Welcome to April!

It has been a gusty week in South Park this week, and Marra Farm volunteers have braved the chilly weather to prepare beds and plant lettuces, spinach, kale, cilantro, and peas in the Lettuce Link Giving Garden.  The little cold weather starts are lined up to be put in the ground – hundreds of plants donated from community members and local greenhouses create a patchwork of vibrant living color, from soft green pea vines to bright burgundy lettuce leaves.

Students from Big Picture High School have been helping out as part of an independent project to start a student run school garden.  As they carefully separate cilantro seedlings from flats and place them into furrows, these students are doing their homework, immediately applying what they learn at the farm to how they are going to plant at school.  What a thrill, to see young people deciding that local gardening is important to them and getting school support to pursue meaningful ways to engage in their community!

Over-wintered oregano, parsley, chives, and thyme are ready to be harvested and sent as the first shipment of the season to the Providence Regina Food Bank.  Spring has most definitely sprung – kudos to the folks that keep Marra Farm going through these blustery days!  
-Kate Elias, MSW Intern, Lettuce Link