This week focused on volunteering, and I had the chance to observe different methods of distributing food to the community. On Wednesday, I participated in a CSA pack-out, where I saw food from various farms come together to create beautiful CSA boxes. The process was like an assembly line, with an incredible group of people working together. My main role was assembling the boxes to keep the line running smoothly. The boxes were filled with fresh produce like tomatoes, carrots, microgreens, peppers, cherry tomatoes, onions, and more. It was surprisingly fun to pack the boxes—like playing a game of produce Tetris. The people I worked with were amazing too.
Aria and Reggie Packing Veggies Sarah taking pictures in the backgroundThe first of many boxes to be folded abundance of food look at those silver slicer cucumbers! Some of the awesome volunteers
Kent Farm, funded by the USDA, is more than just a plot of land; it’s a place where community and agriculture meet. As one farmer put it, “We are a bag of sand or a bag of dirt—no matter how important you think you are, we are all just dirt.”- This simple truth guides the work done here.
Kent Farm partners with the Food Invasion Network and the FAAC Group, operating as a non-profit organization. Despite this status, they do charge for well water and certain services. However, the education and workshops they offer on farming are invaluable, empowering farmers to cultivate their land and sell their produce at the local market under the Kent Farm label. The profits go directly to the farmers, supporting their efforts to sustain themselves and their families.
Farmers at Kent Farm typically manage plots ranging from 1/8 to 1/2 acre and can stay on the farm for up to three years. During this time, they gain essential skills, particularly in producing and conserving crops like eggplants—learning how to wash, chop, and freeze them to extend their shelf life.
eggplants without trellising our class hunting eggplantsKamal AdhikariDani showing us how tall the corn is.A awesome trellis system
The farmers market
sells produce, including nightshade varieties, at the local farmers market, which is held once a week with around ten stalls. They’re making strides to get into local schools and provide fresh food to kids.
The farm, overseen by the King County Department of Natural Resources, has been instrumental in securing food grants that help make fresh, locally grown produce accessible to the community. Many involved in the farm’s efforts, like those who got their start through AmeriCorps VISTA, are passionate about making a difference
Today was our first official harvest and here are how the eggplants look in the field
july 24th -The plants are about a foot or 2 tall now and producing small eggplants
weighing out all the varieties we just picked
on july 26th we need more trellising.
After we did some tresling I took a few eggplants home to cook with. My partner Nick cooked them into a mac and cheese with white sauce. However it did just tasted like eggplant in mac and cheese and the flavors didn’t work well so I will not be sharing the recipe .
The eggplants have been sprayed with Kaolinite. this is a clay mineral that will shred the bugs that walk on their leaves. These pictures are us terrelsing the Eggplants for the first time. As they grow we will do more terrelsing. We are using a terrelsing technique for tomatoes. Find the article in the bib.
On the last photo we have Emmerson and I working on our sign that will be put up in the farm by the eggplant trail spot. We cut and put the wood together and have now painted the background.
Aria and Emmerson working hard to make plans for the quarter
Me and Emerson are working on our first sign. This sign will be out in the field by the eggplants to inform visitors / students about the eggplant trails.
Everyone went out on Wednesday and helped put up the trellis for the eggplants.
The eggplants were about 8” tall and the fruits were about 1-2 inches in size.
When I started, it was just volunteering to help the eggplants in the green house to be soaped before they were put into the field.
Weeks one and two looked like me trying to figure out how to enter and ILC and do the readings to help me understand the project and what has been done.
We had 2 meeting about what we wanted to do in this project, and I’m leaning towards working with Lura on the Chaber trials, and helping Emerson make some signs and overall promote the eggplants to consumers.
The eggplants have started flowering and are nice shades of purple and white flowers, next week we think we will be able to see some fruits more visible.
