50 Shades of Green

Hey everyone!

Here's another little update about life here in Fort Collins for those of you that have been wondering what's been going on!

Pam and I have still been working away in the garden, and everything is really starting to pop with the rising temperatures. All but two of our beds are planted now, and those that we planted in my first few weeks here are now brimming with life (see following photos). I recently left for five days to go to Omaha for a graduation and wedding and came back to find that everything had grown seemingly five inches or so! Of course all of the weeds are taking advantage of the beautiful weather as well, and I've been pulling them left and right like a mad woman. (Actually, the only thing that keeps me sane in this task is the thought that if one day we humans completely destroy the planet, at least we can count on weeds to grow and provide some sort of green ecosystem. There's no doubt in my mind that the prized plant Eva found in the movie WallE was assuredly what we would now consider a weed.) :P

But going back to the happy stuff—we currently have all of the following planted: Arugula, Spinach, Bok Choy, Swiss Chard, Radishes, Lettuce, Chives, Red and Yukon Gold Potatoes, a variety of Tomatoes, Broccoli, Broccoli Rabb, 3 types of Onions, Bunching Onions, Leeks, Kohlrabi, Cucumbers, a few types of Peppers, Red and Green Cabbage, Sweet Corn, Popcorn, Kale, Red and Golden Beets, a variety of Winter and Summer Squash, Pumpkins, 2 types of Melons, 3 types of Carrots, Parsnips, Red and White Turnips, Eggplant, 3 types of Beans, Peas, and a variety of Herbs (Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Cilantro, Sage).

Yikes! I think that's it… All of that on less than a fourth of an acre! We start delivering to the 25 families signed up for Pam's CSA tomorrow, and it looks like the first 7 items on the list I just mentioned will be in their boxes, fresh and ready to eat.

It really is exciting to see it all grow, and despite the early wake up time for picking (5 AM), I'm excited for that, too! I'll let you know more about how that goes later.

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I've also been fortunate to experience another side of the struggle to make the environment and human population a healthier one! Pam's friend Julie recently started a small program called The Food School in Fort Collins. Basically every other Thursday, Julie and two other women accompany a second grade class from Olander Elementary to a local CSA called Spring Kite Farms. There they have activities for the kids in which they learn more about where food comes from, how it grows, and who grows it. They are hoping that over time, they can build a stronger connection between the children and the sources of their food while also educating them on better nutrition and better ways to care for the environment. Such a cool, wonderful idea! I was able to attend the last 2 sessions before school got out for the summer, and I could already see the kids learning. For example, last time I was helping at a station where the students learned how to make hummus. At the beginning, a few different children stated that they would not be eating the final product because they assumed it to be gross. But by the end, every one of them changed their mind, and the majority went up for seconds and thirds! It was really exciting to see these kids expanding their food bubble to include more than just ice cream and chicken nuggets.

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One more thing—I got a part time job! I start on Tuesday, and I'm actually really excited, as its mission is right up my alley. It's called LoCo Food Distribution. Basically they take locally grown and produced foods and bring them to businesses like grocery stores, coffee shops, and restaurants in the immediate area. This way they can distribute local foods to local institutions in a way that is more convenient and efficient for both parties. Such an interesting idea! I am starting out with only 10-20 hours a week, and my job would just be to deliver the food to the customers, but I think it will bring me some new experience, and I'm interested to see how local foods can be provided to people on a little bit larger of a scale than Pam's operation.

I suppose that's about it in my food world up here in FoCo.
Hope all is well with you all! Feel free to send me a message with what you've been up to also!
Thanks for reading.
-Jana