More Americans in the Garden

It's June so it is that time of year when we are considering the full summer crop transition but also when we start to have a regular flow of guests and guest volunteers in the garden. For the last four years we have collaborated with instructors from Georgia Tech University's Institute for Leadership and Social Impact to serve as a host site for their visiting students while they spend time as students abroad in Hungary. In past years the entire visiting group has spent a day on the farm learning about agroecology in practice and short food supply systems, or worked in smaller groups providing assistance on researching topics and themes of relevance for the farm or Cargonomia. We are very happy to have the chance to collaborate with a program that works diligently to connect visiting students with inspiring civic actors and social advocates doing meaningful work in Hungary and the surrounding region. 

As the lone American in our diverse garden team it also gives me a unique chance to interact with youth who are currently still living immersed in the complex reality of growing up in the United States. Escaping the background noise and constant bombardment of sensory overloading communication, advertising and attention grabbing media gives a good chance to reflect from the outside, knowing it's problematic to make 1 to 1 comparisons about countries and cultures, but providing ample opportunity to make commentary on public transport, urban design, politics, entertainment, various interpretations of "enough" and everyone's other favorite topics of comparison. It is inspiring to see their open mindedness towards removing themselves from their largely urban comfort zones and spending a few days together exchanging viewpoints about life in the US and differences and similarities in Europe while getting our hands dirty in the garden, while also putting effort into a research project relevant to our activities. 

We work hard to remain open as a site for learning and exchange on the farm. Hosting guests and groups does not always fit into our regularly scheduled programming of sowing, weeding, harvesting and keeping the garden going but we feel it is an essential part of our duty in communicating better the real experience of small scale farming communities. We hope that the time invested in each on-farm program contributes to a better global understanding of the role that agricultural communities play in addressing complex social and environmental issues, and the risks involved in trying to sustain small scale organic farms and local food communities.