A Funny Thing Happened on My Way From the Garden

Looking in on my friend’s community garden this summer and harvesting a fabulous assortment of veggies – from lettuce to peas to giant, juicy field cucumbers – inspired me to want to share the harvest, feed people, connect with people. I’ve noticed a hint of that from others, too.

One day at the farmers market this summer a woman whom I had inadvertently butted in front of, excused my error, let me in line ahead of her, offered me some of her fresh cherries as she raved about them, and proceeded to tell me which booths were best for various crops. She was delightful!

That kind of interaction happened a lot when I was living on the Prairies, but I’ve missed it all the while I’ve lived here in the “big city.”

I think it has something to do with working the land and enjoying its fruits. It just seems to bring out the best in us. And it isn’t only me.

One of the other gardeners at my friend’s community garden lent me tools and enthusiastically took me on a tour, pointing out all the amazing wonders in everyone’s garden. Immaculate rows of greenery in one. A large, beautiful artichoke. A perfectly ripe, plump cabbage.

And then he brought me carrots from his own plot to share with me.