Over the past couple of weeks, my classmates and I have had the opportunity to volunteer at the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming. This little farm is tucked away on the east side of campus and is filled with little gems such as these tomatoes I had the chance to harvest.
On September 21, I participated in the weekly Thursday farmers’ market. My responsibilities included: rearranging the harvest to make it more appealing to potential customers, sorting the firsts from the seconds, and my favourite, picking flowers from the field and making bouquets for customers.
I learned many basic skills farmers have such as the differentiation between a first and a second; essentially its down to the size, colour, and any small imperfections the produce may have. I learned how to pick marigolds, zinnias and snapdragons correctly so that the flowers are not hurt in the process. Snapdragons have sturdy stems, while zinnias have hollow stems and marigolds have delicate stems so the methods to cut them are different. I learned how to make a bouquet, which colours match better with one another and how to make sure they last the trip home (you just wrap a wet paper towel around the end of the stems). Lastly, I identified tomato blight which is a plant disease cause by a fungus which causes discolour on the fruits themselves.
Surprisingly, I also learned a new set of social skills from interacting with people who came to the farmers’ market. While I was making bouquets, I made small talk with the customers and learned so much about them and who the bouquets were for. Upon volunteering for the farmers’ market, I didn’t expect to make meaningful connections over making $3 bouquets for people. I was recognized by lady that I made a bouquet for a month ago when she came back for the last Thursday market on the 18th of October, she told me her friend loved the bouquet I made for her and which made my day.
Looking back, I wish I had more time to spend on the farm and I definitely will go back next semester to volunteer my time when it opens again.
