Service Learning: Week 6

It was a great day for replanting... at least that's what Ryan said. Today was one of my favorite days at Urban Tree Connection. Our service was delayed an hour because Raheem and Ryan were in a grant meeting. Before they arrived Kate and I met Bill from Penn State who was leaving parts of the high tunnel that will be installed soon. We waited inside her gray Jeep until Raheem and Ryan arrived. In the back of their pick up truck they had baby kales ready to be replanted. "It's your babies!" Ryan exclaimed. They are the same plants we planted a month ago.

The South Philly site looks completely different than the last time I was there. There are rows upon rows of dirt ready to be planted. It finally looks like a farm.

We divided the work by who was going to make a hole and who was going to plant the kale. Ryan and I made the holes and Raheem and Kate planted the kale. It was slightly raining but not too cold. Ryan said it was a good day for replanting because the sun wasn't strong enough to dry out the fragile kales. Certain areas of the ground were muddy. I started using gloves and the Ryan was describing how good the ground felt so I took them off to feel it. There is a problem with the ground and the water levels. I couldn't fully understand it but Ryan explained that the organic products they use are better for soaking up the water. Raheem, who is in charge of the South Philly site, seems enthusiastic about the future of the farm.

Ryan and I talked about the food industry. Ryan began farming when he was young with his family in Ohio. He went to school in Pennsylvania where he studied Environmental Studies and Public Policy that is where he met his fiance. They are getting married in May. He smiles every time he mentions it. We talked about urban farms and eating locally. He said there is still a lot that needs to be changed within the food industry. I told him what I know from my Food and Justice class he expanded and gave me some of his personal anecdotes.

We switched-- Raheem and Kate dug holes and Ryan and I began to plant. The kale is so small, it's hard to hold. I wish I had smaller hands. At one point Ryan began to hum. I tell him his singing reminds me of my great-uncle. My great-uncle is a farmer in Puerto Rico and always sings, "Le lo lay, lo lay le lo lay." The tune of the Puerto Rican farmer.

We finished two rows of the baby kales. One row was dinosaur kale and the other curly kale. I was satisfied with our work. Usually Kate and I dig so it was nice to replant the same seeds we planted weeks ago.

                                                                   

Dino >>>











<<< Curly








(All images are from Creative Commons.)

Service Learning: Week 5

I got a farmer's tan... literally.

The West Philly site is beginning to come to life. One can start to see baby lettuces on the ground. Que seemed very tired today. His eyes were droopy and he was a little less energetic than usual.

Our first task was to bring more dirt to the site. We drove a block away; Kate and I squeezed in the passenger seat of the pick-up truck. When we got to the dirt pile, we filled the back of the truck with dirt. Que was telling us he wants to get a car. He said he wanted a convertible. A few moments later he saw my glasses and said, "Those are PRADA. That's expensive." I was struck. I usually don't notice eyeglasses' brands. I didn't know what to say back. I felt uncomfortable because I didn't know what he meant by it.

I kept digging. After we filled the whole truck, Que went to the corner store to get some candy. He needed some sugar to re-energize. He got a Pop-tart and a Flintstones powdered candy tube. I used to watch the Flintstones in Spanish when I was little. Pedro Picapiedra was the main character's name.

The truck felt heavier as we drove back to the farm. Our next task was to dump the dirt on a row where more vegetables will be planted. Jamal told Que to give us some water. It was much needed. Working on the farm when it's warm out is a different experience.

To keep the water theme, our next task was to install sprinklers. First Kate and I dug a hole where the sprinklers would go about a foot deep. We sawed a piece of wood in half, we drilled a whole in the middle and placed the sprinklers. Then we had to connect the sprinklers to each other and to the water using a thick hose. When it was done, we turned it on and there were sprinklers. I loved seeing the final product.

Que gave me some glue and told me to bring it to the high tunnel. I felt the heat wave that I feel when I get out of a plane to Puerto Rico from Philly except 3 times stronger. What once was the escape of the cold, is now a sauna. Fortunately, the sides of the tunnel can be raised up so it ventilates. They are manual so I helped Que with it. He said that some farms have automatic ones.

It was time to go and I was exhausted. It wasn't so much the work but the heat that really got me tired. I am really excited for the weeks to come. I also like telling people that I have a farmer's tan because I was farming.

