FOOD for Lane County - Gaia Brusasco

Youth Enjoys Time on the Farm

Gaia Brusasco spent her summer working on FOOD for Lane County's Youth Farm. The 17-year-old was a member of a 12-member paid Youth Crew who planted, cared for and harvested vegetable crops on the 3-acre farm. The Youth Crew also ran an on-site farm stand from June through October and sold produce through a vegetable subscription or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Gaia recently spoke about her experience at the farm. Here is what she said.

My Latin class this coming Spring Break is going to Italy. When my teacher announced the trip I decided that I wanted to go. Unfortunately it costs quite a bit. And even with my parents chipping in what they could, I still didn't have enough money. Because my family has always been a big supporter of FOOD for Lane County, I asked if there were any summer jobs open at the food bank. It was then that I heard about the Youth Farm.

It sounded like exactly what I was looking for. A nice summer job that hires 14-18 year olds with an extra emphasis on hiring those from low-income families. I'm home schooled, so I also welcomed the chance to meet other youth and make friends.

I joined the Youth Crew, and in the process of growing plants this summer at the Youth Farm, we ourselves grew. We grew as individuals as we shared ideas and opinions and as we listened to other's views. We also grew as a group, forming a close circle of friends. We were supportive of one another.

Some of the food we grew went home with us to our families. I took home carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, salad mix, garlic, melons, apples, spinach, strawberries, peppers, celery, tomatoes and probably many other things I'm forgetting about. My family budgets a lot, and our grocery budget is $50 a week for the three of us. The things I brought home were a big help, given how much they often cost at the store, so we were able to buy some other things we don't normally get to have. Ice cream especially.

All in all, I greatly enjoyed my experience at the farm this summer. I did a lot of fun things, learned so much and met and made friends with so many wonderful people. I'm grateful for the Youth Farm because it allowed me to work toward my own personal goal of getting to Italy as well as the goals of our community. I also appreciate Youth Farm supervisors Jen Anonia and Ted Purdy. I learned a lot from them. I sincerely hope this valuable asset to our community continues to teach and enrich for many years to come.

For more information about the Youth Farm or FOOD for Lane County's Gardens Program, contact Jen Anonia at gardens@foodforlanecounty.org or (541) 343-2822.