L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY I n the 1880s, many I t a l i a n i m m i - g r a n t s , n e w t o Seattle, settled in t h e s o u t h e n d o f town. In time, those who could afford it bought a plot of land and began selling their produce to neighbors and small businesses. W h e n P i k e P l a c e Market opened in 1907, some farmers, like Naples- b o r n J o e D e s i m o n e , began transporting their g o o d s d o w n t o w n . Desimone became so suc- cessful that he went from selling his produce at Pike Place Market to becoming its president and majority stockholder in 1941. A n o t h e r I t a l i a n f a r m f a m i l y w a s t h e M a r r a family who began farming land in South Park around 1900. In 1920, Carmine and Maria Marra purchased 4.5 acres from Desimone, clos- ing the deal with a simple handshake. The family lived in a comfortable farmhouse with a large front porch, where they continued to own and work the land until the 1970s. At that point, the Marra descendants opted out of farming. For the younger generation, growing fruits and vegetables was hard work with low pay, not to mention the uncertainties of weather and the market- place. The family sold the property to King County w i t h t h e s t i p u l a t i o n i t remain as farmland. It lay fallow for the next 20 years a s t h e c o u n t y p o n d e r e d what to do with it. In 1997, several neigh- bors and a local environ- mentalist began to clean up t h e p r o p e r t y , r e m o v i n g some 12 tons of garbage that had accumulated, and Marra Farm joined Seattle's new P-Patch network. This innovative community gardening program was the legacy of another Italian f a r m i n g f a m i l y , t h e Picardo's. In fact, the P in P-Patch stands for Picardo. T o d a y , t h e M a r r a a n d Picardo farms are the only two historic agricultural parcels inside the city limits that are still being used for agricultural purposes. Marra Farm is host to 39 community gardens as part of the P-Patch program. It also supports several inno- v a t i v e e d u c a t i o n a l p r o - grams. One of these is Tilth Alliance Youth Garden Works, which enables at- r i s k y o u t h f r o m d i v e r s e backgrounds to operate a cooperative market garden business. The program tar- gets young people aged 16 to 21 who are experiencing food insecurity, housing instability, unemployment or have been caught up in the juvenile justice system. On Marra Farm, these young growers can experi- ence all aspects of a farm- to-market operation. They learn about urban organic farming techniques. They hone their marketing and leadership skills. They see how to engage with cus- tomers and work with the community. The vegeta- bles, fruit and herbs they produce are sold at farmer's markets around Seattle, providing the young farm- ers with some much-wel- comed income. Lettuce Link Giving Garden, a creative emer- gency food and gardening p r o g r a m , a l s o f o u n d a home at Marra Farm. As part of the giving garden, volunteers grow around 13,000 pounds of food each year for area food banks. In a program for youngsters, s t u d e n t s f r o m C o n c o r d Elementary School learn about gardening and nutri- tion. They weed, harvest, till and haul wood chips, all the while getting plenty of fresh air and outdoor exercise. Volunteers lead conversa- tions around sustainable agriculture, climate change, immigration issues, trade agreements, nutrition and health. K e e p i n g M a r r a F a r m active and vibrant is impor- tant, says Sue McGann, Marra Farm coordinator, because it addresses com- munity needs around food security, provides space for sustainable agriculture, and educates future farmers. " T h i s i s m y d r e a m j o b , because I get to grow food and work with young peo- p l e , s h o w i n g t h e m h o w important agriculture is," said McGann. "We partner with third, fourth and sixth grade classes in the commu- nity. Each class comes once a week and has its own gar- den space. These kids are n o t o n l y l e a r n i n g a b o u t nutrition but they are also discovering a real connec- tion to food and nature." A connection to the out- d o o r s h a s a l w a y s b e e n important for a life well- l i v e d , p e r h a p s m o r e s o today. This spring, seed companies have seen their sales skyrocket, and nurs- eries can barely keep up with demand. As Americans wait out the pandemic at home, many are using their spare time to start a home garden and grow their own food. It's not a new phenome- non. In the past, the urge to g a r d e n d u r i n g t i m e s o f crises has blossomed occa- sionally. During World War II, the plots were called V i c t o r y G a r d e n s , a n d Americans were encouraged to start one, if possible. E v e n E l e a n o r R o o s e v e l t complied, planting a victory g a r d e n i n 1 9 4 3 o n t h e W h i t e H o u s e l a w n . Competitions sprung up at local fairs and festivals as neighbors competed to see who could grow the biggest watermelon, tallest sun- f l o w e r o r m o s t l u s c i o u s tomato. A f e w d e c a d e s l a t e r , when the first Earth Day was established in 1970, many Americans had grown tired of consumerism, pol- lution and the energy crisis, triggering a "back-to-the- earth" movement. A stu- dent from the University of W a s h i n g t o n , D a r l y n Rundberg, paid a visit to the Picardo family, who were her neighbors in Seattle's South Park area, to ask if she could use a corner of their property for a commu- nity garden. They agreed, and in 1973, the Picardo land became Seattle's first P - P a t c h g a r d e n . T o d a y t h e r e a r e 8 9 P - P a t c h e s w i t h i n t h e c i t y l i m i t s , including Marra Farm. I n 2 0 2 0 , a s t h e w o r l d searches for ways to cope with the coronavirus pan- demic, gardening is taking on new importance. Even if s o c i a l - d i s t a n c i n g a n d telecommuting continue into the foreseeable future, we can take pleasure in our gardens. It's a way to man- age anxiety levels, experi- ence nature, feel the sun on our faces, and do something worthwhile. It's no surprise these are some of the very same benefits that attracted Italian immigrants such as t h e M a r r a , P i c a r d o a n d Desimone families more than a century ago. RITA CIPALLA Legacy of Italian farms continues to reap community benefits A cooperative market garden program operated by Tilth Alliance can be found at Marra Farm, teaching young people how to grow and market organic vege- tables and herbs to farmers markets around Seattle. (Visit Seattle)

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