Between down pours yesterday I visited the Nuestras Raíces Farm.I have both good, and bad things to say about Nuestras Raíces. The Farm is one of the good things. I really have no major problems with it. A farm is a farm.
From the road it looks like a mess to some people, but since I grew up in the hill towns I have to say that I have seen much worse.
Upon closer inspection every building has a purpose.
Much of the farm looks to be a work in progress, like the petting zoo area shown here, but then again all farms are works in progress.
Festival Area.
Waste management?
Quite a few plants left over from a recent planting.
The tree house is a unique structure. Sort of looks like something I would have built.
The nature path, as yet unfinished, is patrolled by feral cats.
It leads to the river.
Then over to the larger section of the farm.
The small section to the right of the map is owned by Nuestras, the much larger section to the left is leased to them by the Sisters of Providence.
Row after row, after row.
Quite a few acres have been planted this year, and they aren't maxed out yet.
I walked only halfway down before heading over to the paddock area.
The paddock area has the majority of the animals in it. This is not a petting zoo area, this is more serious farming.
Suddenly it was time to leave.
I headed back out over the wooden bridge. It was starting to rain, again!And here are the bad things I have to say about Nuestras Raíces.
NR really screwed up recently with their Environmental Justice Project. Most of the Transfer Station protesters came from NR. They have targeted almost every manufacturer in town as a Large Quantity Toxic User. They are using this as a political tool to oppose industry they don't approve of. This scares the hell out of name brand companies looking to come to Holyoke.
This activism is going to cost NR financial support. The support of Holyoke industrialists who anonymously funded NR by using a middle man like the Kellogg foundation. They used this anonymous method to keep their privacy. See: people knocking on their front doors asking for money.
None of this activism is surprising when you discover the background of NR executive director, Daniel Ross.
"I am committed to creating deep and lasting social change" - Daniel Ross.
A master of organizing, and grant writing, Ross spent his first year out of college working with migrant farmworkers along the East Coast. By the end of his second year Ross was executive director of NR. He learned activism from his parents. One of his Grandfathers was a member of the American-Communist party.
Nuestras Raíces should stay out of politics, but Dan Ross has big plans.
3 comments:
Holyoke needs industry, not third world regression.
We naval gaze as the rest of the world drives to the future.
VanDog - Thank you for your excellent photos and positive comments of the farm and many issues you raise about Nuestras Raices and Holyoke. Discussion is important in Holyoke. Can I clarify some points?
1) Nuestras Raices does not target industry. We do want Holyoke residents to be aware of the factors that affect our health. All the toxic release information posted on our website is public information from the EPA. We believe businesses and jobs are important for Holyoke. We also want air that our children can breathe without getting asthma and cancer.
2) We are pro-business. In fact, Nuestras Raices has helped start over 25 businesses in Holyoke over the past few years. Mi Plaza Restaurant, El Jardin Bakery, Marine Reef Habitat, Amigos del Paso Fino Horse stable and some 15 small farms, amongst others. We will be developing 3-5 more businesses this year with economic opportunities for Holyoke residents. we want good, healthy, locally-owned businesses. We don't want more businesses that harm the health of our children.
3) While I believe, like my grandfather did, that this country is not always fair to working people and poor people, I'm not a communist. In fact, as above, my social change strategy is very capitalist, as I am working to develop businesses.
4) Our country is in a post-capitalist economy. Industry is just not the economic engine it used to be and its not coming back to Holyoke nor any of the 100s of milltowns around MA, MI, OH, etc. anytime in the near future. We have to find other ways to revitalize our cities and not everybody is going to be a computer programmer. 80% of new jobs are in small business and "green businesses" are at the forefront. In fact, the emphasis on urban and organic agriculture, sustainable businesses, culturally-based development and supporting the local economy, is the direction that many cities around the country and world are tryng to move in now. We can make our cities more vibrant economically, environmentally and socially too. Holyoke can be at the forefront.
I also took some time this evening to scan back through some of your earlier posts. Some more beautiful photos and alot of concern about Holyoke, its buildings and spaces. It is great that you take such an interest, though I disagree with some of your points and priorities.
I'm not sure a stand against the code of silence would be helpful. It has been well studied and documented that strong social networks and community organizations do more to stabilize neighborhoods and prevent crime than law enforcement (10 year HUD-funded Harvard U. study). we are trying to develop a sense of community and empowerment and get people working together in our neighborhoods. A class of Mt. Holyoke College students is doing a study this year to determine if our 9 community gardens have had an effect on crime in the areas around them. I'll let you know of the results.
Glad to discuss it more, come stop by the office when you get the chance or we can walk the farm together.
Daniel Ross
Dan,
Thanks for responding. The communist reference came across wrong, bad writing on my part.
I disagree with you about industry not coming back to Holyoke. Many industrial companies have put out feelers in Holyoke. Mostly because of our sustainable energy, (cheap electric), but the way activist have protested things in the past, like the Transfer Station, spreading lies and refusing to work with the developer, this scares off name brand companies.
I hope you will agree with me that the community needs to work with companies when they have issues with their plans, and leaves the protesting as a last resort when the companies are unresponsive to the communities concerns.
We need many new jobs in Holyoke, and I am very please with your efforts to develop them. I have 2 conditions on new companies in Holyoke, That they have a preference for hiring Holyoke people, and they pay a living wage. My cut off point is about $15 hour, and rising with inflation. In the past, I have opposed some very large new industry in Holyoke because they wouldn't meet these conditions.
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