#chives farming projects

[farmerstrend]

The Current State of Chives Farming in Kenya: An In-depth Analysis

Chives, known scientifically as Allium schoenoprasum, are a popular herb used extensively in culinary applications around the world. In Kenya, the farming of chives has gained significant traction in recent years due to the increasing demand for herbs both locally and internationally. This blog post delves into the current state of chives farming in Kenya, providing detailed insights into…

[vultures-and-scavengers]

Honnleath Headcanons

So, I couldn't find a decent picture of the Origins world map with the DLCs, but that red dot is about where Honnleath is, according to the Stone Prisoner's map marker. Southern Thedas is, appropriately, within the southern hemisphere, and things get colder the further south you go. Beyond the Korcari Wilds is what seems to be a polar region referred to as the Sunless Lands, and the Kocari Wilds are described as forest and swamp.

The Korcari Wilds themselves are probably best described as boreal wetlands, and they lie just to the east of Honnleath. To Honnleath's west, there's then the Frostback mountains. It's also between the territories of Avvar and Chasind peoples, which depending on the specific group, may or may not be an issue for Andrastian settlers in the region.

In addition, the largest settlement within any distance of Honnleath is Redcliffe, and Honnleath is about as far from Denerim as you can get, while remaining in Ferelden.

TL;DR: It's geographically isolated, probably freezing, probably has shorter summers and less sunlight, and likely does not have a great deal of wealth, unless there's mining and other non-agricultural industry.

Farming

Farming in cold climates is hard. You have less time in the year, less sun, less warmth, etc. Not all crops are hardy enough to last through the temperature changes and freezes these regions might go through. Depending on how miserable the cold might be that far south, I think Honnleath might fall within the USDA hardiness regions 2 or 3. Note that these zones are based on the temperature extremes a region might face, not the average temperatures.

ATTRA has this post about farming in cold climates, and while it is undoubtedly aimed for a modern audience, the crops themselves listed are still a handy resource.

Peas, radishes, mustard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, fennel, radicchio, and scallions are among those listed as suitable for colder climates. They also further down mention juneberries.

CropCare has this post about crops by zone as well.

For zone 2, they list dill, chives, carrots, broccoli, radishes, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. For zone 3, they list beets, garlic, parsley, turnips, squash, radishes, peppermint, and some onions.

Lastly, the Sustineri Project has a page where they list cherry, apple, pear, plum, and raspberry trees as possibilities within zones 2 and 3.

But with less time in the year to grow crops, and less sun, I don't see Honnleath able to earn as much income as more northern regions. They're likely dependent on what they grow to sustain themselves, and sell what extra they can.

Politics/Standing

The headcanons I have for Honnleath's politics are dependent on its location and climate. Ferelden seems to operate on a system similar to feudalism, with banns reigning over regions, with arls above them, and then teyrns, and then the monarchs, who are beholden to the Landsmeet, which is the annual gathering of these lords.

Bordering the Korcari Wilds, Honnleath was likely one of the first regions invaded by the Blight, and there were survivors only due to the Hero of Ferelden's timely arrival. In addition, that far from Denerim, Redcliffe likely is the greatest political influence on Honnleath. However, there's a strong chance the Chasind and Avvar have their own influences, if Honnleath engages in trade with either group.

Trading with Chasind is more likely, I feel, as Honnleath is closer to the Wilds than the mountains, and while the Avvar do trade with 'lowlanders', it seems to be less common.

I did come up with my own Bann for Honnleath: Bann Moorstead. Bann Moorstead resents ruling a land so far from Denerim, a land poorer in crops and capital than the more fertile Bannorn at Ferelden's heart. Determined to try and keep up with his richer peers, Moorstead continually raises taxes on the already minimal population within his holdings. During the Blight, Bann Moorstead, fueled by resentment towards his fellow lords, sides with Loghain, sending his forces to reinforce Loghain instead of protecting his lands.

And full disclosure, Bann Moorstead was created largely so I could play in the sandbox and add more depth to Cullen's distaste for nobles. It's played as a joke for most of Inquisition, but given his own origins, I think it's more than just the trope of 'military man hates politicians and fancy people'.

[nameless-brand]

@precognitiveignition

So we've managed to get a successful harvest at the Inn with your active hydroponics kit! The other locations are probably 3/4 the way there.

