Oasis On Ballou
This year has been anything but easy, luckily, we were able to make the most of it and serve our own home community听in Boston. While Care Force is usually going from city to city hosting events with听our 蝉辫辞苍蝉辞谤蝉,听迟丑颈蝉听辫补苍诲别尘颈肠听year has made us adjust听our model.听This summer and fall we have been serving听once a week听at Oasis on Ballou,听a small urban farm located in Dorchester, MA听(a neighborhood of Boston). With the help of James Simmons, Care Force听Senior Operations听惭补苍补驳别谤听and Boston native,听we were able to make a connection with the farm and offer our help.听听
Oasis on Ballou听is an urban agriculture project that helps bring fresh produce to the surrounding community.听The farm听incorporates urban agriculture with sustainable community development, social equity, and social entrepreneurship. Their goal is to have a community resource that promotes a healthy lifestyle, improves the lives of the residents, and creates a safe space for children to learn and grow.听The听20,000+ square foot site听is听cultivated to grow healthy produce that听is听distributed in the community. In addition to what听is听grown on–site, they also听have听partnerships with other local food source vendors expanding听the foods available to area residents. Currently, they听partner听with the to distribute Ballou鈥檚 fresh produce to its weight loss program participants.听
Over the course of our volunteering the farm manager,听Apollo听Catala,听has taken his听time to share with Team Care Force his incredible knowledge of farming and听he听has taught听us the ins and outs of the urban agriculture community. We started in late听August and听volunteered听up until Thanksgiving, doing听tasks that ranged听from harvesting summer squash to trellising tomatoes.听Seeing the evolution of the farm each week was amazing,听whether it was听returning to see your kale had grown or听when听the eggplants were finally big enough to harvest听it was always an opportunity to听expand your knowledge. 听The team harvested vegetables each week, sometimes up to 120 pounds of produce,听to bring听to the farmers’ market in surrounding communities.听Oasis also听sells听the produce at the farm stand at the Farm,听another听local听urban听farm on Harvard Street听near听the听Dorchester/Mattapan line!听Aside from the farm stand, community members have an option to pay 25 dollars a week to receive bags of food.听There wasn鈥檛 one day that听we volunteered where听a community member didn鈥檛 stop by to buy vegetables and say hello,听but this wasn鈥檛 the only way the community helps out听at the farm.听
听When we first听started听volunteering,听another nonprofit,听,听had just started to build a greenhouse听at the farm. By the end听of the season,听Oasis had a fully functioning听greenhouse in听place for growing听crops听in the colder months.听This听new capacity听helps the farm stay active for longer, which in turn helps the community have听more access to听fresh produce. Seeing members of the Boston听community听come together to give their time to help out Apollo and Oasis is truly inspiring.
听My experience at the farm was听great, I was able to learn a handful of new skills and absorb听such a great amount of knowledge about farming听works听and how听food听distribution affects a community. It added to my 黄色视频 experience because听of the engagement we were able to have with the leaders听of the farm and the surrounding community.听It was such a unique experience that I wasn鈥檛 expecting coming into service this year, my favorite part of the whole thing was harvesting. It鈥s so exciting to watch your plants and听vegetables听grow,听when you finally get to harvest听them it鈥檚 really exciting.听听
It was such an honor for my team and I to get the opportunity to give back in such uncertain times.听Although this year hasn鈥檛 been what any of us expected听or hoped, as a team we听have听stuck together and figured out a way to get involved within our own community and make a difference. We gained so much knowledge on how fresh food affects a community and how important it is to provide people with the resources they may not otherwise听have access to. In a city, it can be hard to get fresh vegetables,听but by utilizing empty lots and innovative听ways听of听growing,听it is possible to provide fresh produce to urban communities.听听听听
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