I'm going to be honest, when the woman who owned the house told me the two massive fig trees in her front yard were old, I did not think that they were wedding presents from the past owner to his wife. I was immediately wary, and made even more so when I found out the trees were eighty-two years old. At this point, I'm twenty feet off the ground practically hitting my head on figs. Like, I'm sorry, but what do you mean these branches that I'm standing on are over five years older than me? What happens if I break one?
While we're talking about being up in trees, that was when the KCBS interviewer happened to drop by. I was going to come back down, but he told me in no uncertain terms to keep my feet firmly off the ground and handed me the microphone. It was a really nice interview, actually, and it was cool being able to speak my mind and know people would be listening. I think what Fruits of Labor does is so important, especially since many people who are struggling with food insecurity are overlooked because Marin County has a reputation for being generally well-off. I'm glad I was able to talk about the issue of Food Equity and what Fruits of Labor is about.
Also, did anyone else know that figs secret this sticky white sap when you pick them? I learned that one the hard way. I got sap all over my fingers when I first began picking, and after I began neglecting to wipe it away, I got this uncomfortable prickling sensation.
Okay, I just researched it a bit more and apparently the sap is known to literally "burn" people, which is... terrifying. It's due to the Furocoumarins in the sap, which makes it irritative to bare skin if it's exposed directly to sunlight afterward. Which mine was.
These "burns" are supposed show up 24 hours after first contact and it's been about five? Should I be worried?
Ooh, wait, the sap can also be used to make rennet, which is used to make various cheeses like mozzarella. Well, fun fact of the day I guess. That's cool. And much less threatening than leaving burns on my skin. It's kinda worth it though, considering the success of this trip. We went to __ houses and got __ pounds of plums, lemons, and of course, the figs with death-sap all together, which is really exciting! I want to make a massive shoutout to all the Donors that volunteered their trees and Pickers who came out to pick them!
And finally, this feels a little like bragging, but I can't help but write about it because it genuinely made my day. So today was the first picking trip with some new volunteers that are family friends of mine. They're on the younger side, so they've matured so much over the two years that I haven't seen them that I barely recognized them. I hardly expected them to really view me in any particularly memorable light, but after the trip I found out a couple of them told their parents I was "inspiring" and their "role model." Apparently, I had impressed them with how I spoke in the interview—I hadn't realized they were listening—and my perseverance while picking through the entire day, from the plums all the way to the figs. I think it's just sheer stubbornness, but hey, I'm not complaining. And I was so touched? A huge part of what I wanted to do with Fruits of Labor was connect with students in Marin that want to go out and make a difference in their community, but maybe don't know exactly how to start. I wanted to focus on encouraging middle and high-school aged pickers specifically because I hoped to be inspiring, be a role model, and prove to them that even though we are kids we can still make a tangible difference. So hearing that I've succeeded in the eyes of at least a couple kids? This sense of accomplishment is hard to match.
Speaking of my volunteers, I should check to make sure they haven't gotten any of those fig burns. I was the only one not wearing gloves because I'm lazy that way, so I hope they're fine.
All the love,
Carrie
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