Last week of the summer semester

Hello, there!

It is already August, and I hope everyone has been enjoying a blight-free summer.

This post will summarize what we've done so far as an agroecosystem management class during the semester.

On July 26th, we worked at the terrace garden, harvesting vegetables for market.

These are few pictures of thriving crops.

Other than harvesting and processing, we also did staking and pruning of tomatoes, applying the organic liquid fertilizer and compost to tomatoes, and managing the floor, weeding.

The Kwantlen Street Market runs every Tuesday 3pm to 7pm until the Oct 18th.

Anna, an assistant at the Institute of Sustainable Food System faculty, moved to California with her husband to complete his Ph.D program there.

We, both students and faculty members, appreciate her sincere dedication and her passion and love.

Best of luck in California!

On Thursday July 28th, we worked at the orchard for the last class of this semester.

This time, we harvested bean, squash, carrot, beet, scallion, and potato.

There was some insect damage to root crops such as potato and carrot, but, fortunately, nothing devastating.

I found that being involved with food production is a critical part of human "life", and see this opportunity offered by the sustainable agriculture program by KPU as really valuable and meaningful.

Not only were the faculty passionate, deliberate, and knowledgeable, but the students also see their vision clearly and work together tirelessly. I love it.

Throughout this busy summer, I have been struggling to live more "frugally" and found that farming is the key to my goal. Although the farming activities, such as weeding and harvesting, are quite repetitive and simple tasks, there is value in conversing with mother Nature each day through those simple actions.

I am not saying we all need to be involved in actual food production, but aiming to encourage people's awareness of food and the food system could make our society more joyful, resilient and sustainable.

Have a great summer you all!

Best regards,

Masa