So in the Arrival Room, I've put a couple medium crates of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bok choy, spinach, watercress, kale, and chives. The fruiting plants were a bit tricky - I had underestimated their nutritional needs with respect to a hydroponics system - still used to soil and fertilizer, so the tomatoes and cucumbers are small - but still pretty flavorful. I also have some assorted herbs such as mint and corriandar.

And as an experiment due to loosening laws and because I still have the permit, I did grow a bit of cannabis. Since I don't really use it myself, not sure if you could use the stuff.

I've also provided more animal husbandry texts along with some DIY hydroponics kits via the Kratky method - essentially a hydroponics system that can be used to grow leafy greens without electricity at all. Also, I ordered almost every veterinarian book I could find off Amazon; they'll be trickling in but the first and second batches are already here, mostly basic raising your own livestock and fowl and waterfowl. I added some sustainable living texts for the hell of it since they were on sale too.

I don't understand much about engineering, but my head researcher Emerett was drooling over the design calling it exceptionally refined. He also reversed-engineered a lot of it in order to adapt the tech to a vertical farming system. It's honestly sped up our timeline for my personal urban farming project, so thank you.

Anyway, I also have some peas, though I've stuck them in the ice room. They're no good refrigerated after all.

[latestmarketresearchnews]

Vertical Farming Industry Competitive Landscape and Industry Analysis 2030

The global vertical farming market was valued at USD 6.92 billion in 2023, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.1% from 2023 to 2030. This rapid growth is attributed to the increasing adoption of environment-friendly methods for producing fruits and vegetables. As the global population continues to rise, urban agriculture has become essential to meet the demand for food in densely populated areas.

Vertical farming involves growing food in stacked layers, which may be set up in warehouses, skyscrapers, or even repurposed shipping containers. The popularity of organic foods, often considered healthier and more nutritious, has bolstered demand for vertically farmed produce due to its eco-friendly image. Consumer preferences for organic food also impact producers, policymakers, and suppliers, as they develop marketing strategies to cater to these health-conscious and environmentally aware consumers.

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Vertical Farming Market

Health concerns such as obesity and heart disease have led many people to seek healthier food options, increasing the demand for organic produce. Additionally, issues like groundwater depletion and changing climate conditions have encouraged traditional farmers to explore alternative farming methods. Vertical farming allows for year-round crop production, which significantly boosts productivity compared to traditional farming. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) techniques enable these indoor farms to maintain ideal growing conditions through artificial environmental controls, including lighting, temperature, and fertigation (the application of fertilizers through irrigation).

The need for high-quality, reliable food sources is also driven by urbanization and population growth. The adoption of vertical farming techniques addresses this demand by enabling crops to be grown in urban spaces, such as multi-story buildings or warehouses. As the global population is expected to increase significantly by 2030, vertical farming offers a viable solution to meet food production needs.

Growing Mechanism Segmentation Insights:

Among the various growing mechanisms used in vertical farming, hydroponics held the largest market share in 2022 and is expected to remain the dominant method from 2023 to 2030. Hydroponics is popular due to its relatively low installation costs and simplicity in operation. This method involves growing plants without soil; instead, the plants’ roots are placed in a nutrient-rich mineral solution. Hydroponics minimizes the risk of soil-borne diseases, which makes it an efficient choice for many farmers. Additionally, hydroponic systems typically produce higher yields than soil-based growing systems, as they allow for precise control over nutrient levels. The plants’ roots are immersed in a solution that is periodically checked and adjusted to maintain the ideal nutrient balance.

Consumer awareness of pesticide effects has further boosted demand for hydroponic farming, as it allows for pesticide-free growth. Hydroponic systems also reduce water usage and space requirements, making it highly efficient and environmentally friendly.

The aquaponics segment is expected to gain a notable share of the market during the forecast period. Aquaponics combines hydroponics with aquaculture, creating a closed-loop system where fish waste provides nutrients for plants. This eliminates the need for artificial fertilizers and pesticides, making aquaponics an entirely natural and sustainable system. Plants like lettuce, kale, chives, peppers, mint, cucumbers, and peas are well-suited to aquaponic growth. Fish waste in the water enriches the nutrient levels, accelerating crop production while simultaneously supporting fish growth. This system is sustainable, eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers, and is particularly attractive for consumers and farmers focused on organic and eco-friendly production.

