It’s a beautiful, but still hot, Sunday morning here in Fort Worth. The record for triple-digit days in September was demolished days ago. It’s been 100 degrees or more for most of the last twenty days and nights are offering little relief. However, that’s supposed to change this week with highs in the nineties and lows in the seventies. Seeds will finally be able to germinate with lower ground temperatures. The seventy degree nights offer a chance for the soil to recover and maintain a lower, more constant temperature. My fiftieth high school reunion was this weekend in Denver, Colorado. I would’ve loved to enjoy the cooler climes of Colorado and see folks I haven’t seen except on Facebook for the last fifty years, but I have a fantastic week coming up at Opal’s Farm and couldn’t be there. There’s way too much work to do. Think of me guys while I’m sweating away…
We want to make a major announcement this week at Opal’s Farm this week. In 2021, our friends Cort DeHart and Kent Bradshaw formed a non-profit called the Funkytown Food Project based on the model created by The Food Project in Boston. For the last five years they’ve built an amazing community and youth-based project offering paid internships to students at Conundrum Farms in Crowley. Please check out their website at www.funkytownfoodproject.org to learn more about their youth and community programs.
This year they expanded their summer program to the academic year, and I’m pleased to announce that yesterday Funkytown Food Project began working at Opal’s Farm for the Fall semester. Our first day was amazing. Each of the student interns has been through the summer program and experienced a working farm. It’s such a joy to partner with Funkytown and share in the benefits of not only experienced farmhands, but young people that exhibit the values of respect for the land and other people, true leadership, and diligence and creative thinking rarely seen in the workplace anymore. I was inspired and uplifted by each of the students.
The students work in the morning and then spend the afternoon learning leadership skills, social and food justice issues, and community-building – the things often overlooked in school. It’s these values that are core to Opal’s mission as well and this was a perfect partnership to be a part of. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have Funkytown Food Project at Opal’s Farm and can’t wait to see them all on the coming Saturdays.
We’re still low on produce this week. The record-breaking heat we’ve had this month has slowed our production to a crawl. Although new items will be available soon, Opal’s Farmstand is still open each Saturday. If we don’t have much produce, Tabor Farms is there each Saturday with their produce. Please don’t forget the herbal teas, salves, and the jams, jellies and pickles available each Saturday as well. We have two new neighborhood vendors who’ve applied to participate in the farm stand as well. We’re still open during our summer hours from 9AM until noon through October 3rd. We’ll be changing hours the following week from 11AM until 2PM on the 10th. Hopefully, the worst of our summer heat will be gone!
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