Service Learning: Week 4

Dig
Dig
Dig

On the car ride to the South Philly site, Kate and I were nostalgically talking about our Spring Breaks. She just came back from Ireland and I just came back from Appalachia.

In the new South Philly site of Urban Tree Connection (UTC) one can see Citizens Bank Park's "Phillies" sign. I have always been on the other side of that sign, paying $12 for standing tickets. I can't wait until the baseball season starts again. When we got there Raheem greeted us with a smile on his face as usual. The site is just dirt right now. We had to shovel the dirt on the edge of the fence that borders the farm about a feet away from the fence so Raheem could use the bobcat tractor to add more dirt where he is planning to plant. We spent most of the time digging with Jamal. He was telling us about Philadelphia and its neighborhoods. Que was there too but he had his headphones on and was digging what seemed like trenches farther away. Once we were done with this task, Raheem gave us mandarines to snack on. Kate and I didn't have breakfast yet so it tasted extra-good.

Our next task was to remove big rocks from the dirt that was going to be used for planting. We were using rakes to locate them and tossing them in wheelbarrows. Raheem was picking up the dirt from the edge and dumping it in the middle with a bobcat tractor. He looked like a little kid in a toy car. Kate pointed out that he always wears nice clothes. I noticed he was wearing jeans, a sweater and nice shoes. It must be the urban farmer look.

Ryan came and helped us pick out the rocks. He asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told him I want to be a journalist. He also asked what I did for Spring Break and I told him I went to Roanoke,  VA to work with Habitat for Humanity. I told him I loved the town. He told me about a friend of his that travels to different towns and writes about them; his next stop is Roanoke.

Time went by fast at service today. This was a good way to start my week and adjust to my schedule again.

Service Learning: Week 3

Urban Tree Connection's office is just around the block from my house. I was excited to work today because Sue, the volunteer manager, told us we would be planting the seeds of the spring. As Kate and I arrived to the wooden gates, the office manager Awinda greeted us. Awinda is a black woman with dark long dreads. At first she seemed shy but I realized she was just soft-spoken. She was wearing a gray sweatshirt with red sleeves and jeans. The office is a typical stoned wall West Philadelphia house. The inside has a rustic feel and is beautifully decorated with many art statues. We went down to the basement and saw Raheem. Awinda was going to introduce us to him and Kate said, "Old friends." Raheem and I greeted with a fist bump.

My first task was to clean up the trays where the seeds are planted. I was meticulously washing it when Raheem said, "Girl, it don't have to be squeaky clean. You know what's going in there? Dirt!" I went much faster after that. Que came as I was cleaning the trays. I met Ryan, a tall white guy from Ohio who was wearing a stripped gray, purple and blue beanie. I also met Jamal, an older black man who has a dark and orange beard. I could see from the corner of my eye that they were all planting the seeds. I wanted to finish cleaning so I could join them.

As soon as I was done Awinda gave me seeds and showed me how to plant them. I just had to push down the dirt with my finger, place the seed and cover it. I was planting and swaying my hips as we listened to an old school radio station. Music and planting seem to go hand in hand – I can listen to my great uncle singing “la le lo lai” as he worked our farm. Jamal knew every song that the radio played and wasn't shy to sing them. Que teased him of being old. Jamal didn't care though; he described what we listened to as "real music".

When Awinda gave me the lettuce seeds I asked her if I only put one inside. She affirmed that it was only one. The seeds were so small I had to scoop them under my index's nail. So this is where lettuce comes from? I was amazed with the size of the seed. The collards seeds were fortunately bigger and easier to grab. Kate joined me and I showed her how to plant. Every rack was labeled, and as we finished we organized them on tables where they would grow. Hopefully, next time I go to UTC I can see how the plants have grown. A part of me is nervous I messed up. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Service Learning: Week 2

The temperature was low but the sun was bright. Kate and I were noticeably tired as we drove once again to the West Philly site of Urban Tree Connection. When we got there we saw Raheem. He told us he jumped over the fence because Que had the key. Kate and I waited until Que arrived to get in the farm. Raheem is originally from California and moved to Philadelphia about 5 years ago. Talking to him was interesting because I had already heard about him. Last week Que told us that Raheem makes fun of him because of his height. Mark, a guy from my class, told us that the two had a funny dynamic. He was right. Que and Raheem studied together and started to work at UTC at the same time.

