Choosing to Participate:
A Social Justice Service Project on Sustainability

I thought everything went pretty well. I got to experience what it felt like to have to handle a class full of wild kids. Also what Josh spoke to us about was so facinating. I couldn’t believe some of the things he revealed or told us because they just seem outragous. Like all the trash from such a distance and the little statistics that went along. I was just blown away by that information. The one thing that I would have changed was how short the activity was. I think that there still should have been two sessions, but I feel that if each one was a bit longer, it would have had a stronger impact of the fifth, sixth, and seventh graders.
Overall it went really well, but I’m glad to have this project off my shoulders. Even though we are not required to do our project at the Farmers Market, my group and I still want to go back and help out very once in a while because it is just so much fun.

When we first started preparing for the workshop, there were a few different ideas that we had. One idea was to have a taste test between deli food and organic food, but we dissagreed because we thought that just because it is organic, doesnt mean that someone will enjoy it more. For example we thought if someone loved Chips Ahoy cookies, those tested to an organic cookie might not compare for them. We kept narrowing down until we came to the conclusion that making a organic and local fruit salad would be enlightening and also fun. Some of the difficulties were finding fruit that grew locally and wouldn’t cost us too much money. Even though there were a lot of problems, we think that our workshop should be very effective because if people listen to the information that we are supplying, then they really might make a decision that they don’t need the mangos that grow in Costa Rica every week because it is horrible pollution and that they can eat the delicious food that grows near by.

Over the coarse of our sustainability project, my eyes have opened to many new things. What would happen if everyone ate organic food, and if fast food companies shut down? I think that everyone would be much happier. People might not be struggling with health or weight problems, and since food can change how you feel, people might just feel better when they eat better. I am sure the government knows about the the factory meat and what happens, but do they care? They are suppose to be for the people, but possibly causing people to be unhealthy and sick isn’t my idea of the government being for me.

Around 3:45, Sam, Lili, Sophie and I arrived at Liz Carollo’s office on Chambers Street. It was small and kind of cluttered, and at first she just talked to us about her various thoughts on the markets and on the office, such as allowing all the farmers to take credit cards with a special machine. Then I worked for a while on organizing various fliers by market. Then I filed them in a special shelf she had built. After I had done that, I worked with Sophie and Sam on finding possible recipes in Gourmet magazine that included lots of ingredients that were sold at the Greenmarket. I worked until about 6pm, then went home.

Sophie- after taking notes on the things that Liz pointed out about the farmers market, such as publicity, organization, and monetary needs. Then Lili and I laminated farmer’s market fliers. After Lili left, I helped organize fliers and pick out recipes that included ingredients that were sold at the farmers market. I was impressed with all the ideas that we came up with, but I was surprised at how messy the office is, and I wonder how they function during the day. This meeting gave me a real taste at what The Greenmarket behind the scenes is like. Everyone was really friendly, and we met a lot of farmers who were having a meeting in the next room. We met the head of Greenmarket, member of the farmer’s market committee, and many others. It felt good to be greeted as a fellow community member, because it was like we were already part of the group. It was amazing to see so many different people collaborate because they all care about a common goal.

Lili- When we first got to the office I had reconized farmers in a meeting. They were discussing the buisness aspect of running the market. And that is what the office is mostly about. They collect money, raise awareness and is basicly the buisness center of the market. Personally, I didn’t enjoy working there because I had alreadly expierienced the livliness of the market and found working at the office very boring. If I had to choose the hands on work every saturday morning over lamenating or organizing papers I would. The sustainable part is within the market and not the office.

Today, my group and I worked at the green market. I worked specifically at Breezy Hills Farm which sold apple cider and many pastries. Apart from learning about organic food, I really got a clear understanding about how the buissness works. I handled cash, explained the products being sold, and even burned my hands from the hot apple cider. If I were just to be walking by the market and had known nothing about it, I would have thought it was an easy job, but it is really very tiring. I also learned that pratically everything that goes into the food, they grow. Like they eggs, the fruit, and they produce their own milk. I was very impressed by the hard work that goes in the preparing and being a booth at the market.
Lili

Today, Sophie and I went to the Farmers Market at Union Square. We met with Davy and Matt who are the Market Managers. We spent three hours at that booth answering tons of questions and learned about how the Green Market worked, as well. Some questions included, where different booths were, who was here, dates, and volunteering. These probably college students interviewed us for a project. They recorded and asked us why we thought the market was important. I shared my ideas based on the Fast Food Nation reading and movie. At the end we scheduled with farmers to come every Saturday and Wednesday with the goat cheese, honey, and wool farmers.
I started to understand how the market worked and learned how it was run. It was very thrilling to stand there and have people ask you questions because you would feel so powerful.