The aeroponics segment is also projected to experience significant growth over the coming years. Like hydroponics, aeroponics does not rely on soil; however, it does not even use a growing medium. Instead, plant roots are suspended in the air within a dark chamber and periodically misted with a nutrient-rich solution. This approach allows for maximum oxygenation of the roots, which promotes faster and healthier plant growth. Aeroponics is considered one of the most efficient growing methods, as it allows plants to grow quickly and with minimal water usage. The lack of soil and medium also reduces contamination risks, making aeroponics an ideal option for producing high-quality produce with minimal resource usage.

Each of these vertical farming methods hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics offers unique advantages, and the continued growth of these segments reflects the demand for sustainable, efficient, and pesticide-free food production systems.

Order a free sample PDF of the Vertical Farming Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

[researchreportinsight]

Vertical Farming Market Growth Prospect, Distributor Analysis & Applications Insights 2030

The global vertical farming market was valued at USD 6.92 billion in 2023, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.1% from 2023 to 2030. This rapid growth is attributed to the increasing adoption of environment-friendly methods for producing fruits and vegetables. As the global population continues to rise, urban agriculture has become essential to meet the demand for food in densely populated areas.

Vertical farming involves growing food in stacked layers, which may be set up in warehouses, skyscrapers, or even repurposed shipping containers. The popularity of organic foods, often considered healthier and more nutritious, has bolstered demand for vertically farmed produce due to its eco-friendly image. Consumer preferences for organic food also impact producers, policymakers, and suppliers, as they develop marketing strategies to cater to these health-conscious and environmentally aware consumers.

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Vertical Farming Market

Health concerns such as obesity and heart disease have led many people to seek healthier food options, increasing the demand for organic produce. Additionally, issues like groundwater depletion and changing climate conditions have encouraged traditional farmers to explore alternative farming methods. Vertical farming allows for year-round crop production, which significantly boosts productivity compared to traditional farming. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) techniques enable these indoor farms to maintain ideal growing conditions through artificial environmental controls, including lighting, temperature, and fertigation (the application of fertilizers through irrigation).

The need for high-quality, reliable food sources is also driven by urbanization and population growth. The adoption of vertical farming techniques addresses this demand by enabling crops to be grown in urban spaces, such as multi-story buildings or warehouses. As the global population is expected to increase significantly by 2030, vertical farming offers a viable solution to meet food production needs.

Growing Mechanism Segmentation Insights:

Among the various growing mechanisms used in vertical farming, hydroponics held the largest market share in 2022 and is expected to remain the dominant method from 2023 to 2030. Hydroponics is popular due to its relatively low installation costs and simplicity in operation. This method involves growing plants without soil; instead, the plants’ roots are placed in a nutrient-rich mineral solution. Hydroponics minimizes the risk of soil-borne diseases, which makes it an efficient choice for many farmers. Additionally, hydroponic systems typically produce higher yields than soil-based growing systems, as they allow for precise control over nutrient levels. The plants’ roots are immersed in a solution that is periodically checked and adjusted to maintain the ideal nutrient balance.

Consumer awareness of pesticide effects has further boosted demand for hydroponic farming, as it allows for pesticide-free growth. Hydroponic systems also reduce water usage and space requirements, making it highly efficient and environmentally friendly.

The aquaponics segment is expected to gain a notable share of the market during the forecast period. Aquaponics combines hydroponics with aquaculture, creating a closed-loop system where fish waste provides nutrients for plants. This eliminates the need for artificial fertilizers and pesticides, making aquaponics an entirely natural and sustainable system. Plants like lettuce, kale, chives, peppers, mint, cucumbers, and peas are well-suited to aquaponic growth. Fish waste in the water enriches the nutrient levels, accelerating crop production while simultaneously supporting fish growth. This system is sustainable, eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers, and is particularly attractive for consumers and farmers focused on organic and eco-friendly production.

The aeroponics segment is also projected to experience significant growth over the coming years. Like hydroponics, aeroponics does not rely on soil; however, it does not even use a growing medium. Instead, plant roots are suspended in the air within a dark chamber and periodically misted with a nutrient-rich solution. This approach allows for maximum oxygenation of the roots, which promotes faster and healthier plant growth. Aeroponics is considered one of the most efficient growing methods, as it allows plants to grow quickly and with minimal water usage. The lack of soil and medium also reduces contamination risks, making aeroponics an ideal option for producing high-quality produce with minimal resource usage.

Each of these vertical farming methods hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics offers unique advantages, and the continued growth of these segments reflects the demand for sustainable, efficient, and pesticide-free food production systems.

