The Ultimate Urban Farmer Job

This summer I choose to explore the world of an "Urban Farmer" to the hilt. I planted a garden in what little space my tiny backyard offers, I got a part-time job at the garden department at Home Depot (no discount :( ), and finally I found other employment with Wintergreen Farms at the Bend Farmer's Market on Wednesdays.

One of the things that made the strongest impression on me while working at the Bend Farmer's Market is the sense of community. Each day, after the initial crowds have thinned and the different vendors start to take note of  what has sold, and what hasn't, we start visiting each other's booths. The true spirit of a "market-place" takes over and we began to trade products with each other. Our farm produce is exchanged for organic coffee, fresh bread and sometimes eggs and cheese. We even receive dinner consisting of fresh fish tacos and blackberry juice. During this time, friendships are made, babies coo'd over and recipes shared.

This gathering of people who subsist on each other's products and talents is an incredibly rare event in this day and age that once was taken for granted in our country when money was secondary to the practice of bartering. Human interaction during this hour of trading at the market is a mutually beneficial practice that drills into each of the participants what it is like to belong to a society of people who need each other to fully thrive.

Of course, it's also great to take home a bunch of organic produce, coffee and artisan bread that I couldn't otherwise afford on a daily basis!

Some of the wonderful vegetables and bread I took home: Village Baker bread, Kale, Fennel, Fava Beans, Carrots and Strawberries from Winter Green Farms. I also received a pound of coffee, lettuce and Swiss Chard this week on top of my paycheck!