On Saturday, July 8 I went to the first volunteer day at the United Teen Equality Center (UTEC) in Lowell, MA. I walked into a spirited water balloon fight and checked in with Derek Mitchell, the leader of the farm crew. We sat in a circle and got started with a mood check (if you’re a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 you get a round of applause). We split into groups and started on a tour of the farm – my group started in the 3 sisters garden.

Clumps of 3 sisters (corn in the middle, beans around them, with squash around the edge) were planted in circles surrounded by mulch, making a big polka dotted field. During the tour, one teenager spotted a weed, offering it to the visitors and explaining how to chew the heart-shaped leaves until they had a lemony taste. After the farm tour we had a workshop on companion panting and then another on the 7 steps to build a raised bed. I worked laying newspaper, wetting it so it wouldn’t blow away and then laying down mulch around the 3 sisters garden.

After a break for some spicy garlic scape pesto that Sarabelle brought from The Farm School, Kenny and Chinaya spoke about local and organic agriculture. I ask Kenny if his food choices have changed. He said no, sheepishly, but did say he’d tried new foods on the farm. That afternoon youth led a compost workshop and we admired their new wash station – hose hooked up to a kitchen sink with the wash water drained by hose to keep the compost wet. Our last workshop was on germination – how they raised seedlings in their new greenhouse. After a work block turning compost and planting mustard greens, our day ended in a feast – corn on the cob, amazing grilled zucchini marinated in salad dressing.