GROWING DURINGCOVID-19

BY ADYANNA ODOM '23 GABBY NELSON M'21

STORIES FROM FARMERSAND GARDENERS

Responses edited for length and clar ity

In this time of the coronavirus, we’re trying to keep itup just as we would otherwise. We’re stil l growing andworking to get more customers in this crisis. I ’ve been

getting calls from a lot of customers and I am preparedand ready.

I ’ve been doing this for a long,long time. Here at 75 Laurel

Street [Knox’s headquarters] wehave the privilege of water,

greenhouses, and space.

We make use of the space out here. Iutil ize every bit. Farming is my family.

Farming gives me everything that I need,including strength and energy.

It does affect things. The customers staywhere they are and they don’t reach outvery much.  There are crops we should’veharvested earlier, but because of the viruswe didn’t harvest them. I make use ofthem, though, by giving my neighbors andmy friends some of the crops.

Calling me is the best way to reach me. Ican get what they want and then theycan come pick it up at Knox’s farm. Mynumber is 860-814-7538. That numberwill reach me anytime.

Farming is myfamily. Farming

gives meeverything that Ineed, including

strength andenergy.

DERRICK BEDWARDKNOX INCUBATOR FARMER;

OWNER, RED GREEN GOLD LLC

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FARM.

HOW HAS THE VIRUS AFFECTED YOURFARM AND BUSINESS?

HOW CAN PEOPLE BUY YOURVEGETABLES NOW?

I have mustard greens, scallions, parsley, chives, peppermint, and pak choi now.

I haven't reflected on those conceptsspecifically, but I look at Hartford gardening asa great way to bring the community together.We grow a significant amount of vegetables inthe community gardens. If nothing else, thegardens help with a combination of freshlygrown vegetables and just as important, thebringing people together as a community. Thegardens allow us to grow respect for everybody.

I am a trailblazer only when it comes to growing things and giving themaway. I started in the greenhouse back when nobody was involved exceptMike McGarry. He called me one day in January and asked if I wanted to cometo a greenhouse on Whiting Lane. We have bounced around to severalgreenhouses around Hartford since then. That was about 25 years ago, atleast.

WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK URBAN GARDENINGAND URBAN FARMING PLAY IN MAKINGCOMMUNITIES MORE RESILIENT TO EMERGENTCHALLENGES LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE ANDGLOBAL PANDEMICS?

The gardensallow us to

grow respectfor everybody.

I bought my home on Evergreen about 45years ago. I started with a small flowergarden and it developed now into a bedthat is about 10 feet wide by 40 feetlong. We also garden at the communitygarden on Nile Street at one of the 20+community gardens in Hartford. NileStreet has a very good reputationprimarily thanks to Mike McGarry who is agood organizer.

JED CONRAN

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN GROWING INHARTFORD AND WHAT IS YOURBACKGROUND GROWING IN HARTFORD?

HARTFORD COMMUNITY GARDENER

Local farmers are more nimble in responding to emergent local needs.For example, when the pandemic hit, Manny, a Knox farmer (Instagram:@micro2lifemicrogreens), started offering vegetable deliveries. At a timewhen fresh vegetables were short in grocery stores, urban farmers wereable to quickly respond and quickly get vegetables into the community.

Resilience and sustainability go handin hand with equity. The farms andgardens in Hartford foster equity byallowing everyone to grow their ownfood and by allowing people to growfoods which are familiar andappropriate for cooking in theirculture. They connect people over alove of the earth, food, flowers, andthe magic of seeing plants grow fromtiny seeds.

Resilience andsustainability

go hand inhand with

equity.

GABBY NELSONHARTFORD COMMUNITY GARDENER;

PROGRAM COORDINATOR, CENTERFOR URBAN AND GLOBAL STUDIES

@TRINITY COLLEGE

WHAT DO YOU GROW IN YOUR GARDEN?

At Knox’s headquarters on Laurel Street, Igrow primarily cut flowers, with some

herbs and vegetables thrown in the mix.The herbs and vegetables that I grow are

those that can be used as unique accentsin cut flower arrangements, l ike basil ,

tomatillos, and peas.

WHAT ROLE DO URBAN FARMS PLAY IN FOSTERING RESILIENT CITIES?

