OKO JOURNAL
NOTES FROM THE FIELD 006
08.27.2024
NOTES FROM THE FIELD: NEYSY JAMES, FARM CREW
I enjoy the work of my hands and the sweat of my brow. Oko Farms is responsible for exposing me to more hands-on work. My farming work recently shown me that I am a Kinesthetic learner (individuals who learn more effectively by engaging the physical body, a more tactile approach to learning). I enjoy being outdoors and engaging my senses in my work. I deem working with plants as lively, engaging and relevant to the circle of life – birth, survival and death. Growing up as an inner city youth, the exposure to green outdoor spaces was few and far in between. Leaving the city was a luxury and if you didn’t get out in the summer, the cold of the winter kept you bound to its numbing freeze. My parents are from the Dominican Republic — an island next to Haiti which once colonized got the name Hispaniola. I often wonder what my ancestors were doing for work and if it resembles at all what I enjoy doing so much now. Farm work has a wholesome quality about it. It reminds you of the wonder and resiliency of plants and all the ways you as a human mirror that back to it.
The farm at first glance is a pungent green, vibrant and diverse. The variety of plants, herbs, and water sources decorate the space; for a metropolitan city such as NYC — it feels like an Eden. The farm is a sharp contrast to the grandeur industrious backdrop of the city, the hustle and bustle of the Man — Manhattan. I take pleasure in sharing what it’s been like for me. Harvesting forms a big part of my weekly tasks on the farm. It is my opportunity to get up close and personal with each plant.
I take delight in collecting the fruits of the hard working plants as well as pruning away any unfavorable leaves and fruit to better usher the plants growth. Similar to how us humans go through a pruning process with life’s many lessons and seasons.
For me the harvesting of ground cherries is distinct in that it is like one assumes the perspective of an ant; scavenging for the origami-like yellow fruit that falls from its tangled green branches. I enjoy the way the bees are always smitten with the scent of holy basil or tulsi that grows in abundance and at random on the farm. Or how with the harvesting of okra my eyesight becomes acute in collecting the camouflaging fruit! The okra’s itchy stalks guard the sword shaped yield. I remove any powdery white spotted mildew leaves as part of the pruning process. I learned that no matter what the state of a plant looks like to the naked eye, the roots are the real indicator of health. In our Deep Water Culture System or DWC for short, you can see the roots soaking in the water and assess whether or not they are healthy. Healthy roots are silky to the touch and bone white to the eye.
I am in awe of the wonder that is aquaponics. The seamless symbiotic relationship both plants and fish have with one another. The natural world has a perfect balance, a prolific give and take.Through my work, my reverence for my spirituality has only swelled up within me. The space demands attention, there is life here! People walk by peering through the metal fence curious to know what goes on behind it.
PHOTO CREDIT: VALERY RIZZO