Beginnings

Souls, much like crops, are always in rotation. This spring, a wonderful new soul joined the farm and quickly got her hands full of dirt.

Doña Evelia comes from a farming family near Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. She has called Washington County home since 1986, spending nearly four decades working in local nurseries before retiring last year.

Not long after, she joined our weekly group of Latino seniors, who gather at the farm on Tuesdays to walk the fields, harvest fresh produce, and care for their own garden.

“La actividad es lo que me mantiene sana.”

(“Staying active is what keeps me healthy.”)

Doña Evelia shared after finishing weeding the corn.

Dirty nails means I did the work! Said Doña Evelia.

Alonside corn, the elders are growing ayocotes (ah-yoh-KOH-tehs) large, creamy, and hearty beans.

While tending the Jardín de Oro is never an obligation, Don Antonio (pictured below) is someone we can always count on to care for it. This season, he’s found a wonderful partner in Doña Evelia. Beyond the extra pair of hands, she brings companionship, laughter, and the shared excitement of planning and planting seeds that, in just a few months, will become food, flowers, and memories.

This is your farm too, Doña Evelia. We’re grateful you’re growing with us.

Elders love harvesting squash blossoms that find their way into soups, stir-fries, and the beloved quesadillas de calabaza.