Week 3

This is a "Cat Tunnel." Note the distinct method of tying down the tarp, from which the name arises.

This week at gaining ground, we got a couple of important tasks done. Most notably, we spent Thursday preparing one of the greenhouses for growing tomatoes by amending, mulching, and tilthing the soil. On Friday and Saturday, we built a total of five "caterpillar tunnels, inside of which we will grow veggies that don't do so well in direct sunlight.

Putting together the Cat Tunnels was hard work, requiring lots of heavy lifting, rope pulling, and perseverance in the face of muddy conditions, hot days, and for me personally, lots of pollen irritating my eyes and nose. I got through it by taking appropriate water breaks as well as sheer determination. When we were finally finished with all five, with minutes to spare on saturday, we all felt an immense sense of accomplishment.

The last three weeks of working at Gaining Ground has opened my eyes to the modern world of farming. I never would have otherwise realized that successfully running even a small farm requires such a massive logistical effort, such specialized equipment, and such refined practices. Humanity has learned a lot about the optimal way to grow since the beginning of agriculture, and learning and applying the sum of that knowledge is no small task.