[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Our final day of service was spent working with Forgotten Harvest for a second day, this time at their farm, which sits on over 95 acres of donated land in Fenton, MI, about an hour outside of Detroit. We spent the morning harvesting collard greens and preparing the watermelon fields for cultivation. During lunch we spent time with Lori Setera, the volunteer coordinator, who told us more about the farm and answered questions from the group. After cleaning up back at the hostel we ventured back out and spent the afternoon checking out the Detroit Institute of Art.
Callie: Today was our last day of service on our Detroit experience. Yesterday, we worked in the Forgotten Harvest warehouse packing potatoes for families and packed lunches for different schools. Today, we worked with the same organization, but at their farm. At the farm, we first went to the collard greens field and harvested 1,895 pounds of collard greens. Each pound provides one meal for a person. After that, we went to the watermelon fields and helped move the vines so that they could cultivate the weeds/plants that were invading the patch of watermelon. We then ate lunch and talked to Lori, and she told us all about her experience at the farm. She had been working as a surgical assistant and had volunteered at Forgotten Harvest many times before and they offered her a job. At first, she wanted to continue being a surgical assistant, but she agreed to work there on her days off. After a few days, she quit her job and stayed at Forgotten Harvest Farms as a full time job. She has now been there for several years. After that, we went to the Detroit Institute of Arts which was very fun and very interesting. Today, I had a lot of fun, worked very hard, and learned so much about Lori, Forgotten Harvest, and Detroit itself.
Maddie: Today we woke up early and traveled in an hour to Fenton to work at the Forgotten Harvest farm. We started the morning by picking collard greens, often working with a partner with one partner picking and the other bundling the crop as a team effort. It was very rewarding to see the long rows of harvested crops when we were finished. After, we walked to the 5 acres of watermelon fields where we used tools to help contain the vines so that they could be cultivated. While it was a tedious task, we all worked together to finish all of the rows. It was inspiring to see how large and vast the farm was. The farm grows many vegetables including butternut squash, potatoes, zucchini and many others. Detroit is considered a food desert (an urban area in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food) so it is very crucial and helpful that they grow fresh and healthy food. On the car ride back to the hostel, I couldn’t stop thinking about how incredible it felt to know that we have helped to provide 1,895 meals to hungry people. Once we got back we showered all the dirt and sweat away, and headed to the Detroit Institute of Art. We walked around for about an hour, enjoying the various time periods and kinds of art. I am very sad that today was our last day of service in Detroit because it has been a rewarding and eye-opening week, but I am excited to explore Detroit more deeply tomorrow!
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