The Flood of ‘24

From left to right, Ashlynn, Nay, and Nico bail water from a row of flooded potatoes. Also note Nico’s excellent Snoopy hat.

Hello, CSE enthusiasts! It’s Bonnie again, here to give the scoop on last week’s events.

Strawberries and raspberries at the community garden.

Monday

Sunday night, Albion was hit by a long-winded (ha ha) thunderstorm, and in some places was drenched by up to four inches of rain. As the sun emerged on a humid morning, we were treated to a muggy 90-degree day. 

We started with a few hours at the community garden, where we weeded rows of tomatoes, peppers, kale and beans, planted okra from seed, and patched a few holes in the fence, thanks to a certain baby groundhog. Finally, a few of us harvested raspberries and strawberries before we headed to the student farm…

A few rows of plants at the farm, looking soupy after a storm.

We arrived to find the aisles flooded and plants disheveled, but happy. 

However, our potatoes were in some trouble. Because potatoes are planted in trenches, they were essentially submerged – and if left alone, could rot in the excessive moisture. 

We bailed out as much muddy water as we could, filled in the rest with dry dirt, and planned to hope for the best.

Tuesday

We began this day at the farm, where we finished planting in the hoop house. With all 5 rows finished, it’s really clear just how far it’s come since being destroyed by a storm in 2022.

The hoop house in 2022, destroyed after a storm.

The interior of the hoop house last week, fully repaired and planted.

With fully installed irrigation and fencing, the hoop house can now be a hoop house once again!

Unfortunately, not all of the news was good. Our poor potatoes were squishy and fuzzy – a sure sign that they’d rotted out. We decided it might be better to plant them on the far side of the farm in the future, where the ground isn’t as low and the risk of flooding isn’t so high.

Curtis bikes with one hand with a box full of food on his shoulder.

In the afternoon, we helped out at the weekly Community Table food distribution, and Nay tried to ride Curtis’s bike around the parking lot – no one told her how to stop, and the brakes were a little funny. 

Thankfully, no one crashed, and Curtis got an opportunity to show off his biking skills. 

Wednesday, Juneteenth! 🎉

On Wednesday, I was away at home attending various doctor’s appointments – but the day was special all the same, as it was June 19th, Juneteenth! 

To learn more about the holiday, and why everyone should celebrate it, explore these links!

Thursday, Nay’s Birthday! 🥳

Tynayia poses with the lemon pound cake.

Starting off at the student farm, the group shared some lovely lemon pound cake, courtesy of Thom, to celebrate Nay’s 21st birthday! Tynayia is one of the most genuine, hard-working, joyful people I know. 

She’ll make you laugh, volunteer for the most intimidating job, and dress better than everyone in the room. Happy birthday, Nay!

That afternoon, we helped out at the pantry distribution – it was a hot day to work in a building with no air conditioning, even if it was the basement of Wesley hall. We spent some of our time handing out cold waters to waiting families – and ultimately, the time flew by.

The CSE interns pose with the Community Table of Albion after the pantry food distribution on Thursday.

Friday, Thom’s Birthday! 🥳

A bin of blueberries, champagne berries, and a single strawberry.

On Friday, we helped out at the community garden, where we weeded a few rows in the hoop house, organized, and harvested raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, black raspberries, and champagne berries. 

And if you’re wondering what a champagne berry is, it’s sort of like a yellow raspberry with a more mellow aftertaste –reminiscent of champagne!

This day was also Thom’s birthday! As a supervisor, professor, and advisor, Thom has a great attitude and plenty of patience. His genuine care for his students and his community are clear in his willingness to give of himself, his resources, and his expertise with no expectation of return. Happy birthday, Thom!

On a personal note, this was a rough day in the garden for me. I’ve been on a journey with some new medication for my anxiety, and this morning was just too much. Every sound and smell that would normally be in the background was right up front. Paired with bugs, humidity, and the sun, it was downright overstimulating.

Normally, being outside is an escape for me. It’s relaxing, fun, and easy. But this day was so different – it really helped me understand that not every space, even outside, is accessible depending on your needs and sensitivities – and every day can be different. 

Most days aren’t like this for me – but this one was. 

Even as someone who struggles with mental health and has many loved ones with these kinds of experiences, it can be easy to minimize the discomfort they describe. I hope that feeling like this, and talking about feeling like this will make it clear how real these feelings are. 

I’m so grateful for my coworkers, supervisors, friends, and family for their understanding and support while I manage these new experiences. Thanks, y’all. :)

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming…

Saturday

The "open" sign at the MUFI farm in Detroit.

Bright and early Saturday morning, we made our way to Detroit, where we visited the Eastern Market, one of the largest and oldest farmers markets in the US. We spent a few hours shopping, meeting vendors, and exploring the market before leaving to visit the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MUFI). 

This was CSE’s second time volunteering with MUFI, and the experience was startlingly similar to the year prior – the tour, heat, and even our tour guide himself managed to match last year’s, down to his outfit!

Our tour guide at the MUFI farm in Detroit explains details about the Children's Sensory Garden.

All the same, the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative is a huge, high-impact, and clearly well-loved program. 

And that’s the news from last week! Thank you for reading, and humoring my personal ramblings – have a great Tuesday!