Reported by: Adora Xiao
On August 2, 2022, GTVA AYLUS members Adora Xiao (3.5 hrs) and Jessica Lu (3hrs) lent a hand to a local farm.
Members started with the onion area, harvesting 100 of the white variety and 100 of the purple variety before laying them on the tarp. Members then went to zucchini and squash as usual, picking the ripe vegetables before pulling out some of the dead plants. They cleared the rows quickly before moving on to the tomatoes. Members started with the larger varieties first, covering the bottom of the basket. They selected tomatoes with a vibrant red color, leaving some to be harvested on Saturday where they’d be at the perfect ripeness. They then moved on to the smaller tomatoes, finding that many were hidden among the vines. Some were seeing early blossom rot, where the tomatoes rotted from the bottom before spreading. Some were misshapen as well, and members eagerly pointed out “snowman” tomatoes. After the tomatoes, members then moved to trim the onions. The onions were placed out on the black tarp to dry, and after drying, the stalks had to be cut off before they finished drying. Members gathered piles of the onions before trimming them altogether.
