Day Fifty-Six

Caitlin H.

May 23, 2010 - 6:00 PM

The following takes place between 6:00pm and 7:00pm:

Restless and incapable of focusing on my assignments, I wander out onto my apartment patio. I'm in need of a little fresh air to get the thoughts moving. I move a patio chair out from under the hanging fuchsia into the last remaining rays of sunlight hitting my balcony and take a moment to just relax.

There's something about being outside and enjoying the northwest that I realize I'm going to miss as I pursue grad school in Michigan. But something else elates me from within - a glimpse of my homegrown ‘urban garden.' It isn't much, my patio isn't exactly what I would call large, but it's been enough to sustain lettuce, peas, spinach, two tomato plants, strawberries and an abundance of flowers.

On the one hand, gardening keeps me sane. I'll admit I have a healthy appetite for the home gardening section of any store, and enough houseplants for two apartments instead of one. But there is also something to be said for homegrown, local, quality foods. So often I hear the struggles of families who can't afford quality produce because the bad stuff is cheaper and easier. Aside from a few hot days were the plants required watering, I've almost been able to let my plants sit untouched from the time of planting. It requires some labor, but my efforts are minimal compared to the effort I would expend traveling to the grocery store to purchase salad fixins' as often as I've been able to harvest them.

At any rate, it's a thought worth pondering.

Here I've turned essentially unproductive land (an apartment deck) into productive farm space. It isn't enough to live on, but it supplements my diet well. It makes me wonder what might be possible if more people could transform such spaces.

It also got me thinking about the University of Oregon's Urban Farm.I never managed to fit the class into my schedule, but I know a few people who have. Most seemed to really enjoy the course and become more aware and involved in community agriculture projects. I wonder if there is something I can do to promote this idea of using apartment space for small-scale family farming...

Authors Note: This term I've decided to dissect my day one hour at a time to inform you about my college life. My own life set to the Fox Network's hit show "24." ...If only I were as sensational as Jack Bauer. In this ‘season' you can expect a thrilling and innovative drama complete with a few unforeseen plot twists.