So to begin with, I’m very excited that I’m a part of this trip! So far I’ve fallen in love with the idea of urban farming, but I’ve also come to think of how much work it takes to have a farm.
St. Louis is a very beautiful city full of love and character. There’s lots of love, and it’s a VERY comfortable city. While driving to each location, it’s interesting to look at all the aging structures and buildings. It’s interesting to see a building that was once a common spot or a home to someone is now inhabitable. It sincerely broke my heart to see and think about what once was.
But I’ve learned a lot today, I spent the morning at Gateway Greening. I had the opportunity to harvest bok choy and chard (something I’ve never heard of), and I also had a wonderful lesson about composting by Dracon, the intern. I learned something I never knew, which is always one of my goals within each day.
We then went to one of the local community gardens that a church allowed us to work on. We picked a bountiful amount of tomatoes and green peppers. There was a lot thyme too – it smelled amazing.
Day one has already made an impact on my life. It makes me want to go out and do something that’s beneficial to the surrounding people that are in a food desert. I wouldn’t want to go hungry, and I don’t want others to either. I already have some things in mind that I would really like to bring back to Springfield, like bringing gardens to people that want to put that effort in and feel the great outcome of eating something you grew yourself.