SOYL has been a really fun experience thus far ( re: this is only my THIRD DAY doing SOYL ), and I’m so happy I took this great opportunity. There’s been a lot of gardening–weeding–and cooking, sharing stories and having laughs. It’s feeling really tight-knit already and the first day, I barely knew any names at all. I’ve been feeling very connected to my crew already though I’ve only know all of them for three days.
My crew and I were the first to do Community Eats, and it was so much fun. I love cooking so it was a very fun time for me. We spent all of the morning preparing lunch, which were tacos! Who doesn’t love tacos? Especially with the excellent BBQ jam we received generously from a local chef who came to cook with us. The entire meal was vegan/vegetarian which I really appreciated because I am a vegetarian.
At first, I was slightly anxious of the meal, because I wasn’t sure if it was vegetarian, or if it would be conscious of some dietary needs or concerns ( not only for me but other people as well ). But I was pleased to discover that not only will every meal SOYL will make with Community Eats is vegan/vegetarian but also income-conscious or barrier-conscious. Not only that, but the tacos were filled with veggies for good health. It was so delicious too! I’ve had some not-so-great experiences with doing a cooking program that would try to implement vegetarian or vegan dishes but it not turning out well because it would try to mimic dishes that usually used animal products or meat. Also, we had a vegetable of the week ( how awesome is that? ), which was kohlrabi.
Rosalind commented that it looked like an alien head.
As for the farming part of the program, I feel like I’ve really learned a lot there past couple of days. It’s been a bit of labor but also so much learning through that labor. Types of weeds, how to use gardening tools, some history input here and there about the Fresh Roots program, when to pick the leafs off a kale plant. It’s all been a very enriched education. Like the enriched so(y)l in the urban farms.
SOYL feels so different from summer formal education, like summer school. I dread the boring, I’m-half-asleep, this-classroom-is-so-hot classes you take in summer school! Granted, maybe this isn’t everyone, but it certainly is for me! I almost make it a point not to take summer school when I don’t need to. It just feels like a waste of the summer, where I could be enjoying the outside, soaking in the couple of weeks when Vancouver has sun. SOYL is really educational and enjoyable at the same time, plus we’re outside almost all day. Getting the fresh air, the sun, and bonding with people that share a lot of the same interests. Another plus, there’s no homework and it’s very engaging. You’ll never find a moment when you aren’t doing something.
I really look forward to the coming weeks of this program.
SOYL Crew Member – Rebecca
“Like the enriched so(y)l in the urban farms” – love what you did there?
Really enjoyed this post, Rebecca. Thanks for sharing!