Well, it is official. Sustainable Renton Community Farm is growing greens for one of the best restaurants in Renton, The Red House. The owner, Gene Sens, is an advocate for the slow food movement. His dedication to quality food has brought joy and happiness to Rentonites for decades. Along with being an advocate for good food, Gene is also an advocate for Renton and the local, small business owner.
A couple of years ago when Sustainable Renton first began, Gene asked us what we needed and we really didn’t know at that time. We had no idea then that we would be given this wonderful opportunity to have a community farm, but here we are, two years later with the most magnificent community garden and arm loads of bounty.
Gene and Frank Lucarelli, The Red House’s Chef, have been so gracious and wonderful working with us. We have made just three deliveries of Siberian Kale and Giant Red Leaf Mustard greens. So far, so good. When we made the delivery on Saturday morning one of the kitchen help said, with a big smile on his face, “I am really glad to see this.” How happy could a gardener be hearing that their labor has made someone else happy? All gardeners are intimately aware of how beneficial and therapeutic it is to work in the garden, but when the harvest is benefiting the community too, all is well.
Thank you Gene, thank you Frank and thank you to everyone who has made the community farm a reality.
Our next move is a School garden, and we are looking into the possibility of a couple of goats. So exciting!
Any questions or comments please e-mail
Lara Randolph, Farm Manager larar35@comcast.net
Elizabeth Zwicker, Farm liaison linguisticnurse@gmail.com
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