Order a free sample PDF of the Vertical Farming Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

[apexart-journal]

Caitlin Hespe in NYC - Day 12

Planting chard and chives, marigolds, cosmos, thyme, watermelon. Felt at ease with the others working there, a genuine openness was felt. The lead farmer/coordinator Kelly reminded me of Madison and Erica and Erin (all strong and smart farm women). You could tell she had fifteen things on her mind to manage, yet could cheerfully instruct everyone on the next things to do, without micromanaging. Rare skills. 

Felt gently grounded by having soil around the hands.

So glad that I couldnt attend the dance class, because it meant I got to hear Gabriella talk about her rose project.

Such a poetic and creative enactment of a curiosity - about roses with military themed names.

We grafted the ‘atom bomb’ rose onto other local roses named after military feats. Absurd.

Performance party at St. Marks place. A monthly gathering for people to perform pieces they are working on.

Noticed the bravery beforehand and pure exhilaration people felt after performing. They were so happy. That in itself seemed worth seeing.

The performances themselves were not completely to my taste of artistic mode, or not completely moving for me, but the pure act of performing- becoming vulnerable and expressing oneself was so precious. I felt so lucky to see it. Perhaps the most important thing is to have a place to be able to share oneself.

What does making-the-most-of look like

Left my drink bottle at the farm in brooklyn, email carter, I hope this is a sign that I am to go back.

[cravoseacnes]

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[goldiers1]

Seychelles Women Farmers Encouraged by UN

  Civil servants from the Department of Agriculture in Seychelles had a 3-day workshop from 28 February to 2 March 2023. The workshop was supported by the UN Women Regional Office for East and Southern Africa to understand the gender equality issues in the agriculture sector in Seychelles. This workshop was the first of its kind in Seychelles and UN Women worked closely with civil servants from both Government Departments to unpack and explore the nature and breadth of the gender-related issues.  

Seychelles - Daily Life - Market Vendors. Photo by UN Women Gallery. Flickr.  

Encouraging More Seychellois Women to Participate

The overall objective of the workshop was to explore ways to encourage more women to participate in the agriculture sector to strengthen food security in the country.  

Mr. Clive. Seychelles. Photo by UN Women Gallery. Flickr.   During his opening remarks, the Principal Secretary of the Department of Family, Mr. Chive Roucou said: “women’s empowerment plays a fundamental role in the development of any society, henceforth the agriculture sector is not an exception.” He went on to highlight that only about 6% of Seychellois farmers are women and that “Women are not taking farming as one of their top career choices”.   The workshop allowed participants to explore the challenges faced by women in entering the agriculture sector, and in excelling within the sector. Access to time and labor-saving technologies, sufficient farming inputs, access to extension services and access to agricultural land were identified areas where the Government could provide focused support to women. Gender equality issues beyond the agriculture sector were also raised, these included a high number of women-headed households (especially on Mahe Island); gender-based violence, and a disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work that is born by women. Another issue that was raised was the lack of relevant data to fully understand the situation faced by many of the Seychellois.   “We need to provide time and labor-saving technologies to women to ensure that they do not leave the farms at six in the evening while their children are hungry at home”, said Mr. Keven Nancy, Principal Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. He also highlighted that women are balancing many simultaneous responsibilities of both earning a living and taking care of their children and families. The workshop was held within the context of the ‘Building the Resilience fo Food Systems in Mauritius And Seychelles by Leveraging on Sustainable Agricultural Practices’ program implemented in both Mauritius and Seychelles. The project is funded by the Joint SDG Fund and under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinators Office for Mauritius and Seychelles the project is implemented by UN Women, UNDP, and FAO.   Sources: THX News & UN Women Africa. Read the full article

[twnenglish]

12 Most Profitable Crops For Small Farms

Farming can result in significant financial gains if you know which crops to produce and concentrate on them. No matter how little or large your farm is, whether you have a greenhouse or a farm with several acres of agricultural land, you can still make a living from farming.

What is a Cash Crop?

A crop that can be raised for profit is known as a cash crop. The farm then sells these cash crops, also known as profit crops, to third parties, such as consumers (B2C) or other businesses who sell or prepare food in their shop (B2B).

Explore More Articles in our BUSINESS Category, Click Here

Do you know which plants are the most lucrative to sell and grow? & What Characterizes A Profitable Crop?

