eat make read

I read two articles in the Times last week that really inspired me. The first one is about Agustín Juárez, a farmer on Staten Island who specializes in produce indigenous from Mexico. Mr. Juárez sells his goods at a farmers market that was once home to only old stripmalls, but has been brought back to life by people like him who are bringing fresh food to a neighborhood that was in need of it. The thing that really struck me is that he spends about 20 hours each week tending the farm, after he’s worked 60 hours a week washing dishes in a local Italian restaurant. It really made me think about the food I eat and how grateful I am for the people who work so hard to grow the food I eat.

The second one is about an urban farm named Growing Power in Milkwaukee that just received a $500,000 “genius grant”. Will Allen bought the farm, which was the last registered farm in the city, and has transformed it into an operation that produces everything from fresh product to meat and fish. The farm brings fresh, high-quality food into an area that’s considered “food desert” and during the process brings economic growth and community development to the area. It’s pretty cool to see how one idea can transform a community and in turn be an example for the world.

From New York Soil, the Taste of Home

An Urban Farmer Is Rewarded for His Dream