I knew when I started my project on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) that my research was going to be tasty, albeit a little dirty. So, I’m off to a good start having already dedicated a pair of now-mud-encrusted shoes to the cause.
After a week of hard rains, the skies cleared on Sunday afternoon for the annual Pea Pick at Vermont Valley Community Farm in Blue Mounds, WI. A layer of straw in the pea patch kept most of the moisture underfoot, but each step through the rows was delightfully squishy, like stepping on a giant sponge cake.
The sugar pea pods were snapped off the vines by more than 400 members who picked three-quarters of an acre of peas. As they filled bags and buckets, pickers snacked from their bounty. The satisfying crunch of the pod and sweetness of the peas were addicting. After zigzagging through mud-puddles back to the collection trailer, members sorted through their pickings and took home three quarts of their freshly-picked produce. The rest of the peas will be included in member produce boxes delivered on Thursday.
Behind the Scenes Dispatch by:
Lauren Knoche, a member of the EngageWisconsin team
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PARTICIPATE: Are you a Wisconsin resident who actively seeks to become self-sustainable?
Are you attempting to make your life as green as possible, working to decrease your carbon imprint? Do you participate – on any level – in community gardens or Community Share Agriculture? If you can answer yes to any of the above and you’re willing to share your story, please contact Lauren Knoche via email – lauren.knoche@engagewisconsin.org – for more information.
SUSTAINABLE WISCONSIN is inspired by recent the POV documentary Food, Inc., as well as the current social trends of “sustainability” and “green living” shown through Wisconsin Public Television’s Wisconsin Foodie and In Wisconsin. This project will work to support the themes of sustainable agriculture discussed in these films by collecting stories from citizens working to make their lives and communities more “green.” Sustainable Wisconsin will focus on Community Supported Agriculture, Community Gardens, and Initiatives dedicated to making food in our state healthier and more sustainable. Sustainable Wisconsin also has a You & How To project, a participatory section which will share contributor’s and viewer’s opinions and “how to” advice on becoming more green.
