L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano T he Seattle neigh- borhood of South Park lies on the west bank of the Duwamish River. To get there, cross the 1st Av- enue Bridge where a thick growth of warehouses, garages, and commercial businesses dominate the view. But hidden in the middle of the South Park neighborhood is a thriving farm reflecting the diverse cul- tures of the neighborhood and providing recreational oppor- tunities for all. Known as the Marra-Desimone Park, the urban farm is one of only two historic agricultural parcels within Seattle city lim- its still used as active farmland, supported by community vol- unteers and nonprofit organi- zations. It's hard to imagine that South Park was once home to fertile lush farmland. The South Park farmers, primarily Italian and Japanese immi- grants, were among the first to cart their goods to Pike Place Market when it opened in August 1907. During those early years, the area went by several different names – South Duwamish Station, M c N a t t P l a c e , D o n o v a n Place. In 1905, South Park voted to become incorporat- ed, and S. J. Bevan was elect- ed its first mayor. Two years later, residents realized it would be more economical to share services, such as water and electricity, with their l a r g e r , m o r e p r o s p e r o u s neighbor. In 1907, South Park was annexed to Seattle. Two Italian families who lived and worked in South Park were the Desimone and the Marra families. Giuseppe "Joe" Desimone is a well-known name in Seattle h i s t o r y . H e a r r i v e d f r o m Naples in 1897, settling first in Rhode Island before mak- i n g h i s w a y w e s t . L i k e s o many others before him, he got his start in farming and became very successful at it. But he was even more suc- cessful in real estate. Desi- mone bought up swampland a l o n g t h e D u w a m i s h a n d drained the plots to produce even more fertile acreage. Before long, Joe Desimone was a rich man who not only supplied Pike Place Market with produce, he owned it as its president and majority stockholder. Desimone died in 1946; his family sold the public market to the city of Seattle in 1974. Carmine Marra was the patriarch of the Marra family. The Marra's managed a farm in South Park for about 60 years where they grew corn, l e t t u c e , o n i o n s , c a r r o t s , beans, peas, and zucchini. Their plot of land was origi- nally owned by Joe Desi - m o n e . T h e M a r r a f a m i l y s t o p p e d f a r m i n g t h e s i t e around 1980 and sold it to King County but the tract lay fallow for about two decades. In 2005, the Marra Farm and the adjacent property to the e a s t w e r e r e n a m e d t h e Marra-Desimone Park and w e r e a c q u i r e d b y S e a t t l e Parks and Recreation. Today, the Marra-Desi- mone Park comprises some 8.7 acres. Besides the urban farm, the park houses 24 greenhouse plots and 39 gar- den plots which are part of the P-patch community gar- den program (The P of P- patch stands for another Ital- ian farming family, the Picar- d o ' s , b u t t h a t ' s a n o t h e r story). The first idea was to experiment to see if small- scale community farming could work in an urban set- ting. It was called the Seattle Farms Project. But turning a profit with such a small space was not commercially viable. Enter Idea #2: to develop a space where groups could educate community members about organic-produce culti- vation, environmental stew- ardship, and sustainability. That idea took root and for the past 25 years, community groups have weeded, planted and picked vegetables as part of a mission to grow nourish- ing, accessible and culturally appropriate food. Groups that have taken up residence at the Marra-Desi- mone Park over the years have included Seattle Youth G a r d e n W o r k s , S o l i d Ground's Lettuce Link, Salsa d e L a V i d a , F l o w e r s S o w U r b a n , Y o u n g W o m e n Empowered, Mien Commu- nity Gardens, Casa Surya Healing, and others. One of the newest tenants on Marra Farm is Salsa de la Vida, run by the nonprofit Villa Comunitaria to support South Park's Latino popula- tion. Six promotoras – Lati- na women from vulnerable families – lead the project. Initially, the group was going t o g r o w t o m a t o e s a n d jalapeno peppers to create M e x i c a n s a l s a t h e y c o u l d then sell – thus the Salsa de la Vida name. But the pan- demic derailed their plans. Instead, the produce list was expanded to include more varieties of vegetables. The farm produces tens of thou- s a n d s o f p o u n d s o f f o o d annually for South Park fami- lies. Y o u n g W o m e n Empowered (Y-WE) is in its fifth year at Marra, work- ing with young women such as 19-year-old Andrea, who lives across the street from the farm. "My favorite thing about being there during the growing season is the aspect of community," said Andrea. "It feels like a very safe space. It feels comfortable, and I love the aspect of sharing things. At Marra, I experi- enced abundance for the first time, just watching every- thing grow and all the colors and the wildlife. Being able to earn wisdom from others and share our abundance with the community was a really beau- tiful thing for me." In 2022, Seattle Parks and R e c r e a t i o n c o m p l e t e d a m a j o r r e n o v a t i o n o f t h e Marra-Desimone Park. There are now more pathways and walking loops, a central open green area, benches, and pic- nic tables. An irrigation sys- tem with solar-powered con- trols was installed and more than 80 trees and grasses were planted. Future updates will include a play area and gathering spots such as shel- ters and meeting spaces. For more than a century, Marra-Desimone Park has reflected the diverse cultural heritage of the neighborhood – whether it was Italians, Asians, or Latinos. When you visit the park today, follow the trail that surrounds the garden area. Stop at one of the picnic tables where you can have lunch, watch the g a r d e n e r s i n a c t i o n , a n d imagine the Desimone and Marra families who worked hard to preserve this land for future generations. United Way of King County volunteers worked for a day at Marra Farm, helping the nonprofit organization Solid Ground weed, plant and prepare vegetable beds (Photo: United Way of King County) South Park's Marra-Desimone Park provides a seed to grow community RITA CIPALLA SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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