One simple way to divide the world is into producers and consumers. Most of us drift into consuming unintentionally - it's easier, it's faster, it's what's on offer. Producing takes getting your hands dirty, showing up when it's hard, and sticking with something long enough to see it through.
Last week we had the privilege of hosting 12 students and staff from Maddison Missions (Granya, Vic), and there was no question which group they belonged to. They pitched unfamiliar tents in the dark and stayed with us for nearly a week of hands-on learning. No shortcuts, no observing from the sidelines, in boots and all.
They cleared, broad forked and prepped beds, shovelled compost, pulled out spent pea plants and wrestled trellis out of the soil. They helped us with a record harvest, eager to learn and suceed at unfamiliar tasks. Every challenge we handed them, they gave it a real go and did it with genuinely cheerful attitudes the entire time, even on the jobs nobody enjoys.
Coen took "give it a go" to a whole new level, happily eating whatever he was working with, straight off the plant. Broccoli greens, raw peas, it didn't matter what it was, he was in. At one point his broard grin was stained green as he bent his back pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying...
That's the thing about producers: they don't wait for the fun part. They show up for the whole process, because they understand the harvest only happens because of everything that came before it.
The best moment came on Tuesday, when the group came along to the market and saw their own work sitting on the table. Veggies they had harvested with their own hands, now feeding people in the community. You could see it land: that quiet satisfaction of watching something you built with effort actually reach someone else's plate. That's a feeling no amount of consuming can give you.
We're so grateful for their work, their energy, and the positive spirit that Abby, Chemiah, Chloe, Coen, Danny, Ely, Kelli, Ledua, Maria, Patrice, Racquel, and Wanjeong brought to our farm all week. As they head home, we hope they carry a bit of that dirt-under-the-fingernails mindset with them, and we can't wait to hear how they put it to use in the Madison Garden.
To producers everywhere: keep going. The world needs more of you.