two months later

Two months later... I'm now helping at City Sprouts Urban Farm, two blocks away from their community garden. We're selling our produce at various markets including the Benson Farmer's Market and a market at the Charles Drew Health Center that accepts SNAP (food stamps) and WIC (really makes me happy). We're also starting a bike route around the neighborhood to share our surplus. Plans are in the works for next growing season and I have my fingers crossed. There are a lot of exciting ideas and dreams floating around...

Chickens. We have chickens and roosters at City Sprouts. There is a brown fluffy one, you can barely see her eyes, a few larger white chickens that stand very upright and look quite regal, another large black and white feathered one, plenty of chicks, and then there was Crooked-beak, but we lost him earlier in the season due to some kind of parasite. A favorite moment so far was last week when I shared a few moments in the chicken coop with Jeannie's grandkids (she is the director of City Sprouts). The youngest, Justin, spoke in his own language to the chickens and was telling me a lot about them. They would all come very close to him, look intensely at him, stretch their beaks out, but with a wave of his chubby arm they'd immediately bunch together and huddle in the corner.

Recently I've learned quite a bit about herb and veggie storage, as we're getting into that time of the growing season. Canned beets, oh wow. I want to eat them all the time. Also, Tyler is making (or brewing?) a batch of sauerkraut at home that I can't wait to try.

Two weeks ago I spent a few incredibly relaxing days in Red Feathers, CO... a place where wild plants still grow wild. I collected a few varieties of sage and some yarrow. My interest grew in using plant materials for making paint, I'd like to experiment this winter. Red Feathers is a place for listening, watching, and expanding. I came home with a very open heart, a little sad to leave such a still, clean place, ready to see people I love, ready for more exploring here in Omaha.

a whole lot of love,

c.