With a lot of help from my friends – particularly Mrs. tVM, youngest son Jesse and his wife Erica, and friends Dwight and Halen – we see the fruits of our labors. My broken leg has kept me on the sidelines, but together, my inner circle has collectively prepared the land, put in irrigation, seeded, sown, and planted 900 linear feet, weeded, tended, mended, fertilized, and everything else to promote a summer harvest despite the harsh climate of the Sonoran Desert.
Last year was a disaster, but two years ago, we pulled $750 of revenue – all of which supports our programs in Haiti – on the strength of Armenian cucumbers, spaghetti squash, and okra. I keep fastidious records of all I do on the farm and for Haiti. Two years ago – when we had our best harvest – we pulled our first vegetables in July, so it was encouraging yesterday when we took four zucchini and two summer squash. That may not sound like much, but it will pay for 10 of the 3,000 meals we feed our hungry students in Haiti every month.
As importantly, our rows are filled with too many blossoms to count as well as tens of infant squash, melons, and cucumbers. Indeed, if you ask, it will be given to you, particularly if you surround yourself with a reliable group of family and friends.
As I watch my friends and family tend the crops, I am reminded of “Lesson #4, You Can’t Go It Alone.”
Mitakuye Oyasin
It takes a village!