Monday, June 08, 2009

First Harvest

After some recent rainfall (as well as much careful watering by gardeners), this beautiful patch of leaf lettuce has sprung up nicely. It was time to go out there with a bag and some scissors!



Brought it home, washed and drip dried on the counter.



A deposit was made into the refrigerator of the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry downstairs . . .



. . . with a note.



I can't quite express what it was like tonight to bring that first batch of fresh produce from our community garden back to the Catholic Worker house.

Perhaps a few bags of lettuce in the fridge don't seem like a whole lot to get excited about! But when you consider the struggle, the anticipation and the hard work that has taken place for months and months to form our community and establish ourselves . . . to see this tangible, real life fruit of our labor is quite something. Just knowing that this organic, hand-picked lettuce, fresh from the garden behind the church and grown with tender care by parishioners, neighbors and Catholic Workers, will be on the dinner tables of some hungry families tomorrow is really something to behold and certainly gives me pause.

What we are doing is very simple. What we are doing is very serious. What we are doing is very joyful!

2 comments:

Erin said...

Nicely done Frank. The lettuce is beautiful and will be very nutritious-- a loving gift.

It is clear that you joyously give the fruits of your labor!

Garden on, man!

Erin Kutnow said...

Good work! Exciting to see the firstfruits =)