Bay area residents would usually be able to attend the Sweetwater Organic Community Farm every other Sunday. But since Hurricane Milton, the farm put visitations on hold.
With Milton’s storm surge and heavy winds on Oct. 9, all roads surrounding the farm were flooded by the waters of Sweetwater Creek.
Cindy Casterlin, the general manager, held back tears when she remembered the state of the farm that weekend.
“We had so many oak trees that we’ve lost,” she said. “The ground was so wet from (Hurricane) Helene, and it never got the chance to dry up.”
Sweetwater has a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. The membership provides people in the area with weekly organic groceries from the farm. With the damage, Casterlin said she is unsure of how it would play out for this season.
She said her tears weren’t for her but for the community. And they showed up to help clean up their farm.
“It’s not mine, we are non-profit, this is for them,” she said.
Casterlin said that for the past couple of weekends neighbors, volunteers, and interns have shown up with a smile on their faces, despite their losses from the hurricane.
“So many people are still climbing up from the effects of this last hurricane, but we had such a great group of volunteers that came here this week because we knew we couldn’t clean it up on our own, anywhere near, and get it done in time for our event,” she said.
The fundraiser is called “Farm Aid,” a take on Willy Nelson’s “Live Aid” concert, and was already scheduled to be on Saturday. Casterlin said with the help of the volunteers, they will still be able to host the event, with live music and food vendors.
“We are also going to have a big bonfire, because boy, do we have some hardwood to burn,” she said.
The debris has been piled up in multiple piles, to prevent road blockage for the farm’s neighbors, Casterlin said.
