Today on the hunger relief farm we woke up early around 7:00 and we went into the main house expecting a nice refreshing breakfast but, today was a special day, it was Living On the Other Side Day. Living On the Other Side was an activity where instead of eating three normal meals a day and drinking all the water we wanted we had to do different chores around the farm to earn ingredients to make our own meals. So this morning we did not get to eat breakfast, but we worked in the gardens hovering compost and harvesting kale, red and white onions and other vegetables all on an empty stomach. When lunch time came around we all trudged to the house with empty stomachs  not knowing what to expect of our next meal. Everyone was served lasagna and brownies… Everyone except us. We were given chores to earn our ingredients which were rice, pepper, and a live rabbit. Each ingredient came with its chore to get that ingredient. To get the rabbit I had to put in a new stone walkway in the mulch flower beds to encourage kids not to trample on the plants, but even after I accomplished the task I still only had a live rabbit. I had to make this rabbit edible. One of the farm leaders walked me through skinning and cleaning  the rabbit but, it was up to me to make a fire and cook it for the rest of the group. I had to gather fire wood and do another chore for the matches, required to start the fire.
After a long and tiring day we all sat down around our fire and began eating our rabbit stew. It was not refreshing, satisfying, or even tasty but it was something and that’s all that mattered. Today we experienced the day in the life of a person who lives below the poverty line and it has taught me so much about the hard work that goes into everyday meals for people and of the importance of sharing farm education to teach people how to sustain themselves.
