Daily responsibilities

W6 – responsibilities at Vegetarium

Daily and weekly responsibilities

During our stay at Vegetarium the volunteers divide daily and weekly responsibilities, as well as daily cooking. The weekly and daily responsibilities include, for instance, taking care of the garden, checking the cleanliness of certain areas (kitchen, common spaces), and taking care of the animals on the property. My weekly responsibilities for this week have included taking care of the kitchen tidiness and the compost, feeding the cat, and checking the bees. I have also taken care that water and solar energy run normally, opened and closed the greenhouse, as well as monitored the watering schedule for the garden’s drip systems. Daily tasks can be more varied and sometimes surprising. One day I got to install a mosquito net on a door, and the other day I was picking up people from the train station.

Having a task as your responsibility does not mean you do it every time alone. Some tasks can be divided; sometimes you need help to finish your tasks, and sometimes you have time to help others with their tasks. I enjoy this division of work, as it is very flexible and you can plan your day quite individually. I like to have a notebook where I write my tasks that need to be done immediately, the tasks that can be done if nothing else is done, and tasks I would like to do if I have extra time and motivation for something more creative.

Vegetable harvest and the circle of the garden

Whilst doing my morning “greenhouse opening” task, I also check for any vegetables that might be ready to be harvested. One morning there were a lot of cucumbers ready! Finding edible vegetables feels like a golden prize after watering and weeding the plants for weeks. It also demonstrates the circle of growth. I am waiting to see how the garden will change shape during August and later in September and October.

-Inka