Today was a fairly short day due to the impending storm. We spent the morning harvesting broccoli and then moved to pounding in fence posts and caging tomatoes.
I did learn an important lesson about wild parsnip. Wild parsnip is an invasive species (weed) found abundantly on the farm. This weed has a defense mechanism, causing phytophotodermatitis to the skin. If a person where to brush up against the plant, they may receive chemical burns including blistering. This is caused when the juice from the plant attaches to the DNA of the skin and begins to break it down. The “photo” part of the phytophotodermatitis comes from the fact that the sun is the trigger for the breakdown of the skin cells. This will be important for me to remember as I take my students out to the field for future fieldtrips.
Finally, it is Friday and I am exhausted. I am sure that I will become stronger and find ways to make the job less taxing on my body, but for today, I am ready for a break for my body.
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