What a week! We accomplished so much at our community garden work party on Monday, April 11th. A group of six student and alumni volunteers completely overhauled the greenhouse; eight wheelbarrows of trash were either recycled or thrown away and we organized the space into something usable and community focused. I was so grateful for our small but mighty volunteer force; not only did they provide the necessary physical labor, but also much needed perspective on my plans for the greenhouse. The project was more successful because of our collaboration.
The entire space got weeded, though we did preserve a beautiful pink columbine near the door. We covered the floor in a thick layer of wood chips, leaving a single indoor winter bed open for future planting. We collected and organized all of the hoses and irrigation supplies, arranged our generous supply of pots into easy to find stacks, and made room on the planting table for seedlings. We were also able to move the seed cabinet from the garden shed into the greenhouse space. Not only does this open-up much-needed space in the shed, but it also makes seeds and seeding materials available to be used by everyone.
On Wednesday, April 13th from 1pm-2:30pm, I facilitated a food and agriculture directed presentation for the 2022 Equity Symposium titled “Tending Seeds Tends People: Regenerative Agriculture as Community Regeneration at the Evergreen State College”. We began with presenters sharing their stories of liberation, community, and hope that grew from the figurative seeds of agricultural participation and education. Afterwards we moved to the farm, where participants planted literal seeds for the farm and community garden. Beth Leimbach gave a short overview of the components of good potting mix and preferred seeding tools and techniques. By the end of our workshop, we were able to plant twenty-four large trays of seeds, label them appropriately, and move them into protected greenhouse space. As a parting gift to our participants, we provided supplies for each of them to plant flowers to take home to their own garden spaces.
Maleah Upah 
Zoe Dewitt 
Sarah Dyer
Image credits from left to right: Sarah Dyer, Sarah Dyer, and Maleah Upah
Immediately after our workshop came weekly farm volunteer hours. This week we had over ten participants, and we were able to weed a significant portion of the perennial flower bed. And then it started to snow. When it began to hail, we all sought shelter in the nearest high tunnel, where we shifted gears and started smothering the weeds in about 400 square feet of space. The unseasonably cold weather, along with the late snow, lead our group to worries about our own gardens and the consequences for fruit pollination and crop survival. Climate change became the topic of our afternoon, with forays into subjects like topsoil erosion, ocean acidification, and social justice in the context of campus dining. As usual, I was humbled by the knowledge brought to the table by my peers and grateful for the informal seminar.
I met with another three new community gardeners this week and got them moved into assigned plots. It is good to see so much activity in the space, especially after so many years of minimal use. The vibe is happy, productive, determined, and hopeful.
Rodent Alert!
Mice found all of our seeds planted for the community garden and have eaten the better portion of them. I can’t help but tie this event a bit to Chapoter 1 of Where our Food Comes From by Gary Paul Nabhan, in which seed potatoes had to be protected from rats by seed breeders standing gaurd with rifles. I have devoted time to researching pest management methods, and I will be purchasing a mint-based rodent repellent to try first. I’m also using the opportunity for long term solutions, like the seeding box at the farm, to protect our newly planted seeds.