On Friday, September 16th, a gorgeous and cool sun shone upon the Old Acre as students rounded out the first full week of classes of the semester with a workday and knead 2 know, programs run by YSFP up until mid-November.
This week, students harvested buckets of pinto beans, hops to make Yale Ale, crispy red apples soon-to-be pressed, and gigantic zucchini—some which were so large the women’s rugby team used them to conduct a few passing drills, before returning the veggies to their rightful spot in the cooler. A great turnout made the harvesting an incredible group effort.
The Old Acre is getting lots of love as students work to transition the beds for the changing season. In addition to the harvest haul, students composted material, scuffled and weeded several plots, and removed fences, hoops, and fabric to make way for the planting of new crops. Students also picked marigold flowers to be strung as garlands to decorate the Lazarus Pavilion.
After the workday, students headed to the Lazarus Pavilion for pizza with delicious end-of-summer toppings such as corn, fresh tomatoes, and zucchini jam (sensing a theme?). Students were treated to a fascinating presentation by Lazarus Summer Intern Calista Washburn '24, who explored the relationship between agriculture and ceramics by detailing her summer project harvesting clay from Old Acre soil. Washburn detailed the difference between sand, silt, and clay, and her evaporation process which allowed her to excavate clay from the soil on the Farm. Washburn spoke of the use of ollas, clay pots whose name originates from Spanish and Spanish-colonized areas, however has been a traditional irrigation practice across Indigenous communities across the world. Ollas, full of water, are buried in agricultural terrain, and osmosis through the clay creates a steady source of irrigation. Washburn intends to construct an olla with some of the clay she excavated this summer. She also brought clay and ceramic samples for students to engage with.
If you missed this Friday, don’t worry; the stellar Knead 2 Know lineup continues. This Friday, the Farm is partnering with the Program in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration to host a book launch for Yale Professor Hi'ilei Julia Kawehipuaakahaopulani Hobart’s Cooling the Tropics: Ice, Indigeneity, and Hawaiian Refreshment (2022). The reading and panel with Jodi Byrd, (Cornell University), Ned Blackhawk (Yale University), Jean O'Brien (University of Minnesota), and Noenoe Silva (University of Hawaii Mana) will begin at 4:30 PM with pizza and refreshments at 5:30 PM. Rumor has it that shave ice is involved...
Photos from Friday by Reese Neal '25 and Grace Cajski '24 are available here, and photos from Sunday by Arrow Zhang '26 are available here.