Great Neck Branch participated in the Stewardship Saturday Program at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum. As part of this program, we worked with the community to plant popular crops like garlic, onion, and shallot, all of which promoted sustainable and local agricultural practices. By participating in community-supported agriculture (CSA), we were able to support small-scale farmers and ensure that the community had access to fresh and healthy produce.
During the work, we were split into different groups. Each group consisted of four people: the first group was responsible for carefully picking up the roots of the plants and placing them in trays, while the second group used tools with three rolls to place the plants into the correct positions in the soil. The third and fourth members of each group were assigned to work on either side, where they moved the first layer of compost, dug small holes, gently placed the plants into the soil, and then recovered the plants with soil and compost. The volunteers were very meticulous and careful not to damage the plants, and they were aware that the majority of the planting season was from June to October.
The farm was all organic, and in order to protect all of the natural elements of the soil, including earthworms, all the work was done by hand. The farm was also an example of “Community Supported Agriculture,” where patrons purchased a share in the cost of running the farm and received a proportion of the produce in return. Additionally, the farm contained a number of pollinator gardens to help ensure that there were enough pollinators for a good crop. The community supported the agriculture, and people in the community also needed plants, so they relied on and supported each other.
members who participated(2.5hours): Fanxi Xia, Zixi Xia