The first task of the day was to once again uproot arugula in the high tunnel. There are two and a half high tunnels in the farm, all of which they themselves constructed. I say a half because one of them is still missing the plastic that protects the vegetables from the weather and retains sunlight. It is significantly warmer inside. I took my coat off and continued to work. Raheem asked us where we were from. Kate said she was from North Jersey and told him I was from Puerto Rico. "You're from Puerto Rico? You're not Puerto Rican, I know Puerto Ricans!" I chuckled. I can't tell you how many times someone has been surprised when I tell them where I am from. "Straight from the island," I replied. After the arugula we uprooted lettuce and some weeds that were growing on the side. When we were done there was nothing left except garlic, which is in season. 

Since the day got warmer, we went outside and uprooted spinach and asparagus. The sounds of an urban farm are different than the sounds of a rural farm. We all enjoyed the old school radio station that one of the neighbor's was loudly listening to. The way I see it,  they're sharing the music not bothering us.  We discussed about the real estate around the area as I struggled to take the asparagus roots from the frozen dirt. 

I had never seen frozen dirt so close. To be honest, I had never thought about dirt being frozen. Why would I? Frozen dirt has never been relevant. I never had to shovel or move it. Which takes me to the final task-- shoveling the divisons of the new high tunnel. Since the tunnel doesn't have the plastic the dirt was frozen and my arms were hurting. I wondered how many calories I was burning. After we finished, we left. When I went to class that day I looked at the dirt around campus and wondered how frozen it was. 

Service Learning: Week 1 (for real)

It was a rainy morning, but at least the temperature was warm.
Kate, my service learning partner, picked me up around 9:40 and we drove to the West Philly site of Urban Tree Connection. The person in charge of the site is Que, a 23 year old short black man who studied landscape design in trade school. Our first task was to uproot arugula from the fall to prepare for spring. Luckily, the Arugula was indoors. The mild smell of arugula and compost filled my lungs. Que was surprised that me and Kate were English majors. He said that he was thinking of majoring in English if he went to college. We talked about our favorite writers and poets as we stripped the land from its product. It took us about an hour to finish.

Que asked, "You guys need a break/want a snack?" Me and Kate refused politely. It stopped raining yet the day was gray. He showed us the outside of the farm. We saw where the garlic, spinach and carrots are harvested. As we passed by the carrots he dug the ground with a piece of wood  and gave me a carrot. Can I eat this? He said something about small children being freaked out when he ate it from the ground. I broke the carrot in half and couldn't resist. I brushed the dirt off against my sweatshirt and ate a piece. It was the freshest carrot I have ever tasted. He said it had more flavor because the leaves of it didn't grow. He gave a carrot to Kate and she ate it as well. "I told you we were having snacks," said Que.


Our second task was to make the doors of the plant house sturdier. We unscrewed the edges and drilled in new nails. After a few nails I got he hang of it. It reminded me of the work I did on Appalachia my sophomore year. Before we knew it, it was 1pm and our three hours were done. I was surprised how quickly time passed.

I'm looking forward to the spring a lot more now. Maybe working the land will give me a new perspective of the seasons. I don't know what will be the main lesson I get from UTC; but, I do know that this is going to be a great way to start my week.

Service Learning: Week 1

The sirens of the firetrucks woke me up around 3am. The house across the street was blazing. I have never seen a fire so close. The house is under construction so there was no one inside. However, the image of suffocating was implemented in my mind. I had a bad dream when I went back to sleep. My pillow had the scent of my perfume as I woke up because I received a text. I had to wake up in an hour for my first day of service learning. I was upset that I didn't get a good sleep. The text message was from UrbanTree Connection's site manager. She said it was too cold to work and we didn't have to go. Now, I was disappointed. I couldn't go to service, but I was glad could sleep in.

When I woke up I researched more about UTC. According to their website they are a "nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that engages children and adults from some of Philadelphia's most disadvantaged neighborhoods in community-based, urban-greening projects." When I think of farming, I think about my great-uncle. When I was little he used to grow plantains in Rio Grande, a town about 45 minutes from San Juan. My grandmother says tio Lilo would've had an important job in agriculture in Puerto Rico; but he decided to move to New York City, as many people did in the 40's. He always tells stories about his jobs at different factories and claims he learned Italian.  My grandmother was the only one of her siblings that didn't permanently move to the states.  I always wonder what Lilo's life would've been like if he stayed in Puerto Rico.

Back to Service Learning. I'm excited to start this week. Hopefully my next post will be more eventful.