To say I’m excited
would be an understatement! Several years ago, Ms. Opal Lee had a vision
for an urban farm. The Tarrant Regional Water District offered Unity Unlimited,
Inc. (our non-profit!) land near downtown. All it was waiting for to make it a
reality for was the right time. That time has come!
Opal’s Farm is ready to start planting our first crop!
In honor of the big day, Opal’s Farm is having a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, February 15th, 2019 at 11:00AM.
Opal’s Farm is an agricultural intervention to bring fresh produce
to area food deserts and revitalize Fort Worth communities. Our mission is to improve
the overall health and welfare of local communities through food access, jobs,
job training, education, and self-sufficiency – in keeping with old saying, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a
day. Teach a man to fish (or farm, in this case), and you feed him for a
lifetime.”
Come be apart of the journey beginning with our ribbon
cutting on February 15th.
I’ve attached an invitation. Please park in the vacant lot
in front of the entrance to Opal’s Farm and join us for the big day!
Thoughts from the Porch: We had another Arctic visitor yesterday. It’s the time of the year for frequent, though thankfully short-lived, visitations from our far northern neighbors. I awoke to a chill in the house. When the wind chill drops the thermometer, our heater takes a while to catch up in the morning. Jumping out of a cozy, warm bed to shut off the alarm is a bit of a shock on days like these. Such is January in North Texas…
This week was one of the few Wednesday’s
I missed my Fort Worth Development
Group meeting. Ms. Opal and I had a meeting causing a time conflict. The
good news is that I got to spend the drive time with one of my heroes for two
days in a row. That doesn’t happen often enough for me. Sometimes I just need
“Ms. Opal time”.
We were able to spend some time
together yesterday discussing business and having good conversation. I brag
about Ms. Opal only because she lives the kind of life that I hope to lead: one
full of love and service for others. It’s one of the main reasons I’m so
passionate about Opal’s Farm. It’s a reflection of the loving service of Ms.
Opal and the realization of a dream and doing something tangible for the
community.
We were speaking about the
events of Martin Luther King Day. It’s not simply a commemoration of Dr. King,
but a National Day of Service as well. She told me that, according to the Fort
Worth Star Telegram, over 800 people showed up at her small church to meet
prior to going out and serving various non-profits throughout Tarrant County.
Over 800 people giving up their day off to serve others!
Many of you know that I’m a bit
of a politics junkie. I usually spend some time on the newsfeed after my
morning quiet time. Sometimes I’m not sure why I do. It’s a long string of
cultural insanity, full of stories of human suffering, violence, and
hatefulness, particularly as it pertains to our current administration in
Washington, D.C. While it usually spurs me on to action, it’s often
overwhelming and leaves me feeling a bit hopeless. The future is bleak at
times. But…
Then I read or hear things like
800 people that gave their time to serve others. Despite all the negativity
that bombards us about society, there is an amazing amount of goodness out
there. I forget that sometimes…
It reminds me of the biblical
story of the prophet Elijah in I Kings 19. It seems that speaking the truth to a
corrupt King wasn’t a good idea, even if it was the right thing to do. In fact,
the King was so angry he put a price on Elijah’s head. Poor Elijah ran for his
life until he was hiding out in a cave, crying out to God that he was the only
good guy left in the world.
I get it. Doing the right thing
can be tiring at times and it can feel terribly lonely. Frustration keeps me
from seeing any good in the world. Fortunately, that wasn’t the end of the story
for old Elijah. You see, God answered him in a still quiet voice, assuring him
there was still a remnant of good, godly people in Israel: seven thousand to be
exact. He wasn’t alone. It just felt that way.
That isn’t the end of the story
for me, either. I guess that’s why I love my “Ms. Opal Time” so much. She
reminds me of the goodness in people. God hasn’t spoken to me in a cave (at
least not yet), but He always sends me someone like Ms. Opal. I’m not alone. I
know of at least 800 other folks working to make our little world a better
place…
Today is the proverbial “calm before the storm” here in Fort Worth. The high forecasted today is seventy degrees. A blast from our Canadian neighbors comes through tonight and tomorrow the wind chill will be in the teens. Just another Friday here in North Texas…
But… there’s good news even with the dismal forecast! Heavy rain is not predicted. This means drier soil and as such, we’re on a faster track for preparation for our first Spring planting at Opal’s Farm!
We’re excited. A ribbon cutting
is for the Farm is being planned. Disking, tilling, and preparations are moving
forward. However, we’re still short on our initial costs. That’s where you come
in…
I’ve put together a “Wish List”
for Opal’s Farm. If you can help us make our wishes come true, please let us
know. Your contributions are appreciated more than you know.
Opal’s Farm Wish List
Extension Cords (outdoors – 100’) 10 gauge max 15 amp
Water Coolers – 5 gal.
Rope (300 ft.)
String Line
Bundles of 2’ Construction Stakes
Levels (4 ft.)
4×4 Treated Lumber
2×4 Treated Lumber
Landscape Cloth (300’x4’)
Chairs
Pruning Shears
Potting Soil – 1.5 cu. ft. bags
Soil Amendments (Chalk, Gypsum) – .5 cu. ft. bags
Bees and Ladybugs
Compost
Sand
Sandy Loam
Pea Gravel
5 gal. Buckets
Plastic Storage Containers
Boxes for Produce
Work Gloves
Eye Protection
Back Support / Back belts
Please click on contact us if
you can help with any of these items or feel free to contact me, Greg Joel,
Farm Manager for Opal’s Farm at 817-333-8367.
