Free Farm

I visited the Free Farm in San Francisco today. I was there six months ago, and the urban garden has grown. They were constructing greenhouses this afternoon and harvesting vegetables for the Saturday sharing with neighbors. Sweet peas and iris were blooming in January, and the organic garden was rich green with produce. There are murals on the retaining walls where a Lutheran church once stood before being destroyed by fire. I particularly noticed St. Frances and the wolf. There is a labyrinth that meanders through the lettuce and other leafy vegetables. As I sat eating lunch with the staff and volunteers, I was conscious that the Free Farm is about relationships. Relationship of workers with each other, of the project with the neighborhood, relationship with Creator and Creation, and relationship with food. How we treat one another. I also thought of the Portuguese word and concept of "esperanca" (pronounced "sa")which loosely means "hope". As I have otherwise written about, it is not about a dream or a wish, but rather a way of living. No one knows how long the land will be available or when or if they will build a new church building. It is clear that a church meets in and occupies the space. They live and move forward not being deterred by doubt, but rather being encouraged by each other.