Taking the Time to Make a Difference

Still life painters often show off their artistry capturing the delicate hues and textures of a bowl of fruit. Recently I saw a work of art of even greater beauty, to my way of thinking. It was a handful of carrots, five of them, a sample, just pulled from the good earth where they had grown. Joe, who manages the farm, gave them to me at the end of a short visit. My five carrots had not yet been washed, so a little bit of dirt clung to them, adding darker shades of earth-brown to the brightness of the roots. The tops were still deep green, delicate, upright, strong – a challenge for an artist with paint brush and oils, but just a simple masterpiece on a farm in the Midwest on a sunny day in late spring. Before I reached my office 20 minutes later, the green tops had faded, and the strong yellow-orange of the roots seemed less vibrant – but as the old cliché goes, they still looked good enough to eat, and in fact, only four carrots continued the journey.

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Carrots are among the crops grown at Seton Harvest — a community supported agriculture site. Individuals and families buy shares of the produce – knowing before they buy that what they will receive depends on all of the variables of a growing season – the heat, the rain, even the deer and the rabbits and the insects that seek their own shares of new, tender crops. The Daughters of Charity initiated and support Seton Harvest. The crops are grown on their land west of Evansville, the site of provincial headquarters and a home for retired sisters. Almost 150 individuals and families come once a week during the growing season to pick up their shares of carrots and radishes and lettuce, some strawberries this year, potatoes and melons and kale and cabbage – each in its own season. Other shares have been purchased by the Daughters for the dining room tables at the retirement home. Still other shares are distributed to selected nutrition sites – a biblical portion of God’s bounty given to those who have none. The crops are grown without chemicals. Weeds are pulled, not poisoned. Joe Schalasky, who runs the farm, brings his dogs along to chase the deer away; and brand new this year, some guinea fowl are being raised to forage the area for ticks and other insects. In times of heavy transportation costs, Seton Harvest and other sites around the country bear witness to the economic value of local produce, using land in a way that enriches it and sustains it for the next generation. Franciscan Sister Joan Brown, writing in the October 2008 issue of Catholic Update, noted that people felt very close to creation in earlier times. She said “early Christian teachers, monastics and saints read the book of nature along with the Scriptures. St. Augustine wrote that while the divine Scripture must be listened to and read, the book of the universe must be observed in order to know God.” In July 2008, Pope Benedict spoke to youth in Australia, telling them that sustainable development is of vital importance for future generations. In a message from the Vatican read at World Food Day in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI said that food is a universal right for humankind, without distinction or discrimination. He urged all members of society to ensure the right to food. Not to do so is a violation of human dignity.

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In a world where one out of every six people goes to bed hungry, Seton Harvest may seem too small to make a difference. But Seton Harvest and other efforts like it bear witness locally to a universal necessity: the earth requires our care. Take the time to read the book of the universe. Teach a child the origin of food. Support local producers. Support policies of sustainable agriculture. Every carrot and radish and leaf of lettuce is a witness to the goodness of God, who gives us what we need each day to live, and enough to share with others in need.

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