Rutgers University Alternative Breaks: Spicy Contacts and Chicki Minaj

So yesterday started with a rude car alarm awakening; today wasn't the pleasantest either. Remember those peppers from Phil's delicious dinner last night? Apparently the spicy stuff in peppers stays on your fingers for quite some time, which makes for difficulties when taking off, and especially putting on contact lenses. Oh, the burning! Like yesterday, though, bad beginnings weren't indicative of what was to come later on. We had our last delicious breakfast at the New York Loft Hostel and said our tearful goodbye to what was the most unexpected and delightful surprises of the trip. In the minivan taxi, air laden with the smell of Ocean Mist Car Fresheners (there were at least five hanging in the back, smacking Randi in the face with every jerky acceleration) and Spanglish spiritual songs, all six of us, I'm sure, were wondering what today had in store.

We rolled up to Wingate High School and, seeing that we were early, took extensive pictures taking advantage of the scenery and the murals on the school. Stacey Murphy, the founder of BK Farmyards and my new role model, arrived not too long afterwards and thus began our work day. She gave us a nice tour and dropped some sweet knowledge about the garden itself; for instance:

-Wingate High School is situated on one of the best patches of land in Brooklyn, thanks to its origins as a pig farm
-the garden gives students opportunities to learn more about sustainable agriculture, but also grows crops for the community and offers urban farmer training for adults
-the garden focuses on soil-based farming on the ground (as opposed to hydroponic, rooftop farming, etc.) because of all the magic that goes on thanks subterranean ecosystems; plus it's cheap!
-one handful of ground soil contains more microbes than there are humans on earth!
-ground-grown crops are more nutrient-dense than rooftop crops, which are both way more nutrient-dense than what you'd normally find in the grocery store

She also took us around the garden and gave us different plants like sorrel, sage and parsley to try. We headed thereafter into the greenhouse (whimsically named Harriet the Hoop). We sat in a circle on milk crates and talked about what problems we face in the food system and what food justice means in a very real sense (for some definitions generated by our own members, check out our Twitter @RUCommService). She put her efforts and those of other urban farmers in the larger context of food justice and we got into a really stimulating and heated discussion about a wide range of things all encompassed by food and food culture. Also, she talked about how much her students love and are edified by the garden, and how gardens that involve student efforts put power back into their hands. They're involved in all aspects of food production (like naming chickens after flavor-of-the-month pop stars and using mathematical principles to build plant shelters in the garden) and provides a more holistic sense of education. All such awesome and really crucial dialogue!

And of course, a work day wouldn't be complete without work; our main efforts of the day involved turning compost to help the decomposition process. Lots of sweaty work, but (safe) tomfoolery helped get the job done with smiles all around. The day passed by super quick and we were soon on our way back to Manhattan. No subway mishaps or getting lost this time around, and we jetted to Breeze, a Thai-French restaurant where we had our final debriefing and last dinner together as a group. Under dim lighting and over plates of steaming curry, we reflected on how much we accomplished and learned in such a short amount of time. I can personally attest to how much closer these issues and these six individuals got to my heart within the span of days. Indeed, food, something absolutely essential to life, has gained a more comprehensive social, political and communal frame thanks to this Alternative Breaks trip. Thank you to everyone who made this possible, and to you for reading! Stay excited to hear from winter break trips, coming up so very soon!