The First Summer Harvest

by Colin W.

Legacy Farms Apprentice

This week marks the beginning of Legacy Farms’ Mentor/Apprentice program, where a group of neurodiverse apprentices tend the garden alongside mentors. Along with getting used to their new roles, these paid apprentices are harvesting their first crop this week. That crop being a leafy green plant called kale. So in celebration of this, I’ll be talking about kale and all of its health benefits as well as where the harvest will be sold.

A row of kale leaves, ready to be plucked from the earth.

Firstly, what is kale and how does it benefit your health? Kale is a vegetable and superfood that belongs to a family of cabbages that are grown for their edible leaves.

Kale is rich in nutrients such as iron, fiber, calcium, various antioxidants, and vitamins C and K.

Another thing that kale is known for is aiding the diabetic. The American Diabetes Association recommended foods for diabetics that are rich in fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Once the kale is harvested, it will be sold to a local business known as Roots to Rise. Roots to Rise is dedicated to eating well and providing a myriad of healthy foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I had one of their juice drinks, The Warrior. It contains the  kale from Legacy Farms,  spinach, parsley, green and red apples, cucumbers, lemons, and ginger. Not only did it taste great, but I enjoyed knowing I will reap the health benefits of kale. 

Sources: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270435#benefits

One of our hard working apprentices picking kale.