By conducting research, making sure that your crops are, and other factors, you can boost your profitability.

It can grow rapidly (from seed to harvest).

has a high need

large yields

It can be applied in various contexts (such that, if an industry is having trouble, you don't lose track of one buyer).

It may be grown year-round.

seed prices

Costs of upkeep

Since crop production takes up little room, you may fit more.

Whether you sell directly to people (retail price) or to businesses will determine your earnings (wholesale pricing).

Keep in mind that projected revenues do not account for overhead or operating expenses.

12 Most Profitable Crops For Small Farms:

The most lucrative crops are listed below in a list with categories. The crop group that each category represents is represented by the respective crop. Each crop is shown below along with an estimated revenue projection. The estimated revenue is determined using the crop yield for each crop.

1. Lavender

One of the most profitable income crops is lavender. Due to its numerous applications and sources of income, lavender is a successful cash crop. Numerous more uses include cooking, aromatherapy, and floral arrangements.

From seed to harvest, lavender takes about three years to fully mature.

Lavender Revenue:

Depending on the customer, lavender bunches can be sold for $6 to $13. A single acre can produce over 12,000 lavender bunches, which can range in price from $6 to $13 depending on the consumer.

2. Saffron

With a price of more than $500 per ounce, saffron is the most costly culinary herb by weight. As a flavouring and colouring agent, it is largely used in cooking. Eight weeks pass from planting to harvesting.

Saffron Revenue

The price of saffron ranges from $10 to $20 per gramme or $5,000 to $10,000 per kilogramme. Three (3) pounds of saffron valued between $15,000 and $30,000 can be produced from a field-grown acre.

3. Gourmet Garlic

Gourmet garlic costs $16 a kilogramme, which is more expensive than regular garlic. In contrast, the price per kilogramme at your neighbourhood grocery is $3.48. Garlic can be harvested when three months have passed.

Gourmet Garlic Revenues:

Gourmet garlic costs $16 a pound and is available for purchase. Between 10,000 and 12,000 pounds of garlic are typically produced per acre. This increases its value to somewhere between $160,000 and $229,000

4. Chives

You can plant chives all year long. Through the winter, they maintain their green colour, and in the spring, they regrowth. Due to their ease of cultivation, low maintenance needs, and extreme hardiness, they are frequently referred to as "gateway plants." A extremely profitable crop is chives. They will continue to expand annually.

30 days after transplanting or 60 days after sowing, chives can be picked.

Chives Revenue

Chive costs in the country range from $8 to $12 per pound. An acre of chive plants yields roughly 18,000 pounds and costs between $144,000 and $1216,000 to grow.

Important Tags:

12 most profitable crops for small farms, most profitable crops, income from farming

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[chilihere]

Since I was a child I always loved the idea of living in a little cabin in the woods. Birds greet you in the morning, you boil water over the fire, smell the moss, maybe you catch a glimpse of what you think could have maybe been a faerie?! But as I grew older I was taught that magic isn’t real, that cabin in the woods isn’t reality and that there isn’t that much green in my world.

I started working the jobs I was given and grinding, trying to climb those ladders. I’ve gone from the “garbage girl” to “manager” and something was always lacking. That’s when I decided to take a journey into the past. I decided to start my own homesteading expedition, in the city. I may not get my cabin in the woods but I am going to ensure I have my little patch of green. Here is what I have found helpful to start out with so far:

It seems overwhelming at first but don’t fret! No investment type purchases necessary yet. Figure out what you want to cut down on financially, transitioning to homesteading is smoothest when you don’t have huge bills to cover. I suggest starting with streaming services, cable, phone bills, internet usage and any other monthly plans.

 While you’re doing your planning, you’ll still need to shop and feed yourself. Start looking for reusable items to replace things you consistently go to the store for. Parchment paper, baking sheets, paper plates etc. Finish using and replace as many single use items as possible. Bonus if they don’t use electricity (ex: hand grinder for coffee, non electric kettle etc). If you have a local market or farm stands nearby, get to know them and their prices. You may be shocked to discover a ton of savings and good info about the growing climate.

This one sounds odd but I feel like it is a big step in moving from a very hands off technology based lifestyle to one that is more self sufficient – take time to reflect “spiritually” (whatever that is for you) and address any addictions or negative traits that revolve around your industrial upbringing. For me the biggest are: overworking myself, mindlessly scrolling the phone, caffeine and refined sugar. This is the hardest part of the entire journey because it involves creating a habit that goes against societal norms/what is exceptionally easy to access and relies on setting boundaries for myself. Addiction isn’t easy that is for sure!

