Today we drove out to A & H farms and met Andrea, the owner of the farm. She had the potatoes brought to the surface with machines that morning. We jumped on the truck bed as she drove us to the field. It reminded me of riding in the back of lorries in Guatemala, only we needed about triple the people and mountainous curvy roads to feel the same.We tossed the crates off the side of the truck every 10 feet. I think the key to anything is efficiency - work smart not hard - and this was a small glimpse of that. While I think most of us felt satisfied after our hour labor of picking potatoes, I know if we had to do it day after day we would tire of it quickly. It was dusty, dirty, and hot which I embrace for time periods because it reminds me of my frailness as a human, but is not physically easy.
Now that we've had time to reflect on the experience, our professor Matt asked us what we connected with. The thing that raises the most questions in my mind are the people. I heard Andrea speaking Spanish and got excited. When I realized she was not talking to us, but talking on the phone, I immediately envisioned the person on the other end. Who is she communicating with? What do they do on the farm? Where are they from? What is their life like?
As a student beginning my adventure in social art practice I am attracted to it because I can hopefully do something positive for the world, educate, and reach into multiple disciplines, and constantly be learning. Farming has the exact same characteristics. Farming is so multifaceted -the science of growing, business, managing people, and the deep traditions and knowledge passed from generation to generation. Not everything is predictable or controllable. You have to observe and adapt. Farming and Social Practice are both SO exciting and have so much to offer and learn. I feel like this field and the people I interact with give me as much or more than I can do for them.
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