June 2024
Volunteer Impact
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We have celebrated a lot of firsts over the past few weeks: the first potatoes dug up after our volunteer planting event, the first zucchini and cucumbers, the first flower bar stock, and the first native seed collection of the year. All of this, during the hottest weeks to date with little respite from the sun and humidity. Phew!
Looking back at the flurry of activity, more than 49 volunteers shared over 187 hours of their time in June with weeding, mulching, seed collecting, gleaning and more tasks in the field. It has been amazing to have so many hands willing to help out. We have had a great turnout of new and returning faces, visiting camps and partner organizations that have donned gloves and pitched in.
We are so thankful to have had your help!
See you at the farm,
Cynthia
HHF Food Donation + Volunteer Coordinator
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"The plants have enough spirit to transform our limited vision."
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Community Farm Work Days are all about many hands making light work of bigger projects on the farm.
The next Community Farm Work Day will take place on Saturday, August 10th from 10am - 1pm : join the annual onion harvest! Volunteers will help pull up and trim a few thousand of red, yellow and white onion varieties in this once-a-year project. All ages and abilities are welcome. Please note that if you would like to join with a large group, please reach out via email.
Sign Up Today!
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June's Community Farm Work Day
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The farm's melon and winter squash seedlings were awaiting a safe, protected home base to be installed before they could be transplanted. For June's CFWD, volunteers helped to install aisles of landscape fabric around each bed, that last step needed before transplanting. This surface is vital for protecting the growing melons and squashes from wet soil that could lead to rot, from ground dwelling pests, and from weed pressure. This fabric is reused year after year, and must be firmly help down with staples and sandbags to avoid blowing away.
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Hammering in staples is satisfying but quickly tiring. Volunteers found a good rhythm of placing staples and having a partner hammer them in, before switching off on tasks. With each bed 200ft in length, that's a lot of staples!
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The seedlings were transplanted the following week by the field crew. After a few weeks protected under insect netting, the melon vines were released: they are thriving in this safe space. I spy a baby melon!
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The warm weather and rainy days have led to plant life growing all over the farm. Weeding is such an important activity throughout the whole growing season, but especially so when seedlings are just getting established.
The potatoes, planted by volunteers at a CFWD earlier in the year, have finally had a good season. By staying on top of the weed pressure and insect pressure, volunteers have helped our farmers care for this crop so that there is plenty to harvest, for everyone to enjoy.
A few feet of potatoes are dug up every week to be stocked in the Farm Stand.
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Garlic scapes are the flower of a garlic bulb. It's important to pick them off, so that the plant's energy only goes towards keeping the bulb healthy and growing. Volunteers helped with a few waves of scape harvesting, as they can grow overnight.
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While weeding the berry patches, lots of fun plants were found! Some were very tall, some full of flowers, and lots crawling along the ground and even rooting on top of the aisle fabric.
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All of our time in the field has a price: lots of dirty gloves.
This is a chance for more volunteers to be involved though, and our friends at CMCS not only help clear the fence line and wash trays, but also help with hanging up and matching gloves.
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Mulching has continued to be a focus for our native plant spaces, especially in the morning hours. Volunteers and staff alternate shoveling mulch and laying down the carboard. The task only ends when it's time to wait for another load of mulch to be dropped nearby!
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In the afternoons or when mulch has run out, the focus shifts to potting up small native seedlings. Quite a few new native species grew up and were ready for a bigger home. Native plant manager Emily led a few mornings of tutorials in the shade, a welcome break from shoveling and weeding.
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A few folks have asked if they could make art of the farm, or at the farm. The answer is yes! We always love to see the final result too, and are thrilled to host artists of any kind.
Native plant volunteer C. shared her recent pieces with us, which you can see in the farm stand.
Amazing!
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The farm was drowning in strawberries for a few weeks, so much so that we were able to donate lots to a few pantry partners. These sweet berries were a welcome treat, and we are thankful for the volunteers who helped harvest and pint these up!
The early summer's abundance also meant that we could begin gleaning, or harvesting directly for donation. While HHF volunteers helped with a few small gleans, this task is now mainly led on Monday visits by Second Chance Foods, a pantry partner who gleans, cooks, and distributes nutritious meals throughout the area. You an learn more about SCF's work and sign up to glean with them here.
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Gleaning requires stamina, precision with tools, and enthusiasm for filling up donation boxes with love and care. It's a great process to ensure not one bit of food goes to waste in the field!
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The rainy weather has been good to the animals and insects on the farm, helping creatures like millipedes make a home in mulch, and downing branches that farm dog Nori is quick to grab and play fetch with.
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Cricket, center, pauses in the middle of lunchtime as she stays ever watchful over her family.
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A burst of rain falls on the southern vista. Hilltop's elevation gives ample warning of incoming weather.
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"Try and leave this world a little better than you found it." |
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