With the 9th and final week of the Agriculture in The City CCE internship coming to a close, I find myself reflecting on the many outstanding humans, the dynamic communities, and the variety of agricultural spaces that this opportunity has opened my eyes to.
It is truly difficult to put into concise words what this experience has meant to me, what it has offered to my perspective of farming, living, and being a part of something larger than oneself; what generational knowledge I have been blessed to receive. Keeping this blog has been a huge help in allowing me to sit with my thoughts, feelings, and lessons from each abundant week and put them somewhere. However, I have felt that many times that I have been incapable of capturing the power of so many of the seemingly littlest moments; the ones that like silence go unnoticed. Regardless I have tried my best to enter this wonderful experience with an open heart and a mind ready to learn and accept knowledge in all its forms.
It is no surprise that these past two months have passed so quickly. The hot hours spent baking in the sun that felt so long at the time have already begun to fade into the warmest of memories. The faces flushed and sweaty melt-away and all that remains are the hundreds of smiles and accompanied laughter. The difficult moments are always quieted by those of immense learning and overwhelming joy. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with so many passionate, gracious and brilliant teachers this summer and will continue to seek out those willing to share their forms of sacred and valued agricultural knowledge.
The notion of contemporary urban farming still surprises almost anyone with who I discuss it. The concept often stops people in their tracks and is almost always followed by, “I didn’t even know the city had farms”, or, “I’ve never seen a farm in the city…where are all of them”. And to be honest, if you had asked me how many farms there were in the most populated U.S. city two years ago, I would have answered with the same. It’s only when you plant that seed for someone that thier eyes begin to open; you begin to show them how to see the spaces of growth and green and potential. Once you can start a dialogue about the possibilities for community growth and teaching that can come from urban farming, you’ve opened pandora’s box.
