As I sit here so proud of our garden team, what we've done this season so far and how it was accomplished, I am struck by the difference between our cooperative local efforts and the discord simultaneously occurring in Washington, D.C.
Yesterday, a small group of gardeners arrived in the fields early in the morning to "Pick for Manna Foodbank." This was a vision set in motion by Joyce Davis and Al Cutter, which they materialized along with Ross Aiken, Nancy Dhom, Jeanne Grasperge, Judy Price, Zeke Mitchell, Laurel & Bob Schmidt, and Mike Willen. In two and half hours a carload (over 100 pounds) of fresh produce were selected, brushed off, and placed in containers to be transported by Al and Joyce to the foodbank in downtown Asheville.
All summer long, each of our gardeners have managed to go about their own business - getting children off to college, spending time with grandchildren, taking out of town vacations, working full and part time jobs, taking care of loved ones and households near and far - and yet they also were able to give their best effort to growing major crops together. Today the harvest that was donated came from our individual parcels as well as the community crops - without a thought to the politics, religions, values or demographics of those who would eat what we produced.
The land we've worked all summer was generously loaned to us by a nearby "homesteader", who said he would enjoy our company as he tended his own garden along side the creek that runs by his home. Nature provided us with a headstart and some challenges - bugs, blight, pesky critters and the ever-uncontrollable weather variations, but no one seemed to get discouraged. No one took sides on "how to proceed." No one needed credit for work done or the achievements that came along. Now why can't Congress behave a bit more like our group?
Who knows what changes will "trickle down" on us from the decisions being made in Washington this week. Most likely the future will demand something more from us than we've had to give or do (or do without) in the recent past. In Transition Hendersonville and Transition Asheville, we have a slogan about meeting disruptive changes in the environment or economy, "If you wait for the government, it will be too late; if you do it yourself, it may be too little; if we work on it together, we're sure to thrive."
The High Vista Community Garden team has proven without a doubt that we are and have neighbors with a community with a can do, will do attitude. Together we will thrive.
Follow this link to a "Pick for Manna Foodbank" photo album. And please heed the note from Mike Pace that we found on the bulletin board this morning: DO NOT THROW DISCARDED PLANT MATTER IN THE SPACE BETWEEN OUR FARM AND THE CREEK - IT IS UNSIGHTLY, SMELLY, ATTRACTS PESTS. BURY IT OR TOSS IT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CREEK. I will call Mike to apologize for our transgressions. I'm glad he has communicated with us on this.
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