"Service Learning Reflection 2"

I was able to go to the Lord’s Acre farm on Wednesday and volunteer with fellow classmates. The first thing we did was break apart whole garlic bulbs and put the cloves into buckets so they could be used to help with farming techniques. After that we went into the gardens and pulled out weeds, so they wouldn’t interfere with the growth of the plants. Once that was done we picked sweet potatoes from out of the ground. It was really fun to get into the red clay dirt and pull out these massive sweet potatoes. It’s amazing the yield of the crops that come out of the ground. It gave me a perspective of how valuable every morsel of food can be for healthy sustenance. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Lord’s Acre because it was a different experience from what I’m used to. I have very little experience with planting, gardening, or farming so this experience was pretty cool to get dirty and feel the earth between my fingers. I definitely appreciate good farming techniques to yield the freshest and most natural vegetables which support a healthy lifestyle as well. This trip gave me the idea of doing a little gardening myself and learning as best I can about ways to raise vegetables that I like to eat. I also watched as my other classmates picked Okra and then cut down the stalk after there was none left. I really love fried Okra and to see how it’s cultivated was cool to me. I have a newfound respect for the long hard hours that farmers and gardeners put into planting and harvesting food. I think this service trip helped me learn skills that can broaden my awareness of how food is collected before I see it in a store or market. Overall, engaging with other people and volunteering at the Lord’s Acre was a positive experience for me and I enjoyed doing it.