My friend Jim used to remind me that “when you point the
finger at someone else, there’s always three pointing back at you”. I know
exactly what he meant. I tend to be judgmental when it comes to the use of
words. Take” irregardless” for instance. It gets used all the time and it
drives me nuts. It’s one of my pet peeves…
That being said, I have a confession to make. I’ve been misusing the word “sustainable” for the last few months. When I began telling everyone about Unity Unlimited, Inc. and Opal’s Farm last year I kept talking about being “sustainable”. I’m sorry, but that’s not completely accurate. Opal’s Farm is not simply sustainable, it’s regenerative. I beg your forgiveness because the difference is huge.
“Sustainable” has become a popular adjective, the new buzzword, especially in marketing. Everyone wants to be “sustainable”. I jumped on the bandwagon, too. Perhaps I heard it so much that I used it over and over when writing about Opal’s Farm. I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong.
3: renewal or restoration of a body, bodily part,
or biological system (such as a forest) after injury or as a normal process…”
Sustainability implies that we
maintain the status quo. That’s not good enough. The soil needs to be
regenerated: restored to the vitality nature intended. Commercial and residential
development as well as traditional agriculture has failed to address the issue
of soil health. Chemical fertilizers and land overuse destroy the soil. It
doesn’t need to be sustained. It needs to be regenerated. That’s what Opal’s
Farm does.
Regeneration goes far beyond maintenance.
It’s the process of revitalizing and rebuilding the soil, making it better and
healthier than before.
Healthy soil, built through
organic methods, produces healthier plants. In turn, healthy plants produce a
better harvest, both in quantity and quality. That goes on to affect the health
and vitality of the neighborhoods we serve.
If I make any resolutions this
year, I resolve not to use the word “sustainable”, at least when talking about
the farm. What we say – whether about ourselves, our society, or even an urban
farm – matters. Words matter. This year I prefer to be regenerative: to renew
and revive – both personally and for Opal’s Farm. You can learn more about the
farm at http://www.unityunlimited.org/opals-farm.html.
As always, we invite you to
become a “farmer” and join in the work at Opal’s Farm!
Thoughts From the Porch: My body clock tends to get thrown of schedule when Christmas and New Year fall in the middle of the week. When I was in corporate America, I was always grateful for a holiday in the middle of the week. Now that I work from home, not so much. I’ve become a creature of habit. It takes days to get back on a regular schedule. I’m becoming my father…
I wasn’t sure I should write this today. A “year in review” seems a little too cliché for me.. However, I’ve spent the last couple of weeks looking back and made some decisions about the coming year. It’s not about New Year’s resolutions mind you. I’ve paid for enough forgotten gym memberships and Blue Bell ice cream to know they’re pointless, no matter how well-intentioned. However, the post-Christmas, pre-New Year’s lull is the perfect opportunity to learn from the past, dive in to today, and look to the future. Year-long increments make it all easier to digest.
The past year hasn’t been the best of years as far as
finances are concerned. Starting a new business in a field I’ve been away from
for some time hasn’t been easy. There’s been a definite learning curve. I’m
grateful for the ability to learn today.
There’s been some lean times where more month was left than
money. Looking back, even those times afforded new opportunities for growth and
trust in the God of my understanding. God has never let us down. I can say that without reservation! However, I
tend to forget that when I’m in the middle of life’s difficulties.
Forgetfulness causes a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety. Fortunately, I’m
haven’t been as forgetful this year. I keep placing one foot in front of the
other. Let the proverbial chips fall where they may…
Whatever difficulties may have presented themselves this
past year, they fade in the light of God’s goodness to us. Many of you know
about Unity Unlimited, Inc., Ms. Opal Lee, and Opal’s Farm. For me it was a
dream come true. I’ve shared some of the events leading up to the farm. I see
God’s hand all over it: one miracle after another. We ended the year by
finalizing the Lease Agreement with the Tarrant Regional Water District and so
it begins! You can learn more about Opal’s Farm by going to our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/unityunlimited
or www.unityunlimited.org.
Don’t
forget that it’s the last day for a 2018 tax-deductible donation either…
I also want to take the opportunity to give a shout-out
to the new friends this last year who have become a favorite part of my week –
the members of the Fort Worth Development Group. I started looking for
networking groups and I received so much more.
Thank you to Brenda Ryan and The Referral Resource Guide (https://thereferralresourceguide.com)
for getting us all together.
I may not make New Year’s resolutions, but I plan on
spending some time asking myself some of the same questions I ask my clients. I
can easily get caught up in the minutiae of day-to-day work and lose sight of what’s
important: to my family, my business, my clients, and myself. I encourage you
to as well.
Who are you?
Who do you want to be?
How do you want people to see you?
I can’t think of a better time to ask these questions than at
New Year’s. Knowing who, and most importantly, whose I am fills the
coming year with joyous anticipation!
I also need to stop and say thank you to the WordPress community for making my first year with you all a blessing. I hope that you all have a blessed, prosperous, and Happy New Year!
gregoryjoel.com 