I have had the unique opportunity togarden through the school system. Inelementary school we grew freshvegetables and harvested them for asalad. As I got older my schools oftenincorporated gardens and field trips tocommunity gardens to grow. Now, I willbe interning with Summer of Solutionsin Hartford to help build communitygardens around the city.

For sure. What's happening in California is aprime example of that. People have startedtaking up farming because the terror ofrunning out of food is real. This puts localfarms in unique positions to help the rest ofthe community. Since they are alreadycultivating in an urban setting, they havethe necessary knowledge and materials tohelp others become successful. In thefuture, working with local farms will be keyto a sustainable and reliable food source.

ADYANNA ODOMSTUDENT, TRINITY COLLEGE; INTERN,SUMMER OF SOLUTIONS HARTFORD

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITHGARDENING? 

DO YOU SEE A DIFFERENCE IN HOW RURAL FARMING AND URBAN FARMING AREAFFECTED BY THE CORONAVIRUS?

DO YOU THINK LOCAL FARMS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FOSTER RESILIENCY IN COMMUNITIES? 

When I was conducting my interviews it seemed like rural farming may be hitthe hardest. Unlike community gardens, most rural farmers make their l iving offof their crops and the pandemic doesn't allow them to connect with essentialbuyers.

Working withlocal farms isthe key to a

sustainable andreliable food

source.

It has impacted our business. We have two retail stores (called Mr. Tire)where we sell to the public and the profit goes back to the farmers. We havehad to cut hours and sales have dropped down about 20-35%. The farmershave to put money into the crop. You can’t stop putting money in your cropor you won’t have anything to sell . Rice is a different ballgame, too, becausethere is a worldwide problem on the pricing of commodities.

BOBBY LITTLEMANAGER OF THE EL CAMPO, TXRICE FARMERS CO-OP

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THERICE FARMING INDUSTRY AND HOW YOU GOTINVOLVED WITH THE RICE FARMERS CO-OP?

I have worked for the rice farmer coopsince I was seventeen and I ' l l be sixty-nine

next week. That's over 50 years. I started inhigh school working there in the summers

and then went off to college.

HOW HAS COVID-19 IMPACTED THE RICE FARMING INDUSTRY?

There was already problem’s with marketsbecause of tariffs with China. When thepandemic started showing up a lot ofcountries that export and import foodproducts shut down all their ports. Forexample, the price of cotton is reallysuffering. Domestic rice mills can't importrice because of the ports being closeddown. So, all grains except rice are hurtingright now. By October or November, themarkets will crash and Texas is a smallplayer also.

Domestic rice millscan't import ricebecause of the

ports being closeddown. By Octoberor November, the

markets will crash.

When I came back from college, I went back towork for them, and I ’ve been here ever since. We

represent over 20 rice farmers and dry rice. Ibecame manager in 1984, but I have been doing

field work since the 80s.

WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK URBANGARDENING PLAYS IN MAKING CITIES MORERESILIENT?

Right now the farm is being taken care of by the main staff. It 's a collective,so a lot of members of the community usually work on the farm, but currently,it is just them the main staff working on the farm. It is a lot of work for themand they can't produce as much as usual. Also, my job for this summer is onthe line if the farm does not open back up.

MARINA SHERMANBERKELEY, CALIFORNIA COMMUNITYGARDENER AND EDUCATOR

HOW HAS THE VIRUS AFFECTED ACCESS TO COMMUNITY GARDENS?

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITHGARDENING?

I got into gardening when I wasonly 1 year old. My dad has alwaysgardened with me. I worked in awilderness program for five yearsand I volunteer at Urban Adamah. Ihave also taught classes on thefarm. They have summer camps,classes, and they give all theirproduce to the food bank.

Homesteading has become a huge dealnow. Everyone in Berkeley has beenbuying seeds because of fear that supplychains will shut down. The good thingabout that is the farm can make somemoney during these hard times. UrbanAdamah has been selling a lot of seedsand plant starts during this time as well astaking appointments. It is really helpful tothe community because now they cangrow their own food.

Everyone inBerkeley has been

buying seedsbecause of fear

that supply chainswill shut down.