This spring, my weekdays consist of rising at 6 a.m., working until 3:15, and usually class or rehearsal, while my weekends are full of dance or song practices and performances—a pretty packed term, I would say! Nevertheless, change is inevitable; sometimes our plates are full and, as long as what you’re spending time on is nutritious, time is never wasted.
For my first co-op, I have been working at CareSource, a nonprofit that provides public healthcare programs in Ohio, while also continuing my work as an artist and becoming a part of a Black farming project. As part of my farming work, I have been attending one class a week at the Edgemont Incubator Farm Program, which teaches me how to care for and prepare the soil, about different types of pests and weeds, time management, and introduces us to marketing outlets that will allow us to sell our very own produce. Every Wednesday, I feel so drained when I get off work so the thought of class from 5:30 to 8:30 just seems like so much, but I’ve made the effort to make it to every class no matter what, and, without fail, I am reenergized as soon as we begin.
My partner, Reggie, my friend, Dionte, and my father are also a part of my journey to become a Black Millennial farmer! It’s exciting venturing out onto our plots of land to see what hard work and dedication look like. I’ll give you a visual—it looks like bushels of healthy red kale that were transplanted a few weeks ago, sprouting onions and scallions (or seeds still germinating below the surface), other members’ tomatoes, and a groundhog wobbling away with its stomach full of our lettuce. This is a thrilling adventure I am embarking on! Grateful to have this opportunity in my hometown!
