NOTES FROM THE FIELD – Fresh Produce for All

By Alisa Feinswog, Forest Foundation Intern

Forest Foundation interns Alisa (left) & Cassie (right) making the distribution barn look pretty.

It's been wet here on the farm.  While yes, it is a struggle to weed, transplant, and harvest in the rain, it has done amazing things for our crops.  Last week, the field crew harvested upwards of 2,000 cucumbers!  Not only are the yields impressively high, but the size of the vegetables have been enormous.   Unfortunately, perfect growing conditions don't discriminate between crop and weed.  Working alongside the weed crew, we have found our work cut out for us. The weeds, particularly amaranth, lamb's quarters, and purslane have kept us busy and then some.  Helping the weed crew each morning from 8-noon is a particularly satisfying job because the work that we do is tangible and undoubtedly keeps the farm beautiful and the crops growing well.

In addition to weeding, I am helping out with the Outreach Market.  The Market's goal is to provide fresh, local produce to low-income people in Waltham.  We do so at a heavily subsidized price, with some customers getting produce for free with our vouchers and others paying just $5 for $25-30 worth of vegetables.  The weekly Market starts this Tuesday, so we've been doing a lot of work to get everything ready and spread the word to people in need.  Our vouchers are distributed through various partner agencies in the Waltham area, creating an important hunger relief opportunity for their clients as well as for many others in the community.  This Market is another moving part to the food access mission of Waltham Fields. Access to healthy food is a huge issue that the farm works hard to combat.  The problem that we are tackling reminds me of a quote written on the wall at WATCH (Waltham Alliance to Create Housing) where I helped out this past year:

The magnitude of the problem does not relieve us of the obligation to take action.

I can't wait for the harvest and the Outreach Market to start! I hope everyone enjoys the projected good weather this week.