In a recent email, Pesticide-Free Soil Project (PFSP) Director Florencia Ramirez looked back on the project’s start at the 2019 Encampment, commenting on its growth: “What began as a simple Compost Tea Party at an elementary school — sharing the idea that compost tea can build soil health, something I learned from visiting regenerative farms across the country — has grown into something much larger. That early effort helped launch a 10-acre regenerative organic farm in the same school district. Today, PFSP staff and youth interns lead community days there, bringing volunteers together to harvest and care for the farm. The produce grown on the farm feeds thousands of children in nine school cafeterias, all pesticide-free.”
This Saturday afternoon, March 28, from 1–4:30 p.m., you have an opportunity to see the EFC’s Pesticide-Free Soil Project in action if you are in Ventura County, CA. This in-person gathering is a collaboration with local youth and organizations, including Tequio, the Coastal Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), the Mini-Nature Reserve, Community Roots Garden, and the Rodale Institute. This youth-led gathering celebrates community, showcases youth artwork, and provides an opportunity for imagining possibilities.
“During peak season, the fragrance of strawberries drifts through the air on the coastal breeze. So do the fumigants sprayed on the fields. Some of the most toxic pesticides in agriculture are used on strawberry farms, now covered in miles of white plastic that is discarded after each harvest.
“The Other Strawberry Festival — not to be confused with the popular two-day Strawberry Festival that celebrates all things strawberry — invites us to look at the berry more fully. We will still honor the sweetness of strawberries, and the hands that harvest them.
“This gathering also asks a deeper question:
“What would it look like to grow strawberries — and all agriculture on the Oxnard Plain — in a way that truly cares for people and the planet?” — Florencia Ramirez
The youth will perform a participatory play that tells a local youth’s story about going to a school that is surrounded by conventional agricultural fields. The aim of this play is to discuss the impacts of pesticides on our communities and imagine working toward pesticide-free zones on and around school campuses, reducing toxic pesticide exposure for students
You can learn more about the PFSP and donate on their page: https://encampmentforcitizenship.org/efc-programs/pesticide-free-soil-project/.
Support youth leadership development. All donations are welcome! Click to DONATE ONLINE or send your gift to The Encampment, P.O. Box 1210, Aptos, CA 95001-1210. Our Federal EIN is 30-0694938.
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