By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
Tulalip citizens, their families, patients of the Tulalip Health Clinic and employees of Tulalip Tribes flocked to Garden Treasures Nursery & Local Farm on Thursday, September 5. While there, they excitedly wandered the six-acre organic farm and were offered ample opportunity to harvest from a delicious medley of in-season fruits and vegetables.
Our local award-winning Diabetes Care and Prevention team have regularly partnered with the Arlington-located Garden Treasures to offer the Tulalip community such well-regarded ‘u-pick days’. These days are typically well attended by multi-generational families because of the intrinsic access to traditional foods, engagement in gentle outdoor exercise, and ability to embrace with community through family-friendly activities.
“My favorite moments are inspired by those who have never attended before, true first timers, and they come out, try something new, and enjoy the offerings of fresh foods,” shared Veronica Leahy. She’s been serving the Tulalip Health System as a Diabetes Care and Prevention Coordinator for sixteen years now. “This specific u-pick day, we had additional offerings like a delicious lunch provided by our Ti Kupihali staff and a couple craft activities.
“I love watching and listening to the newcomers share their u-pick experiences. This makes all the effort it takes to plan and coordinate these days so worth it,” continued Roni. “I love seeing our regular supporters for these events, too, since they are the foundation of building our healthy foods and prevention program. With their support over the years, these newcomers have had the experience of picking and connecting with their food in a more traditional way.”
An estimated 130 community members took advantage of the u-pick day. In what may be the last blast of summer heat, with temperatures near 90 degrees, toddlers to elders strolled the paths of Garden Treasurers naturally grown farm and bountiful green houses.
For their efforts, they were greeted by leafy greens (kale, chard and collard greens), herbs (parsley, basil, mint, and lemon balm), classic vegetables (broccoli, onions, zucchini, and tomatoes) and a sweet selection of berries (strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries).
“Garden Treasures is such a wonderful place for families to come in general, but the days the Diabetes Program is here with their knowledgeable and supportive staff, you can typically see Tulalip tribal members and other Natives of all different ages enjoy everything this place has to offer,” said community health director Verna Hill. “Seeing grandparents with their children and grandchildren come out and enjoy the gardens and pick their favorite fruits and vegetables is so wonderful. There’s so much joy created here. Something as simple as watching faces and seeing our people become inspired after trying a new fruit or vegetable is really a wonder to behold.”
That sense of wonderment carried over into the community lunch, where Roni and her team could be seen assisting with the making of flower bouquets and wreaths to be taken home as a colorful reminder of what Garden Treasurers has to offer.
Among those in attendance was a special guest visitor all the way from Macedonia (a country in the Mediterranean, north of Greece). Natasha Coumou, a restoration ecologist for the Tribes’ Natural Resources department, brought her mother Marija, who is visiting from Macedonia, to the u-pick day in search of stew-ready tomatoes.
“It’s beautiful. This entire event is just awesome; from the people I’ve met to the opportunity to pick from all the vegetables and fruit. I thank those who organized this,” said Macedonian citizen Marija Krstova. “I picked broccoli, peppers, eggplant and of course tomatoes to make a stew for my daughters that will remind them of our village back in Macedonia. There’s a lot more sun where I came from. We have vegetables growing everywhere, so to be here and see this outdoor garden and everything it has to offer, I must say the gardeners have done an exceptional job.”
Eating more fruits and vegetables is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve health and reduce the risk of chronic disease. By making fruits and vegetables a larger part of your diet, you can enjoy the benefits of increased energy, better digestion, and a stronger immune system, while significantly lowering the risk of developing serious health conditions. As we officially enter the Tribes’ season of healing, it’s time to make plant-based foods a priority in our daily lives.