On Farming, the Environment, and more
It's been a while since I've updated the blog, so even though I am already at home in California and going to leave for Milan, Italy in a few days, I want to spend a little bit of time on the rest of my time on Scot's Kalaeha farm on the Big Island (which, as luck would have it, I left just a few days before Hurricane Lane hit).
First of all, why should a college student be so interested in spending part of her summer working on a farm? And what does farming have to do with her undergraduate senior thesis in comparative literature? As far as the latter question is concerned, I'm still not entirely sure, either, but the farming is definitely of interest to me. And if I can combine the two, so much the better!
I've been extremely fortunate to be able to go around to see different parts of the world. I understand that not everyone is granted the same kinds of opportunities that I have had. People don't lie, however, when they say that traveling opens your eyes. Exposure to new cultures, ideas, and ways of life is an affirmation that life is a process of constant evolution. It also reveals the fact that there are many different lifestyles that one could ascribe to. In other words, life is not like a card game. You don't have to work with only the cards that you've been dealt.
If you know me, you'll know that I'm the kind of person who usually thinks everything is going to work out OK. I often say to people that I just "go with the flow," even though I'm not even sure which flow I am referring to. My parents don't understand it. Just this morning, for example, my mom mentioned once again that she was worried that I hadn't planned out my trip to Italy (yet). But then she mentioned an idea I had already had in my mind, and now most of the trip is (potentially) worked out. And even if it isn't, life always seems to have a way of working itself out anyway.
But I digress. Wasn't I going to be talking about farming?
Scot's Kalaeha farm is a cool place to be, despite it's shabbiness, as some might describe it. It's also off-the-grid, like many places farther up on the hillsides of the Big Island of Hawaii. Scot tends to collect clutter and things that will "eventually have a use!" so wherever you walk on the farm you're likely to stumble across something rotting or rusting. The farm is home to a dog (Sady), a cat, sheep, and numerous chickens (and Scot).
First of all, why should a college student be so interested in spending part of her summer working on a farm? And what does farming have to do with her undergraduate senior thesis in comparative literature? As far as the latter question is concerned, I'm still not entirely sure, either, but the farming is definitely of interest to me. And if I can combine the two, so much the better!
But hold on, and let's backtrack for a second.
This summer is one of the crazier summers I've ever had, and though my numerous flights are an unfortunate contributor to carbon emissions, I'm grateful for the opportunity to have these experiences (my thanks must appropriately go to Princeton for supplying the funds, and to my family for allowing me to prance about the world). Every time I leave the Orange Bubble (aka Princeton) I'm reminded of how deceptively dangerous a sedentary lifestyle can be, and I'm always reinvigorated to move around - to stay active, first of all, but also to see more of the world. Sure, after college I'll have to think more seriously about settling down somewhere, but at the moment I have no idea when that will be, let alone where that will be.
I've been extremely fortunate to be able to go around to see different parts of the world. I understand that not everyone is granted the same kinds of opportunities that I have had. People don't lie, however, when they say that traveling opens your eyes. Exposure to new cultures, ideas, and ways of life is an affirmation that life is a process of constant evolution. It also reveals the fact that there are many different lifestyles that one could ascribe to. In other words, life is not like a card game. You don't have to work with only the cards that you've been dealt.
If you know me, you'll know that I'm the kind of person who usually thinks everything is going to work out OK. I often say to people that I just "go with the flow," even though I'm not even sure which flow I am referring to. My parents don't understand it. Just this morning, for example, my mom mentioned once again that she was worried that I hadn't planned out my trip to Italy (yet). But then she mentioned an idea I had already had in my mind, and now most of the trip is (potentially) worked out. And even if it isn't, life always seems to have a way of working itself out anyway.
But I digress. Wasn't I going to be talking about farming?
Scot's Kalaeha farm is a cool place to be, despite it's shabbiness, as some might describe it. It's also off-the-grid, like many places farther up on the hillsides of the Big Island of Hawaii. Scot tends to collect clutter and things that will "eventually have a use!" so wherever you walk on the farm you're likely to stumble across something rotting or rusting. The farm is home to a dog (Sady), a cat, sheep, and numerous chickens (and Scot).
