Duncan Chambers

I have been volunteering with the Backyard Harvest crew for as long as I’ve been farming beginning in April 2015 and I have loved every minute of it. In six months, I learned to pot-on transplants, spread manure (i.e., return Ego-nature to the mineral world), harvest kale for market before the sun rises, drive the rototiller, make bike-trailer deliveries to the Mustard Seed, share my food-related excitement with market-goers (indirectly gaining math skills), build trellises, plant seeds, pull weeds, and appreciate the plants we grow by eating their leaves, fruits, and roots.

In short, I’ve had a bucolic farm experience just a ten minute’s bike ride away from my Westdale apartment. But most importantly, I’ve had the opportunity to make new farmer friends and spend time with the family. In this, I’ve been able to learn and employ some of the principles and practices underlying organic and biodynamic urban agriculture and share produce, lessons, and learning with our larger Hamilton community and the Backyard Harvest village within.