Wake Of The Flood

This last winter, western Washington was hit by heavy rains and runoff that caused major flooding. One of the worst places to have been hit was the valley surrounding the Chehalis river. It was such a natural disaster that Governor Christine Gregoire called on FEMA to provide federal aid to the flood zones. The news showed us amazing images of flood damage across I-5, but being miles and miles away from it all, it was difficult to embrace how heavily it affected those who live in and around the valley.

It wasn't evident to us until we visited the web site of our CSA farmers, Boistfort Valley Farms, to find out when the spring box was going to be available. We saw photos of their home filled with water and their possessions sprawled out on their property as well as a detailed blog of their experience. All of a sudden we became intimately aware of what they were going through.

We saw their request for help via an organized volunteering event and felt that we needed to participate. So, we packed up all the tools we owned, our work gloves and rubber boots, and drove down towards Centralia to pitch in wherever we could. It was a great experience! We connected with our farmers, saw where our vegetables came from, and put some sweat on our brow. If they hold another event like this, we'd be happy to participate. We hope that our efforts get them a little closer to normal life and back in their own home again.