Urban Farmer

Our church started a vegetable garden a few years ago, and it's raised hundreds of dollars for our Warming Center and other community efforts. It's also allowed many of us to get our hands dirty and learn a thing or two about growing food, city-slickers that we are.

I signed my city-mouse up to be on the garden team. I figure no one's too young to contribute once they're able and it would get us out in the sunshine!

So far, he's been a good farmer who loves to water the plants, eat the veggies, and play in the dirt. Sawyer's a huge fan of tomatoes, so he seems to find these mini ones particularly wonderful. Beans are a close second.

An interesting development in this year's garden has been the flourishing of seeds that we never planted, but that have risen out of soil that was from the church's compost bin. Peppers and gourds spring up all over the place that weren't planted. I mean, what the heck is this thing, a mellon? A cantaloupe? Whatever it is, it's massive and it's growing in our temperate garden unbeknownst to us.

I long for the day we have our own garden where we can sow and reap to our hearts content, but until then, this city plot will have to do!