A Little Dirt is Good for You

        Dirt covered every inch of my frozen cold hands and had even wiggled its way up under my fingernails. My blue jeans were soaked in the mucky substance, especially around my knees, showing signs of four hours of exhausting labor, crouching and crawling on the greenhouse’s dirt floor. My boots were no exception to the dirt’s wrath as they too were coated in the earth’s skin. I felt grimy and cold, but I also felt refreshed and inspired.
  It just so happened that the Friday after I had read the first several chapters of “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,” by Barbara Kingsolver, I was signed up to volunteer at Grand Valley’s Sustainability and Agriculture Project. As president of the Rotaract Club at Grand Valley, I had organized for the club to volunteer there a few Fridays in November. Luckily, because of the fortunate timing, I was able to indulge myself in Kingsolver’s agricultural stories before experiencing some of them first hand.
  As soon as I entered one of the green houses, I was struck with the beauty of the plants. Though I did not know what was growing and where, I saw luscious green colors sprouting from various beds of dirt. After introducing myself to several people, I was put right to work pulling weeds. I began my task crouching, worried that my jeans would get dirty, however, that feeling quickly faded as I realized how difficult it was to squat for so long! I soon began crawling in the soil on my hands and knees; my quads were grateful.
Though pulling weeds may not sound so exciting, it provided for a very relaxing afternoon to reflect on Kingsolver’s words of agricultural wisdom. I was able to pluck away at the small green plants, digging my hands into the earth over and over again, until I had cleared a spot, while thinking about the little ways that humans can positively change their consumption habits by eating locally. After quite some time spent weeding and wondering, I gave myself a short break. Despite the repetitiveness and the exhaustion that I now felt in my arms and legs, it was delightful getting to breathe in fresh air with a community of people that truly love plants and the earth. I also reflected on the hard and tiring work that goes into eating locally, leading me to really appreciate the Kingsolver family’s dedication to eating locally and growing their own food for a year.
The manager noticed my break and suggested that I take a real “pea break.” At first, I was not sure what he meant. I thought I had misheard him until he plucked a pea pod off of a nearby small, white flower and gently placed it into the palm of my hand. Instantly, I was enchanted. I had never eaten anything right off of a plant and was confused on how a pea pod could even grow from a flower! The manager explained that the flower was part of the beautiful process and created the seeds, also known as the peas. I carefully ate the pea pod, appreciating every single bite that electrified my taste buds greater than any vegetable ever has. The pea pod was so sweet and delicious, making me wish that I could eat a vegetable so fresh every day of my life.
Before I left, I was given another snack. This time, the manager handed out a carrot to all of the volunteers. At first, I looked at the carrot with a bit of uncertainty: it was covered in little bits of dirt and still had the leafy greens attached to its head. However, it was the most delicious carrot that I have ever eaten, full of fresh, sweet flavors. Other volunteers shared my uncertainty until the manager explained that a little dirt is actually good for everything but a person’s teeth.
Though I will still prefer a washed vegetable to a dirty one, I cannot wait until eating fresh and locally grown food becomes a part of my reality. Getting a glimpse inside the life that Kingsolver writes about, I can see why it is so fulfilling. Overall, I left the project that Friday afternoon with a restored mind and body, belly full of garden-fresh vegetables, and hopefulness for a future full of foods that haven’t spent thousands of miles in trucks to get to my dinner plate.

   
 

Seedlings of Hope

      I have visited my cottage on Higgins Lake every summer that I can remember, yet there was so much I didn’t know about the area until a few years ago. Less than a mile away from my cottage, there is a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Museum site. Every summer growing up around the lake, I would make my way to the historical area filled with intriguing, old buildings and a majestic forest of trees. I always found the place interesting and beautiful, but left it at that, without reading the information on the sides of the buildings or touring them on a day the various historical museums were open for visitors. For the most part, I would mindlessly wander around observing the buildings or go for a run through the forest trail surrounding them. I cherish my runs through the hilly dirt trail. There is a particular part of the three-mile trail that always leaves me speechless with its overwhelming beauty. Trees tower above the trail in perfectly straight lines for at least a half-mile. I suppose I always thought that these were magical trees that naturally were flawless in order. However, I eventually learned otherwise. These trees have a much greater story to tell.
      During my freshman year of high school, I discovered this story when one of my classes required students to do “cultural events.” Students had to find a place where they could learn about a part of history or a particular culture, and do a project on it. Already traveling up north a few weeks before the project was due, I figured that the CCC Museum would be just the right place to pursue the assignment. I was correct in my assumptions.
      I learned that the Grayling CCC Museum that I visited was just one of many around the United States. The Presidential election of 1932 led to the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as America’s new president. Roosevelt determinedly planned to utilize unemployed, young men to fight against soil erosion and diminishing timber resources. To do so, he enacted the Emergency Conservation Work Act, also known as the CCC. Young men were eager to enroll in the new program and were able to send paychecks home to families, boosting the economy all around the nation. While benefiting themselves, and their families, these men were also able to help the nation’s environment. Among other great accomplishments, more than three billion trees were planted, which explains the perfectly aligned trees in the forest behind the museum. The men also devoted time to other conservation activities, including, but not limited to, protecting range for the Grazing Service, helping with stream improvement, and protecting wildlife’s natural habitats.  Unfortunately, despite its great success, the CCC program ended in 1942 (CCC Legacy).
      After learning all about the CCC Museum and the story behind the towering trees, I began to wonder: would it be possible for the United States to do something like this again? There is no doubt that America is in need of environmental adjustment, and I know that with the current economy, many citizens would appreciate jobs. The program worked once, and it could certainly work again for struggling citizens and a desperate environment that needs America’s attention.

Source:

"CCC Brief History." CCC Legacy. 2015. Web. 4 Nov. 2015.
http://www.ccclegacy.org/CCC_Brief_History.html