. There are more seeds to start indoors and more beds to clear and direct-seed outdoors. At the same time, all of the seeds and plants already in the ground need to be watered, weeded and protected from insects.

Tuesday folks, since you didn't get in on the potato planting a couple of weeks ago, we're going to give you the opportunity to help us with our next potato planting: Adirondack Blue potatoes! If you haven't had a chance to look at the links I sent earlier on potatoes, check them out & we can talk about them on Tuesday:

100 Circle Farms, Washington State: http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/food_quality/see_what_we_are_made_of/meet_our_suppliers/100_circle_farms.html

Potato Park, Peru: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLI2KySC9-U

And here's the website for the Potato Park if you'd like to learn more: http://www.parquedelapapa.org/. 

We'd also like to give those of you who are interested the opportunity to look inside our beehives. We don't want to disturb them too much, so we'll only open them one day this week. Then we'll plan to give the other group the opportunity to check them out in a couple of weeks. IMPORTANT: You certainly aren't required to look in the hives if you are uncomfortable with bees. However, if you do want to get close to them, please come to the farm with long sleeved shirts and pants and close-toed shoes. (You can change on the farm if you need to.) Light colors are best, as are smooth and natural fabrics. Don't wear black fleece unless you want to test our bees' temperaments!

Here are a couple of videos that will give you a little background on Colony Collapse Disorder, which has been plaguing our honeybee populations for quite awhile now, including one on beekeeping in cities:

Marla Spivak on Colony Collapse Disorder: http://www.ted.com/talks/marla_spivak_why_bees_are_disappearing

Noah Wilson-Rich on Urban Beekeeping: http://www.ted.com/talks/noah_wilson_rich_every_city_needs_healthy_honey_bees

And from PBS's Nature, a clip on the "dance-language" of bees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE-8QuBDkkw

Beth's Blog Post: How/Are Farm Subsidies Affecting out Diets?

As Eileen mentioned, this week we wanted to focus more on rural farming. We have talked a lot about problems and solutions related to urban food systems, however as I was talking with my mom the other week I was reminded how different food access and farming is in the countryside. Eileen focused more on how current farm subsidies affect farmers, so now I want to take a look at how/if they affect consumers.  

First let’s take a look at some of the different perspectives on how government subsidization of certain crops over others is linked to our diets. 

This article discusses how what the government subsidizes is directly responsible for the unhealthy diet of Americans: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/03/the-9-foods-the-us-government-is-paying-you-to-eat.aspx. 

This NPR story however, does not find the link between subsidization of corn and soy, over say cabbage and carrots, to really effect what Americans choose to eat. It instead concludes that food processing companies’ desire to heighten profits is primarily at fault: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/10/139390696/is-u-s-farm-policy-feeding-the-obesity-epidemic. 

After hearing/reading these different perspectives, do you think government subsidization of food and the American diet are significantly linked? If so, in what ways? And how substantially? Or, are other culprits more responsible for creating an unhealthy US diet. Are you more inclined to agree with Bush’s Health and Human Service Secretary who said in the video in the prior article: “there’s no link between agriculture subsidies and health”?

Personally, after reading these stories, I am still more inclined to think that government policy really does affect the American diet, especially in a society where costs and efficiency are such high factors in decision making.  So the question then is how do we make better food policy?

This Washington Post article echoes some of the previously mentioned concerns around what we subsidize, and how it affects the American diet: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/farm-bill-why-dont-taxpayers-subsidize-the-foods-that-are-better-for-us/2014/02/14/d7642a3c-9434-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html . My initial response when first learning of farm subsidies was that we should instead subsidize healthier foods, however this article addresses how that may or may not be the best solution. How do you think would lowering the financial risks (through subsidization) of fruits and vegetables would affect the rates at which farmers produce them?

The main question being, is there a better system for increasing fruit and vegetable quality and accessibility than crop insurance/subsidies, while also making sure farmers are paid well for their crops?  

In class we will brainstorm what alternative government policies could be? Was the “get big or get out” transition to large scale farms a mistake? Should we support smaller farms, or not? Why and how?

So many questions and potential solutions are already flying around in my mind. Can’t wait to hear (read) your thoughts and chat with you on Thursday!  

Eileen's Blog Post: Farm Subsidies

For this week’s discussion, Beth and I wanted to collaborate and move the conversation towards rural farming, as we both agreed that we have focused a lot on urban farming in past classes. Specifically, I want to address the ‘elephant’ in the farmhouse, so to speak, in regards to agricultural subsidies...Who really benefits from farm programs and payments?