Gather information about the things you are most interested in. For me, that is growing my own veggies and alternative herbal remedies. The city I live in does not allow livestock or chickens, but there are tons of cities in Canada that do! Shelter building, water purification, fire starting and tying knots are always interesting research topics. Pinterest is also fairly handy for this stuff, funny enough! Search “survival tips” and you’ll find quite a bit on there, as well as the “homesteading” tag. The library is a great resource for herbal remedies, medicinal, all sorts of books about psychology etc. Spend some time researching things you believe will help, and stuff that gets you excited, too!

Set some realistic goals and work towards those projects. For example, I had very low funds so I started growing herbs in the window. Chives, green onion, parsley and mint all grow fairly quickly and can be kept through winter if properly maintained. Pick something you use a lot or do a lot – let’s say cleaning; and slowly swap all of your products to home made solutions.

Lastly, because these are just starter tips, find some people with similar interests. If you aren’t able to connect locally (check your cities Reddit board for keywords like garden or the cities website for local greenhouses) there are a number of groups online that promote this kind of lifestyle. I’m sure if you’ve found this post though, you are well aware. But if not there are tons of blogs under “homesteading” or “natural solutions”.

Although I am nowhere close to the “end goal” I imagined and haven’t become completely self sustainable; I can definitely say I am a lot happier, feeling more positive about the future and have no fear as compared to where I started. I think if this journey is all for “nothing”, at least I have some peace.

Do you have any tips? Tricks? Disagree entirely? I’d love to hear from you!

✨Thanks for existing👋✨

Chili Here

[nitewrighter]

Some OW Fankids domestic fic? Just the gang hanging around and stuff at the watchpoint? Like the halloween fic with the fankids you did before!! :DDD

I never did any fics surrounding Jaime joining the watchpoint. I should fix that.

Oof this one ended up long. 

In Loco Parentis

------

The mid-morning sunlight streamed through the slats of the watchpoint boardroom.

“We’re not a homeless shelter,” Jack’s arms were folded, “Or an orphanage.”

“You know the situation is more complicated than that,” said McCree, “If he’s fleeing Vishkar---”

“There are thousands of people displaced by Talon, Null Sector, and the Siberian Omnium,” said Jack, “We barely have the resources to sustain ourselves. If we start taking on civilians...”

“Even at the peak of Overwatch’s power, there wasn’t a whole lot they could do about 30 million crisis orphans,” said Sombra.

“But with Marti--” McCree looked over at Sombra, who had several screens open around her head.

“I’m Marti’s legal guardian,” said Sombra, scrolling through one of her screens with a flick of her wrist, “It’s different.”

“So what, we just throw him out?” said McCree.

“Not ‘throw him out,’” said Winston. He cleared his throat and set several pamphlets on the table in front of McCree, “His associating with us also potentially makes him even more of a target for Talon. While I do believe Overwatch is meant to help everyone, we have to be able to delegate what that help looks like.”

McCree picked up one of the pamphlets and his mouth thinned. There was a picture of a handful of kids of varying backgrounds in front of an idyllic suburban house. “...Foster care,” said McCree, “You’re talking about foster care.”

“I can cover his tracks,” said Sombra, “Keep Vishkar from scooping him back up.”

McCree opened up the pamphlet and his eyes glazed over it. Clean. Homey. Normal. He deserved normal. All kids deserved normal.

He’ll be clawing at that pretty flowery wallpaper within two weeks, run off again within a month, thought McCree, He’s too angry. Too scared. Too hungry. He’s seen too much to think he can--No. Shut up. Shut up. You’re projecting. You’re projecting. You’re projecting.

“It’s best if you talk to him,” said Winston, “From his perspective, you’re the closest thing he has to ‘In Loco Parentis.’”

“In local what now?”

“It’s a legal term meaning--” Winston caught himself, “Er--”

“‘In place of a parent,’” said Sombra, she gave McCree a slightly pitying look, “McCree, we all know your story. We know what you’re thinking.”

“What? What am I thinking? That it’s wrong to give him back into a system that just tossed him into Vishkar’s jaws before?” McCree folded his arms. “I’m just saying, even if we put him in completely anonymously, you know Talon and Vishkar comb through the poorest and most desperate for...their ranks.”

