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Miller Street Urban Farm
“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.” Alfred Austin
It has been a pleasure and challenge to work with the students at the Miller Street Urban Farm in Montclair. Everyday is an opportunity to grow: for me, the students, and the vegetables. Sometimes its just as challenging to get city-slick-16-year-olds interested in plants as it is to get slick-and-sly aphids to stop attacking the Okra.
The Montclair Community Farm Coalition (which Miller Street is a part of) fosters ”making the healthy choice the easy choice” by becoming a source of affordable, fresh vegetables for lower income residents of the community. The Coalition’s objective is not only to benefit the residents of Miller Street, but also the community at large by energizing and engaging youth and other residents to develop beautiful green space that produces affordable organic vegetables to sell to low, moderate and middle income residents. (Pictured: youth farmers harvesting and washing radishes to donate to Toni’s Kitchen, whose motto is “more than soup, feeding the soul.”)
At the farm, we’re feeding our souls too, growing an understanding for each other and the land. Teaching high school students about different organic gardening practices and plants is tough, but fulfilling and fun when you have a sense of humor. Watch our first episodes: “Baby got backra!” and “Meet the farmers”
We’re growing produce to sell at a farm stand starting Thursdays in Late July, planting a pumpkin patch and the Montclair Historical Society and we’re planning a full day Food Day event in October. We have a YouTube video series and Facebook page to get the word out about what we’re doing. Email me if you want to get involved, donate, or volunteer: emmanuela.mujica@gmail.com.
Dig in, spread the word, & keep growing!
Check out episode 2 to meet the farmers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0zelNyEhtA&feature=relmfu