July 2011
28 posts
georgia's place 5th anniversary bbq...yay! →
mybrooklynrooftopfarm.tumblr.com
yemi wrote this entry and i just wanted to echo the thrill of the realization of our dream, namely that we would be able to feed our residents from the roof farm. as the years go on and we hone our craft, it is now easy to see how we will be able to provide more vegetables in a regular and significant way…
its been 5 years since our housing facility has been in existence and we have a lot to celebrate. both staff and residents have come a long way through some great times and some not so great ones. we love and appreciate each other. its tough not to get attached when we spend so much time together….
yemi's blog
just to clarify for all the followers out there, yemi and i are doing a tandem blogs, hers, mybrooklynrooftopfarm, is her personal account of the amazing things she is doing daily on the roof with the residents…we often reblog each others stuff
the tipping point
the residents of georgia’s place, (remember, they are formerly homeless, mentally ill adults) are continuing to take increasingly bolder steps onto the roof and into the farm. the laundry room for the building is located on the top floor, (which was perfect for our watering needs), and there is a large window overlooking the farm. from this window, the residents can see the burgeoning produce, straining toward the blue brooklyn sky.
a tipping point has been reached, and residents, gazing at the lush roofscape, are venturing out, asking questions, and participating in the care of the farm. i heard two women today orally constructing a watering schedule, (the watering, (with its calming, meditative, rhythmic motion), has rapidly become a sought after chore).
a gentleman that works during the week spent his vacation days from work constructing elaborate trellises from bamboo and twine for the tomatoes to lean on. he lives on the fifth, (top), floor right under the farm and told yemi that this summer his apartment is 10 to 20 degrees cooler requiring him to ease off on his air conditioner usage. he attributes this to the absorption of the sun by the soil and plants. (the fact that he pondered this at all is AMAZING!)
our regular farmers are also gaining momentum in terms of their commitment. there is no longer a need to persuade them to help, they are taking their own initiative and, under yemi’s tutelage, blossoming as gardeners.
very cool
