Day 15

It's mind blowing to think I've been at the Lord's Acre for a mere month. I've reached that point where I'm comfortable explaining to a man why thistle can be composted, and to another how the drip irrigation works. Or perhaps to a beginner the benefits of square foot gardening. I can feel myself gaining strength inside and out.

Photo taken by Susan, TLA

Today we did a tiny harvest of cabbage and kale before planting. The beds were prepped last week so the surface had hardened and needed to be raked. We planted two rows of cow peas, green beans and yellow peas. With some extra time on our hands, we pruned the tomatoes, trellised cucumbers and weeded a few paths until it was time for class. The topic was Cover Crop & Gardening techniques.

Each of us had done our research on a specific crop and gardening method. Here are a few:

• African keyhole
• Hugelkultur
• Barley
• Buckwheat
• Lasagna gardening

This morning it was my turn to lead reflection. We talked about distractions, missing out on the present, and spontaneity.  Anyone who knows me well know how much I tend to imagine the future, but I'm actively trying to chase the present, rather than escape it.
You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present. — John Green

Day 1, 2, 3

Last week I arrived at The Lord's Acre not knowing left from right (that hasn't changed) but I couldn't tell you how potatoes grow or how to harvest radishes, either and now I can, in addition to kale, spinach, lettuce and peas. Thursday, we planted tomatoes and on Friday, it was eggplant and watermelon. In most cases, the beds were proactively prepared, but when it was time to plant to melons, I learned to hoe, measure, and seed the bed.

Today, I met three other interns. We will all be working side by side at the garden this summer, and all come from different walks of life: UNC... Agriculture... Asheville... Divinity... City planning... Chapel Hill... Environmental Studies... New Jersey... Florida...Wake Forest and WPCC. More on that later.

Most of the morning was spent weeding cover crop, picking peas, and folding the Agribon row cover. Later, we took a field trip to Flying Cloud Farm, picked up donated plants, met the interns, and made our way back up the road. The day ended with talk of expectations, plans, and any questions.

I'll get better at the reflection part as the summer continues, but for now, that is all.