Over the weekend, I went to Common Thread to help Wendy out
with a project. Originally, I assumed I would be performing the usual tasks of
harvesting crops. However, when I arrived I found Wendy’s pickup truck loaded
with tools, metal rods, plastic tarp, and countless mini black trash bags
filled with dirt. I quickly learned that we would be doing some manual labor in
order to prep for Common Thread’s winter share. The fall CSA coincidentally
ended the day that we began this project, and Wendy informed me that we needed
to build protection over crops that would not survive the coming winter
weather. The morning I was there, Wendy was most concerned with covering a row
of spinach stretching almost 100 feet. Without proper protection, Common Thread
would potentially lose their entire row of spinach.
We began
the project by taking ten-foot long metal rods that were bent to form an
arch-like shape. Wendy and I stood on either side of the spinach row, and with
a mallet and rod we made sixteen holes stretching 100 feet; the holes were
six-inches deep and six feet apart. After the holes were made, we took the
arched metal rods and inserted them into the holes we made on either side of
the spinach row. After this step was complete, we took a thin layer of fabric
(meant to create warmth) and stretched it over the metal arches spanning 100
feet. From there, we took thick plastic tarp and covered the row of spinach. The
tarp is essential because it is expected to hold up to two feet of snow.
Lastly, we took the dirt filled garbage bags and secured them over the layer of
fabric and tarp to keep the material in place.
Shockingly,
building the entire structure took only two hours. I was surprised that the two
of us could complete the task in such a short amount of time. Through my time
harvesting on the farm, I already had respect for the hard work that goes into
running and maintaining a farm. However, my time there this weekend gave me a
greater respect for such labor. I had never done manual labor like this before
and it was hard; I was exhausted after only two hours. To be honest, I felt a
little pathetic after I left; Asher and Wendy do manual labor like this on a day-to-day
basis, for much longer than two hours! I truly am amazed by the work ethic of
farmers, and I was proud to have contributed… even if for a short time.
Below is an image of our completed project:
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