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…
“We
must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today is the holiday commemorating Dr King’s birth. Festivities are planned in Downtown Fort Worth later this morning. My grandkids have the day off from school. Government offices are closed, although not only because of the holiday. Some have been closed for a while. Thirty-one days to be exact…
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!
gregoryjoel.com 