“We have to demonstrate some cooperation with the proper channels,” said Winston.

“Look, we get your concerns but try to see it from our perspective. He’s only a few years younger than you were when Reyes picked you up,” said Sombra, folding her arms, “This is personal for you, we get it---”

“You think I’m emotionally compromised,” said McCree with a scoff.

“Yes,” said Sombra, flatly, “But, it’s because of that compromise that we also trust you to do what’s best for him.” Sombra insistently tapped a finger on the end of the pamphlet McCree was holding for emphasis as she said ‘do what’s best.’

McCree looked down at the pamphlet.

“He’s at a stage you were at once, and I get wanting to help him through that,” Sombra went on, “But we’re fighting against a global corporate-backed terrorist collective and a robot invasion. The best thing we can do for him is get him as far away from it as we can.”

McCree looked at a photo of several children around a table with plates of pancakes as a human and omnic pair of foster parents proudly beamed at the camera. Normal. He deserved normal.

“I’ll... I’ll talk to the kid,” said McCree, itching at the brim of his hat, “I guess... all that matters is getting a roof over his head, right?”

He looked at Jack and found no sympathy in that visor. All that matters is stopping Talon, he could almost hear Jack’s voice.

“Of course,” said Winston, “We have complete faith in you.”

“I mean, unless he’s already stolen everything he could and dipped already,” said Sombra with a slight chuckle.

McCree shot her a dirty look.

“Crisis Orphan mentality,” said Sombra with a shrug, “It’s what I would have done in his place.”

“We ain’t treatin’ him like a criminal!” said McCree.

“He’s literally here because he stole Rei’s backpack,” said Jack, flatly.

“Hanzo’s been keeping an eye on him,” said McCree, “Last I checked he was still asleep. It’ll be fine.”

----

“You lost him!?” McCree was pacing back and forth in front of Hanzo as they stood in an empty watchpoint dormitory, “How do you lose a whole-ass 14-year-old?!”

“I wasn’t going to have him wake up with me staring at him, I thought it prudent to fix something for him to eat for a late breakfast!” said Hanzo. He was holding a now-cold plate of a neatly folded omelette flecked with chives.

“...of all the times for you to switch gears from ninja to Uncle Hanzo...” McCree huffed but Hanzo just furrowed his brows at him. “Sorry--” McCree caught himself, “Sorry. We gotta go find him. Athena?” McCree called and looked around the dorm room. There was no response.

“Did he disable Athena in here?” said Hanzo, shocked.

“If he could run away from a Vishkar orphanage...” McCree pulled out his comm, “Athena, you there? I need Watchpoint surveillance feeds on my comm.”

“If we don’t want him to feel like a criminal, perhaps activating all Watchpoint security isn’t the best way to go about this,” said Hanzo, “We’ll look around for him first. Give him time to come back.”

“In that time he could hop another freighter or--or get hurt! He’s cleared with Satya’s turrets, right?” said McCree.

“Of course he’s cleared with Satya’s turrets, we aren’t savages!” Hanzo retorted, “Every moment we spend arguing is a moment we should be spending making sure he’s all right. Come,” said Hanzo, already briskly walking out

“You gotta be kidding me,” muttered McCree, following behind him.

----

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Jaime was hunched over a pried-open panel to see nothing but empty black space. The scent of his own new clothes threw him off, distracted him. The fact that he couldn’t really smell himself anymore was definitely an improvement, but he was wondering how much the stress of getting out of here would undo that. He rooted around in the space, trying to feel for wires, but then huffed.

“The whole watchpoint’s been cannibalized several times over. Any copper or palladium in the walls here has probably been stripped for Mei’s or Athena’s servers,” a voice that seemed to be trying to jam too many syllables in at once while hitting its consonants a little too hard spoke up from behind Jaime, and Jaime glanced over his shoulder to see a familiar girl with thick eyebrows and wild dark hair tied half-back in a yellow ribbon. “There’s no way you can try to get them without getting caught, though,” she added.

“...Psycho,” said Jaime.

“Thief,” said Rei.

“I already said sorry about your stupid backpack,” said Jaime, pushing himself up from his knees and dusting himself off, already walking away.

“And you’re already trying to steal again!” said Rei, huffily pacing after him.

“You know most people don’t steal because they have anything against whoever they’re stealing from, right?” said Jaime, “It’s not about you, or your watch...thing.”