As I mentioned before, this is the same place that Johann and I WWOOF'ed at, what seems like so long ago now. This time, I came there with the purpose of splitting my time between farm-work and thesis "research" (aka reading books, poems, and making notes about what I think I'm going to write in my thesis this year). I ended up doing more of the prior, because it felt more substantial, and because I didn't like sitting in a chair while the sun was shining outside. That being said, I did make a good deal of progress. Moreover, I finished several projects on the farm:
There are two that I am most proud of. The first is the strawberry patch, which is actually several smaller patches of strawberries that get overgrown with weeds very quickly. This was a big project for all of us WWOOF'ers the first time on the farm, but this time it was just my project, and a little less drastic. After several days (spread out over the course of my stay) I took out the weeds, cleaned up the trenches, and added compost. This is what it looks like now (or at least when I left):
The other project was the creation of an herb bed. Supposedly there had been one there before, but it was impossible to tell, given the state it was in! There were two difficult parts to this project: digging a two-foot deep trench along the outside of the greenhouse, and digging out/hacking out the thick roots of a ginger-type plant (it was neither ginger nor turmeric, but had a similar smell and structure).
Mom: if you're wondering why my clothes were muddy, this is why:
I finished the herb bed just before leaving the farm, which made my "task-driven" self very happy.
Of course, I did more than these two projects, and yet I feel like I still don't know enough about farming, and about alternative agriculture practices, including permaculture. Food is what drives our culture, so naturally agriculture is a huge force. It is responsible for feeding an overgrown population of humans, and as such contributes immensely to carbon emissions, pollution, and the wiping out of natural habitats. It's safe to say that conventional agriculture is a pretty destructive force. But what's the alternative? Permaculture practices, as well as innovative "restoration" practices are good examples of people recognizing the destruction we're causing through agriculture, and trying to ameliorate the situation. Although I don't think there is a solution, per se, I do think that there are alternatives to conventional agriculture that are better for the planet, as well as our own health.
So, from an environmental standpoint, that is why I am interested in farming. Hawai'i has been a good place to start, given that it is home to many people who think differently from modern culture, yet I think that I am also ready to learn more from different sources. (Scot's great, but his farm doesn't produce very much at the moment, unfortunately). For now, though, I am going to direct my energy towards integrating poetry, the environment, and farming into a coherent senior thesis!
Feel free to reach out if you're interested in learning more, and stay tuned for another update soon!
There are two that I am most proud of. The first is the strawberry patch, which is actually several smaller patches of strawberries that get overgrown with weeds very quickly. This was a big project for all of us WWOOF'ers the first time on the farm, but this time it was just my project, and a little less drastic. After several days (spread out over the course of my stay) I took out the weeds, cleaned up the trenches, and added compost. This is what it looks like now (or at least when I left):
The other project was the creation of an herb bed. Supposedly there had been one there before, but it was impossible to tell, given the state it was in! There were two difficult parts to this project: digging a two-foot deep trench along the outside of the greenhouse, and digging out/hacking out the thick roots of a ginger-type plant (it was neither ginger nor turmeric, but had a similar smell and structure).
Mom: if you're wondering why my clothes were muddy, this is why:
I finished the herb bed just before leaving the farm, which made my "task-driven" self very happy.
Of course, I did more than these two projects, and yet I feel like I still don't know enough about farming, and about alternative agriculture practices, including permaculture. Food is what drives our culture, so naturally agriculture is a huge force. It is responsible for feeding an overgrown population of humans, and as such contributes immensely to carbon emissions, pollution, and the wiping out of natural habitats. It's safe to say that conventional agriculture is a pretty destructive force. But what's the alternative? Permaculture practices, as well as innovative "restoration" practices are good examples of people recognizing the destruction we're causing through agriculture, and trying to ameliorate the situation. Although I don't think there is a solution, per se, I do think that there are alternatives to conventional agriculture that are better for the planet, as well as our own health.
So, from an environmental standpoint, that is why I am interested in farming. Hawai'i has been a good place to start, given that it is home to many people who think differently from modern culture, yet I think that I am also ready to learn more from different sources. (Scot's great, but his farm doesn't produce very much at the moment, unfortunately). For now, though, I am going to direct my energy towards integrating poetry, the environment, and farming into a coherent senior thesis!
Feel free to reach out if you're interested in learning more, and stay tuned for another update soon!
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