Agricultural subsidies are governmental subsidies that provide ‘safety nets’ for farmers and agribusinesses to help ensure their production of a stable food supply and their profitability, despite discrepancies in weather, market prices, and other factors.

The main subsidy system consists of a layering of 5 subsidy programs, including direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, revenue assurance programs, marketing loans, and disaster payments. You can read more about these 5 programs on the EWG Farm Subsidies page à http://farm.ewg.org/subsidyprimer.php

Generally, this financial support is skewed to program commodities of corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, and rice, with corn and soy being the top crops for subsidy payments...which is interesting as these are the two crops that assist in the production of meat and processed foods that we are supposed to exclude or decrease from our diets. (Beth will talk more about this in her postàDefinitely read her Washington Post article on the farm bill!)

Going back to my original question...Who benefits from these programs really? Despite the rhetoric of ‘preserving the family farm’ that often accompanies conversations about agricultural subsidies, the vast majority of farmers do not benefit from federal farm subsidy programs. Check out this video on agricultural subsidies that addresses this issues as well as provides a summary of a few pros and cons of subsidizing food production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8G1HIlRppo

What are your thoughts after watching the video?

I personally believe that farm subsidies can help create more stable farming systems, enable farmers to compete in the market, and potentially prevent possible price spikes, etc. However, they can also be hindering as they don’t always allow farmers space for change (diversifying, innovating, etc.). They also lead to more intensive agriculture, with an increased inefficiency in regards to the use of resources like water and environmental pollution (pesticides, fertilizers, etc.)

Are there more pros and/or cons that you can think of?

Do you think that making the dramatic decision to end all farm subsidies in the U.S. could be as beneficial as it was with New Zealand?

Beth and I are really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Thursday!!

Week 7 on the Farm: Strawberries and . . . . ?

Weather forecast: Mid-50s to low 60s. Cloudy to partly cloudy.

We had some nice rain over the weekend, which all of our germinating seeds and freshly-planted plants appreciated! Unfortunately, the weeds liked it too, so we're going to have to do some significant weeding this coming week. The rain also brought our planting activities to a temporary halt and since we don't want to work the soil until it dries out a bit, it will probably be at least Wednesday before we can resume.

 So on Tuesday this week, we are going to launch operation "Save the Strawberries." Our strawberry patch is flowering and looking great this spring--except that it is way too thick and has a bunch of weeds in it. If we don't remedy that soon, we can expect a reduced yield and a lot of rotten berries at harvest time--and that's no fun!

Though Michigan has a reputation for growing tasty strawberries, 80% of this country's strawberries are grown in California. Here's an article on some of the problems created by conventionally grown berries: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/05/17/152522900/the-secret-life-of-californias-world-class-strawberries. Note the sidebar: "Why Are Strawberries Getting Bigger and Blander?"

And this article talks about the effects of conventional strawberry production on the farm workers who plant, cultivate, and harvest the berries: http://civileats.com/2015/03/26/is-the-strawberry-field-the-next-farmworkers-rights-battleground/. It ends with a statement by Dana Geffner, executive director of Fair World Project: "Consumers do not value fresh berries more than the lives of those who pick them." Do you think this is true? I'm not sure . . . .

What's the solution? Well, one solution might be growing your own. We'll teach you how to plant and care for a strawberry patch while you help us rescue ours.

Weather is going to be a big factor in what we do on Wednesday. If we get through the strawberry patch on Tuesday and the soil is dry enough, we may shift to making raised beds in our new garden. Other possibilities may include sheet mulching, starting a mushroom bed, and checking on the beehives. We'll have to wait and see how the week unfolds!

“Consumers do not value fresh berries more than the lives of those who pick them.” - See more at: http://civileats.com/2015/03/26/is-the-strawberry-field-the-next-farmworkers-rights-battleground/#sthash.3lDufplx.dpuf

with them,” said Dana Geffner, executive director of Fair World Project, in a statement. “Consumers do not value fresh berries more than the lives of those who pick them.” - See more at: http://civileats.com/2015/03/26/is-the-strawberry-field-the-next-farmworkers-rights-battleground/#sthash.3lDufplx.dpuf

with them,” said Dana Geffner, executive director of Fair World Project, in a statement. “Consumers do not value fresh berries more than the lives of those who pick them.” - See more at: http://civileats.com/2015/03/26/is-the-strawberry-field-the-next-farmworkers-rights-battleground/#sthash.3lDufplx.dpuf

Rachel's Post

Like Said Annie, this week we where looking to focus on solutions to some problems in our food system. We are focusing on Detroit Because it is a place We both know That is brimming With revolutionaries and solutionaries. I would recommend reading Both of our posts before commenting Because my post will give you a critical framework and Might help you answer some of Annie's questions better! I pose a lot of questions, feel free to answer them all or just expand on a few That really stand out to you!

