I always assumed certain plants were just known as weeds because of shared invasive or resilient characteristics. However, I learned that a weed is actually any plant growing where it is unwanted.
For example, many people have struggled to grow an appealing lawn. Trying to figure out how to encourage different grass varietals to grow while discouraging the growth of dandelions and other weeds is a very common homeowner struggle. But, in contrast, my experiences on the farm have included a steady struggle to stop the propagation of grasses on the farming blocks. Grass, and particularly Bermuda grass, seems to be generally disliked by nearly every farmer I have been around. That’s the same grass I would have loved to have seen growing rampantly across my own yard; yet, it is vehemently disliked on the farm.
The photo with this post is of some onions I pulled out while hand weeding a bed in preparation for planting. While I would love to have onion plants like this one thriving in my garden right now, this is a weed in its current location.
This whole idea of location determining the contextual nature of a plant as a weed or a crop is another great lesson the farm is teaching me. I too have been in some places where I was unwanted, and like a weed, I too was extracted. Those experiences always made me feel inferior or flawed, but the truth is I was simply in the wrong location. When I have planted myself in the right location, the growth and care I have found was overwhelmingly supportive. When I plant myself in the right location, or context, I thrive because it is not always just about who I am; it is also about who I am around.
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