The Vegetables of My Labor

Digging the beds of my garden over three months ago I will admit I was in a low point in my Peace Corps cycle. Not sure what I was accomplishing in town I felt like putting physical energy into something, anything, would be better than just sitting around, so I got out my pent up energy via shovel.  Rains are dying down and I am really starting to see all my hard work turn into something tangible.  It may be the only tangible thing I produce in Ethiopia so I am truly enjoying each bite.

The first batch of edibles came in the form of corn, green beans and snow peas. While corn is abundant here, literally sold on every corner of my town, ferengi corn, which I have known my whole life, requiring just a one-minute boil, salt and butter, that corn is non-existent here.  Luckily I have incredible family and friends who have sent me seeds for all these vegetables from America, so I was able to grow the corn I missed so much.  It was delicious, and while I saved a couple ears for friends to share the goodness, I selfishly ate most myself!

Sun flowers are blooming brightly outside my bedroom window, just as I imagined so many months ago, basil is flourishing and ready to pick and use fresh, some salad leaves are about ready to cut, and then there is my pride and joy: zucchini! My latest one weighed over five pounds! Green beans are starting to have batch two, and tomatoes are small and green but will soon be ready to eat. All this in a 2 x 3 meter plot of land; what a joy! My only real regret is not starting my garden last year so I could have enjoyed the produce for longer, but now I know I’ll take my new skills back to America and continue gardening there.

I always knew my mom had a green thumb but I never realized it had been passed on to me. I am very grateful for this fruitful experience.  There is something so quaint about walking out your front door to look over your garden and ponder what you should have for dinner. I thought the produce I buy in the market in Dangila would be the freshest food I’d ever eat, but now I’ve grown myself truly the freshest veggies I’ll ever have!