by Bailey Wambold
Camp Pierce Campers ready to visit some farms!
It’s not every day we get a day at summer camp, but that was the case for Pierce Conservation District staff earlier this month. In partnership with De La Mesa Farms and Rose Island Farm in Tacoma, PCD hosted a volunteer event for Camp Pierce, a program with Pierce County Parks Specialized Recreation that offers adults of all abilities inclusive and enriching activities within the community.
On the sunny morning of August 5th, farm staff welcomed 26 campers and counselors, splitting shortly after between the two sites: De La Mesa Farms, a 2-acre, family-owned, no-till market garden utilizing regenerative, organic farming practices to improve soil health and biodiversity, and Rose Island Farm, an Indigenous family-owned farm centered on the BIPOC community that focuses on teaching and sharing traditional cultural practices to strengthen individuals’ connection with land.
Campers at De La Mesa Farms moving mulch.
At De La Mesa Farms, campers picked up shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows to spread mulch in preparation for a pollinator hedgerow. Dividing the tasks between teams created a fun ‘production line’ that allowed campers to mulch around 200 feet in less than 2 hours. While those with shovels filled empty wheelbarrows with piles of wood chips, those with rakes turned the mounds of mulch into a cushy carpet that will inhibit weeds and improve soil health and moisture retention.
Processing herbs at Rose Island Farm.
The owner and operator of Rose Island Farm, Melissa Meyer, is a trained herbalist and campers lent helping hands to prepare dried medicinal plants for use in herbal tinctures and supports. In the cool shade of the farm workshop, volunteers plucked leaves off stems of dried raspberry and marshmallow while others trimmed oat straw into small, ‘processable’ pieces. The little workshop was full of laughter and smiles as campers made quick work of the dried herbs.
Thanks to the hard (and happy!) work of Camp Pierce volunteers, De La Mesa and Rose Island farms accomplished more in 2 hours than the farmers could hope to do in a full day, beautifully illustrating the old adage that ‘many hands make for light work’. It is truly amazing what can be accomplished when people come together and PCD was honored to connect these groups who are committed to making a positive impact on the community.