Volunteers
find Arcadia in roundabout ways.
Lauren
and Laura came to Arcadia farm by way of Red Apron Butchery in D.C.'s Union
Market. Farm Director Stephen Corrigan happened to be there himself and
overheard them talking about Arcadia. He told them about the March 30th Open
Volunteer Day -- the first one of the year. They brought a gang of friends, and
were impressed by both their fellow volunteers and the work they were allowed
to do. Laura particularly noted the volunteers’ backgrounds, “from policy wonks
to teachers and journalists,” while Lauren enjoyed forking the field, which she
deemed “the most traditional farming activity.”
Kathy
and Lee came to Arcadia on the advice of friends. Recent transplants from Fort
Worth, Texas, they sewed seeds, cleared a fence, built signs for educational
programs, and forked the fields. Kathy, a former chef who owned a café and
realized the need for local, organic foods in Fort Worth, hopes to become more
involved in the Mobile Market. Both she and Lee agreed they would definitely
return to Arcadia.
A total
of 16 volunteers -- most with no farm experience at all -- showed at 9 on the
cool spring morning. They were ready for work, homemade granola bars (which
Executive Director Pam Hess brought to give the new farm
hands a shot of energy halfway through the morning), and the satisfaction of
dedicating their time to a worthy cause: readying the farm to grow clean,
wholesome fruits and vegetables for sale on the Mobile Market, for educational
field trips, and for an upcoming Arcadia seasonal cooking workshop and farm
dinner.
Farm
Education Manager Morgan Maloney, who with Stephen guided the volunteers in
their tasks, was impressed with the number of folks who showed, their quick
grasp of what needed to be done, and their enthusiasm. In fact, some volunteers
opted to stay well past the close of the event to make sure Stephen had help
spreading compost on the field.
Want to
be an Arcadian? The next Open Saturday Volunteer Day is THIS Saturday, April 27th from 9am to 12pm. Register to let us know you’re coming out for a day
of farm work and fun.
By Aisha Salazar
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