THE YOUTH FARM PROJECT
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Week One- Community

7/3/2015

 
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This week marked the beginning of a summer of new experiences for 25 teenagers who set out to find a job. Here at the Youth Farm Project they ended up with something different than they might have expected. From endless beds of weeding, to bagels with cilantro pesto, to running through the Tunnel of Love, a summer at the Youth Farm is an experience you won’t find anywhere else.
This summer was my first time leading a crew, bringing me more challenges and rewards than my summer here last year. In this first week I watched everyone meet the farm and learn about what their next seven weeks would look like. Monday and Tuesday were crew leader training days. The other crew leaders and I refreshed our bean planting and carrot weeding skills, and we discussed the responsibilities and goals involved in leading a crew. I learned a lot of new things about the workings of the farm during these two days that had been mysteries to me last summer. Being a crew leader comes with a lot of responsibility, but it also is a lot of fun; sometimes you get to be in on what game you’re about to play, when it’s a big secret to everyone else.
On Wednesday all the young people arrived for their first day. Wednesday and Thursday were orientation days, we gave a tour of the farm, met the chickens, discussed work expectations, and played a bunch of name games. One of the biggest surprises, in my opinion, of working on the Youth Farm is all the game playing we do. Games are one of my favorite parts of the work day, something I don’t think most people can say about their job. Another surprise of the Youth Farm is how quickly you can get to know your co-workers. For me meeting people on the farm is different from meeting people at school or another job; I think it’s easier to connect with people when you have to work together to untangle the “human knot”, or to pound a field of tomato-trellising stakes into the ground. In addition to games and orientation on the first two days, everyone was also introduced to farm work, we jumped right in to weeding all of the garlic so it would soon be ready for a big harvest.

Week one was a busy start to a busy summer, and I think all of us can say we learned something new.

-Corrine Hill-James, 2015 Crew Leader

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Chris Sperry
8/26/2015 10:10:12 pm

tried to RSVP for the Sept 1 dinner for 2 people but notice returned: "yfp@gmail not found"

Rayna Joyce
8/30/2015 04:47:57 am

Hey Chris, sorry for the confusion, the email is actually "[email protected]" but I can see how that was not clear on the invite. No worries though, and we hope to see you on Tuesday!


Comments are closed.

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The Youth Farm Project | 24 Nelson Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 | [email protected]
  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • OUR MISSION
    • OUR STORY
    • 2022 Annual Report
    • WHO WE ARE >
      • Staff
      • Alumni
      • Board
    • WHO SUPPORTS US
    • WHERE OUR FOOD Goes
  • PROGRAMS
    • SUMMER PROGRAM
    • SOCIAL JUSTICE IMMERSION
    • FARM TO SCHOOL >
      • The Fresh Snack Program >
        • School Snack Partners
        • Fresh Snack Guidelines
        • Fresh Bites
        • Classroom Education
      • Field Trips
      • Social Justice Lending Library
    • COMMUNITY GARDEN
    • HARVEST BOX
  • GET INVOLVED
    • JOBS >
      • Farm Manager
      • Lead Educator
    • VOLUNTEER
    • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
    • JOIN OUR BOARD
    • Help us fundraise
  • GIVE TODAY
    • DONATE
    • Wish List
    • BECOME A BUSINESS SPONSOR
  • CONTACT US
  • News & Press
    • BLOG
    • NEWS
  • FARM MAP
  • New Page