I Learned About visionary organizing and the notion of "local solutions for the local problems" my first year at whos K. It was one of the first things I Learned. Before taking any ANSO classes I was in a weekly workshop called Rethinking Revolution That addressed the current crises we face in our society. We Discussed capitalism, sexism, racism, value, and work. Here I Learned About What Grace Lee Boggs calls the "Quiet Revolution" and I Began to see the value in making change from the ground up. I was lucky to get this framework early on at K. Often we are Taught how big social structures  are at the roots of the problems our world faces, and it is easy to feel helpless in the face of These huge social forces. In this blog post I hope to Convince You That we can make change by showing people and Organizations That you are making positive Impacts Already in Detroit.

Here is a link to "The Detroit Reader" from the Learning Journey Conference in Detroit in 2012. I will refer to a few very short (no more than 4 pages long) articles in esta reader.

http://www.ndsg.org/online_registration/2013/Detroit_Reader.pdf

Detroit is an extremely unique place with a very interesting history. I do not have any time to discuss the history here, but if you want more information I have tons of books I can recommend! One thing I will ask you to Consider That is the current state of Detroit INTENTIONALLY has-been created by people in power. The economic disparity Detroit faces is not the fault of the people, but the failure of capitalism and the demise of democracy. I would also like you to keep in mind That Detroit is not "desolate," or "empty," and it is not a "blank canvas" to be painted. People stayed in Detroit in the face of white flight to the suburbs. People Have Been doing there best to Maintain Their city, Their neighborhoods, Their home. Through this post I will highlight projects That Consider this history and acknowledge the People Who Have Been doing visionary work all along in Detroit. 

"Detroit is a city of Hope rather than a city of Despair. The Thousands of vacant lots and abandoned houses not only Provide the space to begin anew but Also the incentive to create innovative ways of making our living-ways That cooperative nurture our productive, and caring selves "(Grace Lee Boggs in The Next American Revolution : Sustainable Activism for the 21 ^st Century " p 105).

I would like you to check out a few Initiatives That are making the world anew.

First check out Freedom Growers Feedom an initiative started by Wayne Curtis and Myrtle. 

https://feedomfreedom.wordpress.com/

Please read Their article from the Detroit reader on pg 31

"We grow food as a revolutionary act of love for self and others, That Were Employing the resources put in place to sustain life: sun, earth, our own work. We are working Toward Being That community built on love, joy and hope; That beloved community That Dr. King spoke of building "(pg 32).

Differences What do you see in Feedom Freedom Urban Growers and Hantz Farms Mentioned in Annie's post?

There is a  critique of Hantz Farms on page 25 of the Detroit Reader. It is called "Detroit:. A Tale of Two Farms" My blog post has a lot of literature and it is kind of long so this one is optional, but If you have the time read it!

If you read the article what do you think about it?

One quote That stuck out to me is

"Land - rural or urban - is more than just land; it is the social space where, economic and community decisions are made, and it is the place of neighborhood, culture and livelihoods. It is home. THEREFORE, it is more than just a 'commodity.' "

Disguised big business is not the only problem in urban farming in Detroit. Gentrification is Also a big point of contention. Please read this article " Evolution or gentrification: Do urban farms lead to higher rents "on page 43 of The Detroit Reader.

While Hantz Farms is a private, large scale, profit driven operation in the disguise urban farming. That Here are some projects are truly trying to serve Their Communities.

http://detroitblackfoodsecurity.org/

http://www.cskdetroit.org/index.php/EWG

https://detroitsummer.wordpress.com/

"That is what revolutions are about. About They are creating a new society in the places and spaces left vacant by the disintegration of the old; About evolving to a higher Humanity, not higher buildings; about Love of one another and of the Earth, not Hate; About Hope, Despair not; About saying YES to Life and No to War; About becoming the change we want to see in the world "(Grace Lee Boggs in The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the 21 ^st Century " . p 134)

That we can see this post THROUGHOUT Mentioned projects are locally finding solutions to the local problems. Detroit has a lot of vacant land so urban gardening is a great solution. In places like New York, Where there is not plenty unused land urban gardening can not be the solution to food insecurity. . Urban agriculture is not a direct model for solutions in all Communities, however it is a model of sustainable activism With all of this in mind I want to pose a few questions end:

 From inspiration of These Organizations in Detroit, can you think of some problems in your hometown or in Kalamazoo? Local What sorts of solutions can you think of That will transform These Communities, Individuals, and our values? With the gentrification article in mind, how can we be solutionaries and revolutionaries without reproducing more systems of power and oppression?