Spring Volunteer

There are prairie dogs here, they poke their heads out of holes that litter the land and dispense admonishments with sharp clicks as I turn off of Smith road and into a small parking lot. The noise of the freeway drops away and the smell of chickens and earth becomes stronger.

It is a Monday and a layer of dust covers everything in the Feed Denver office. The chickens are growing larger and their home has expanded to the entire south wall- they scratch at the wood shavings covering the floor, squawk, and stir up feathers and food. Monday is cleaning day. We dust and wipe, sweep and order, and try to clear our heads for the tasks at hand. We talk about the coming spring; radishes and micro greens to be planted, signs to be painted, events to be organized, newsletters to be mailed. There is so much to be done, it fills our heads and spins us sick like a ferris wheel.

Alright, Excel, help us in our time of need! We sit down to make sense of it all, make lists of tasks, and who will do them. Organization! Organization will save us! We list them; Task, What is Needed, Timeline, Notes- Who will man the farm market? Who will retrofit the hoop house? Paint the barrels? Stir the compost? Around and around it goes until a form begins to appear in columns and rows. And we pray for the form of it to show us results, the coming of spring, and people who are willing to get their hands dirty. The radishes will push their way through black earth, we will notice the how the sun shines just so on our grasses and garden beds, and with the ease of the seasons things become, and signs get painted.

You can help us usher in the spring by volunteering too; we will be having a joint Feed Denver and the Urban Farm clean-up weekend on April 10th and 11th. We will be revamping the hoop house, planting, weeding, and turning compost. Call or email to let us know you are coming and we'll make sure to save a place for you. Our farm stand will be open and have fresh greens and early produce to sell along with baked goods, sandwiches, and drinks.