One of my favorite conversations in this class was lead and facilitated by Hank Herrera. He began the conversation by reminding us that we were on Ohlone land and welcoming us to the space. He proceeded to talk about a variety of topics including the importance of Ohlone narratives, the Mexican hegemony with respect to indigeneity, and food justice as indigenous resistance. He even shared with us his thoughts on the UC Gill Tract Community Farm and cross-cultural solidarity.

Compost Poem Worms, spiders galore Piles of dirt to feed the plants We love our compost When we went to the Gill Tract on February 27th I learned a lot about compost and about the importance of compost in building up the soil. These photos and the haiku are from our wonderful and informative time at the farm. In our class on March 6th we focused on agroecology and had the pleasure to learn form a panel of highly intelligent people in the fields surrounding agroecology. The

Why Compost Compost is an important ingredient in garden bed preparation and should be added to garden beds to sustain soil health over time. Compost returns nutrients to the soil and increases soil fertility, which is essential for healthy plant growth and frequent bed cultivation. Compost offers a natural alternative to harsher, synthetic fertilizers. By repurposing organic materials found around the farm or garden, compost is a cost-effective alternative to synthetic ferti

Finally sinking my hands into the soil at the Giltract was quite rewarding. It brought me back to my time working on a farm in Santa Cruz. Long hours in the sun amending soil in a wheel barrow, transplanting, watering, building fences and goofing around with family and friends was a magical experience for me. The Giltract gives me a sense of nostalgia from my late teen years there. For me one of the most interesting parts of farming has always been the preparation and labor t

This week, spending time in the Gill Tract was a particularly nice break from the school week. I was part of the group planting garlic and cabbage, and it was interesting getting to apply the planting techniques addressed in Essential Urban Farmer, namely intensive planting with crops that take advantage of vertical space—garlic as a root cop, and cabbage growing above-ground. The bed was planted with 15 or so cabbage starts and the centre was filled in with garlic, which wil

Today I ate an Asian chicken salad from Soup Co. for lunch. In the line, I watched the worker grab the correct box of mixed greens off the shelf and proceed to gather each ingredient. After compiling the edamame, she mixed the entire concoction together with medium dressing for a total work time of about 3 minutes. Three minutes of visible labor went into making me a delicious, and relatively nutritious meal. However, many more workers put hundreds of hours more of unseen lab

For longer and from more people than I had once thought, a very basic expression of power has been stripped away, outsourced, and erased from memory. Sovereignty over food is a foundational element of social, economic, and environmental justice. Its commodification has flipped over ancient paradigms at the expense people who have been made unable to defend themselves. Monoculture, industrialization, and centralization have disrupted the vital relationships of farmers with lan

When I was about 12 years old, I stopped believing in magic. My family and I were in Texas visiting a family friend when I passed by a magic shop. In the shop, I accidently overheard a so-called magician reveal how to make a coin disappear. That day, I decided to give up on magic all together. I told my mom about the disappointment I felt and she threw her head back and laughed sympathetically, “Ay Jamila,” she said in Spanish, “Magic exists. Do not give up.” I have felt and

I really enjoyed last week’s visit to the farm because it was so interesting learning about the herb garden with Richard. I was feeling somewhat stressed last week because I had several midterms and papers to work on, but when we were at the farm I felt so peaceful. I especially appreciated the mindful meditation that Richard led; it was clear that it put everyone at ease and gave us a space to let our worries fade away. During the breathing exercises I liked visualizing my

This week on the farm we had the opportunity to learn about the herb garden. There are so many wonderful uses for these herbs including medicinal, culinary, and fragrance. Before this class I had not realized how many of the herbs found in the Gill Tract could be used as medicine so that you can attempt to heal yourself without using pharmaceuticals. Below are some of the herbs found in the garden. We were also given time to meditate and connect with a specific herb or plant