The semester has just ended, and we thought we’d use this blog post as an opportunity to reflect on the past couple of months and everything we have learned and achieved during this time. From crafting Instagram/blog posts to driving through the snowy Vermont landscape in the middle of winter to being welcomed into the homes of incredibly friendly, hardworking migrant dairy workers, this semester has been full of new experiences and learning for all. During the semester, we met with a total of twenty-five participants, either in person or online, to discuss what seeds and starts they would like for their garden during the upcoming gardening season. We also met with six participants a second time to cook together and get to know each other better. During these cooking sessions, we made cauliflower tacos, sweet potato muffins, and other delicious recipes, as well as had engaging conversations with Huertas participants.
In addition, this semester we created a fundraiser called Quesadillas for Huertas! The fundraiser consisted of four separate events in which we made quesadillas available for donation at various locations on the University of Vermont campus. In preparation for the fundraiser, we made informational pamphlets, which we distributed, and we also had Huertas merch available for suggested donation values. The Quesadillas for Huertas events went well, and it was inspiring talking to interested students and spreading awareness about the amazing work the Huertas Project does.
Finally, another project we embarked on was the creation of handmade ceramic pots to deliver Huertas participants’ aloe plants in. Aloe plants are one of the few plants that we bring to participants’ houses before the remaining seeds and starts. Amelia, one of the Huertas interns for this semester, was taking a wheel-throwing class, and had the wonderful idea to create and paint pots to carry the aloe plants. Each of us interns went to the studio and made many pots. Learning about the process of wheel throwing was fascinating, and it was very meaningful to make the pots.
This semester has also been enriching in terms of the knowledge that I and the other interns have gained. Before this semester, multiple of us were not aware that migrant farmworkers lived in Vermont and played such a key role in the economy. Being a part of Huertas has truly been eye-opening, enabling us to get to know families and individuals living so close to us, yet in such different conditions. Another aspect of the Vermont landscape that Huertas has exposed us to and caused us to reflect more on is the nature of Vermont as a border state. Often, when one thinks about the U.S. border, the mind immediately jumps to the United States – Mexico border, which has received tremendous amounts of press in recent years. However, the Vermont-Canada border is also notable and has tremendous impacts on migrant communities in particular. More than 90% of Vermont’s residents “…fall within the one-hundred-mile expanse where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have the authority to stop and search travelers without reasonable suspicion or a warrant” (Mares 2019, 8). For individuals living and working close to the border, fear of encountering border patrol and being arrested or deported is therefore often a crucial component of everyday decisions such as going to the grocery store (ibid 7-8).
Learning about these cultural and geographical elements of Vermont has changed how we view and think about the state. The interactions and knowledge we have gained during the past couple of months have been impactful, and we will be sure to carry them with us going forward. Overall, we are in awe of the Huertas participants we have gotten to know during the semester and grateful for the experiences we have had. We are sad this semester is wrapping up, but excited for what is to come this summer and in future years! Looking ahead, keep an eye out for more Huertas blog posts and events this summer!
References
Mares, Teresa M. Life on the Other Border: Farmworkers and Food Justice in Vermont. Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 2019.
Amelia, Hannah, and Eliza during a Quesadillas for Huertas event!
Some delicious stuffed acorn squashes made during a cooking class!
The Quesadillas for Huertas poster
Hannah, Amelia, and Eliza making pots for the aloe vera plants.