Thinking Globally, Acting Locally on a Local Organic Farm
Think global act local is a saying I've seen more on bumper stickers than I've heard vocalized. It wasn't until I was in the deepest depths of my journalism academic career that I really understood what that saying meant on a real life "actions speak louder than words" level.
As a journalist, I wanted to go across seas as a war correspondent and save the world. I thought I would be able to make a real difference on a massive global scale. But the more I learned, the further I got into journalism, the more I began to learn and understand that people (journalists in particular) have been working hard to change things for a lot longer than I had even been alive. And as a mother, I couldn't justify risking my life as a war correspondent across seas with the reality fact check that I wasn't going to save the world. So I grieved, and healed, and the "but why" slowly simmered out. It wasn't until this point that I was finally able to realize the true meaning and importance of why it is so much more effective to act local, when you're thinking global.
With the prevalent agriculture community here in Northern Colorado, I found my local community outlet at Native Hill Farm, a first generation family-owned and operated organic vegetable farm.
A working membership is a great way to both give back to the community, and get something back in return. I started my first working membership with Native Hill Farm in May of 2015.The way it worked- I would work every Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. weeding in the veggie fields, harvesting when the time came, and working the farmers markets that happened every Wednesday and Saturday. In return for my labor was thirty dollars in vegetables a week. And what a colorful abundance thirty dollars worth of veggies gets you.
Native Hill Farm is a year-round, family run, assorted vegetable farm located in north Fort Collins. Their innovative and sustainable growing practices include passive season extension techniques, innovation, cover cropping, energy efficiency and water conservation.
Native Hill Farm owners Katie and Nick have devoted their lives to providing the local northern Colorado community with, in my opinion, the best produce options around that you won't be finding in any grocery store. " We are committed to preserving and encouraging the rich agrarian heritage of this high desert place we call home."
Tuesday morning's became a meditative healing ritual. The ladies I worked the shift with became like family. We spent those three hours with our heads faced down as we worked, but our conversations never ended. It was like therapy in more ways then one.
The farmers markets beamed with colorful abundance, and it was the most satisfying feeling to know that I was a part of growing and harvesting this beautiful abundance that was going back into the community. It was all the positive localized action I was needing, to feel like I was making a difference globally.