We have some shocking and disappointing news from the farm. Friday, July 15th volunteers and staff arrived at the farm to a disconcerting scene. Someone broken into each shed looking for valuable tools to take. Not only hand tools, but the much needed (and expensive to replace) lawnmower, tiller, and weed whacker had disappeared in the night. In addition, the P-patch shed had been opened and all its contents overturned, although it appears that nothing went missing. Neighbors chased away some teens throwing the unripe apples at farm structures Thursday night, but the two occurrences seem to be unrelated.
Even more frightening, while inspecting the shed, Sue found what looked like (and was confirmed to be) bullet holes in the walls of the P-Patch shed. The police officer who arrived at the scene believes that the holes were made by someone using the shed as target practice. The police wish to assure everyone in the community that they are still safe in the area. Even so, all of these events are a disappointing show of disrespect towards the farm property and the people who work on and benefit from the farm’s operations.
Upon hearing the news, Julie Simon, a long-time volunteer scheduled to work at the farm the next day with a group of friends, first made a detour. Her detour was a shopping trip and out of her own pocket, she replaced the lawn mower and weed-whacker. It was heartening to arrive and see the shiny new items. More than replacing stuff, it was her thoughtful act of kindness that was totally unexpected and really lifted our spirits. It is a reminder that we do this work TOGETHER and that it is only through caring for one another that we can truly nourish our community.
envisioning a city where people have equal access to healthy and culturally appropriate food
1 comment:
I am SO sorry to hear this. About 10 years ago, while living on the East Coast, I returned from a weekend away to find that someone had dumped over my amazing front-stoop tomato plants. It was heartbreaking, and that was just a couple plants so I can only imagine how you feel. I know how hard all of you work, and I hope whomever did this somehow learns what a great organization yours is and starts a garden of his or her own someday.
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