Jessica Berry is the Great Kids Farm Volunteer Coordinator, completing a year of service with the Episcopal Service Corps. She grew up in Baltimore City, living in Locust Point, Federal Hill, and Port Covington. Here she shares some thoughts on her personal experiences at Great Kids Farm.
By Jessica Berry
Growing up, I thought Pasadena was the countryside and I hated the quiet that brought the sounds of crickets. Then my parents left the city and bought a farm. I left the gray muted colors of the city and like Dorothy in OZ, everything was suddenly in color, except in my case, everything was green. I learned to appreciate the quiet and the dark. I watched my parents experiment with vegetables and fruit trees; with horses, chickens and guinea fowl; with lawn mowers, tractors, four-wheelers, and hay bailers. I did not participate. The farm was pretty and the things my parents did were neat, but I just wasn’t interested. I did not like getting dirty and I was afraid of the chickens, I was even afraid of driving the four-wheeler. It wasn’t long before I went away to college and didn’t have to worry about it anymore.
So now that I am finally back in the city, wouldn’t it figure that my service corps work placement was at a farm? What’s even more ironic is that I love it. I love picking up bugs and getting soil all over my hands. I love showing students I am not afraid of nature and that, if I can do it, so can they. I love when the students look at me, eyes wide with fear and curiosity. It makes me feel like a super hero.
I have gained a wealth of knowledge through research on vegetables, herbs, trees, and composting. I have been introduced to new vegetables, a new vocabulary, and a new way of life. I can transplant seedlings into the field. I can harvest vegetables and understand safe food handling practices. I can cook vegetables I never imagined eating before. I can lead a farm lesson, and I can train volunteers to do the same.
From growing a garden of my own, to teaching my dad a thing or two, to working for Baltimore City Schools; working at the farm has given me some big dreams to work on.