A lot of time spent during my first week had to do with familiarizing myself with the area, the people, and the tasks. I found that this second week I was able to take-off and do a lot more work independently. The massive lettuce beds I’ve pictured here, for instance, were all weeded by myself, alone! I spent about 3 hours there, working away and building up an appetite, which brings me to my next idea.

Gerry, the farm owner, makes sure I’m well fed before I come to work. During work he lets me take ‘coconut-o-clock’, where we sit to drink coconut water and eat papayas. After work I’m allowed to eat anything from the gardens to get nourished and ready myself for the next day. I thought about this in relation to my teachings. If I want students to come to class ready for work, I need to make sure they’re well-fed. I haven’t worked out how yet, but I might have a big pot of chili, or a snack corner; something to fill them up.

The other thing that came up this week and really stuck in my mind was a discussion I had with Gerry about organics. I knew that organics are good for us, but the science around what sets them apart from conventional foods is something I didn’t entirely understand. I asked Gerry the question, ‘why eat organic?’ and for the next 20 minutes I was taking notes. There’s so many benefits to growing food organically, and one of the take-away messages would have been great to share with my practicum students during our sustainability unit. Organically grown food is a self-sustaining ecosystem that relies on diversity. A variety of crops allows for healthier bee’s and other insects to assist the growth of the plants, which later die and enrich the soil with a heap of nutrients that go into the next batch of crops. There is so much detail in organically grown food, and thanks to Gerry I’ve learned the importance of eating organic!

Mahalo,

Chris