Lessons From The Greenhouse

My first day of work at the greenhouse was spent preparing our new nursery for the season – rolling out landscape fabric on my hands and knees and assembling a large metal shade structure with a group of strangers (my new teammates). On my second day I pulled weeds. Over the next few weeks, I spread mulch, planted, unloaded trucks, and wielded heavy hoses for hours day after day. When I accepted the position, I knew I’d be spending a lot more time on my feet than I was used to, but I had no idea how physical the job would be, and how it would make me feel. I was sore all over. But I also immediately started to recognize the benefits of manual labor. People talk about the quality of getting back to our human roots, living more like our ancestors, doing physical work instead of sitting in front of computer screens. There’s scientific evidence about endorphins and dopamine rushes that result from physical activity. That’s all good and well and I am not going to talk about any of tha...