Labor of Love
"Backyard Harvest"
Photos and Writing by Genevieve Harvey
This photojournalism essay highlights the work of a local non-profit organization Backyard Harvest. The organization collects locally-grown produce to donate to food banks and schools in the Palouse area to provide healthy foods to families in need. I chose to capture the spirit of this organization by photographing volunteers on a Saturday afternoon at Koppel Farms, a Pullman community garden. During the early weeks of spring the community garden plots rented by Backyard Harvest and the Pullman Community Action Center are in desperate need of back breaking weeding. I believe Backyard Harvest and those who volunteer with this organization are a shining example of what the phrase labor of love truly represents.
The organization understands that fresh produce is not often available to families and individuals who are experiencing food insecurity. To aid Whitman and Latah County, Backyard Harvest has partnered with the Community Action Center to form the Palouse Tables Project. The organizations hold meetings with community members to have open discussions about what work the town has done to reduce instances of food insecurity. By offering resources and advice to our communities Backyard Harvest is growing a network of people who are cultivating the same version of the future.
A future where fresh produce is featured on every Palouse member's plate.
As winter turns to spring...
Executive Director of Backyard Harvest, Misty Amarena, embraces a fellow volunteer.
Misty Amarena smiles as she gets her hands dirty in a Koppel Farms community garden plot rented by Backyard Harvest.
A hand painted Backyard Harvest sign rests in the Koppel Farms community garden plot.
WSU sorority sisters smile as they work hard to help the community with the end of the school year quickly approaching.
A Community Action Center volunteer fills a wheelbarrow with weeds.
The soil requires our attention...
A volunteer takes survey of the community garden to see what else she can do to help.
It never hurts to wear a sturdy pair of gardening gloves when weeding the soil.
Peaking through a lattice one can see two volunteers keeping each other company while hard at work.
A group of volunteers take a short break before finishing weeding the Koppel Farm gardening plots.
The dried foilage of Koppel Farms will soon flower with the green thumbs lended by the volunteers.
But with labor and love, the vegetation will break through the soil to give back to us what work we have put in.