“Watchpoint,” said Rei.

“It’s about survival,” said Jaime.

“So ask!” said Rei, “They’re Overwatch! You think we don’t care about people’s survival?!”

“I really don’t care about your weird army cult thing,” said Jaime, continuing to walk.

“Cult?!” Rei blustered.

“Yeah. Big compound, lots of guns...weird kids who were born here and don’t question the giant weird compound or the guns---”

“Overwatch is trying to save the world from Talon and Null Sector! Trying to save the world isn’t a cult!” said Rei.

Jaime just gave her a semi-pitying look that made her blood boil.

“Well fine! If you want to go back to being a scuzzy little thief, be my guest!” she said, throwing her hands up.

“That’s the plan,” said Jaime, continuing to walk away, “Not like I’m dumb enough to wait for them to hand me off to the police or another orphanage.”

“Fine!” Rei said again, folding her arms, before suddenly catching herself, “Wait---”

Jaime stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.

“If you need things before you go, we can give them to you. No stealing,” said Rei, “I mean, obviously you can’t strip Athena or any of the tech, but... clothes and soap and food...” she trailed off.

Jaime’s stomach audibly growled at the word ‘food.’

“...Have you eaten yet today?” said Rei, suddenly alarmed.

“What are you, my mom?” said Jaime with a scoff before his stomach growled again.

“Come with me,” said Rei, briskly stepping up alongside him. She looked to his wrist, fully healed from the sprain thanks to biotics, and took his elbow, “Come on.”

“Is this the cult love-bombing?” said Jaime, being half-dragged behind her, “I’m not going if it’s the cult love-bombing.”

“Oh my god, it’s not love-bombing, I’m just taking you to the garden so you can grab some fruit,” said Rei continuing to drag him along, “It’s closer than the mess hall. You’re less likely to run into the adults there.”

“You have guns, a compound, and a little mini-farm, and you want me to believe you’re not a cult,” said Jaime, flatly. They rounded a corner and walked a narrow path between the hangar and the seaside cliffs.

“I don’t have guns. And Bastion actually does most of the gardening,” said Rei, as they walked.

“Who?” said Jaime, but he blinked several times as the ground opened up  to a wide grassy area bordered by Gibraltar’s rocks and the hangar. There was a line of orange trees up against the hangar, and a significant section of the grass had been carved out to form a small victory garden growing tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, carrots, and corn. Opposite the orange trees were several thrumming beehive boxes, and at the far end of the garden was an apparently well-loved old greenhouse that had gone through several patch-ups over the years, and a knobby little olive tree twisting up next to it, canvas laid out at its roots.

“Thwuh-wheet?” an inquisitive beep came from behind them and both Rei and Jaime quickly turned on their heels to see Bastion looming over them, . Jaime’s breath caught in his throat and he stumbled back. Bastion tilted its boxy head at him.

“...that’s a Bastion unit,” said Jaime, his voice tense in his throat as he took several steps back.

“Bastion doesn’t like to fight,” said Rei, as several birds fluttered around Bastion’s head. Bastion gestured at Jaime with its hand.

“Oh um--he’s.... from school!” said Rei, “He’s just visiting.”

“Right,” Jaime repeated hesitantly, “From... the school.” But then Jaime jumped about a foot in the air as a bright blue teleporter opened at the end of the line of orange trees. Rei stepped in front of Jaime, half-expecting an adult to step out of it, but instead it was only Samir, looking more rumpled than usual in a baggy tank top, basketball shorts, and sandals. The only thing that kept Jaime from breaking out into a dead sprint out of that garden at the slightest sight of hard-light was both Rei and Bastion’s complete non-reaction to the appearance of a teleporter. Samir didn’t seem really aware of them as he materialized a large basket and a hard-light telescoping fruit picker.

“I thought you said Overwatch was against Vishkar!” Jaime hissed from behind Rei as Samir hummed and picked oranges.

“We are,” said Rei, “Samir’s mom--I mean, one of Samir’s moms---well, long story short, you’re not the first person to leave Vishkar.”

Jaime blinked several times, “I’m... I’m not?”

“Rei?” Samir’s head turned toward her as an orange thudded to the ground at his feet, “Who are you talking to?”

Jaime leaned out slightly from behind Bastion and Samir squinted a little.

“Uh...Hi. Jaime. I’m Jaime, from... from school. The school. That I go to. With her,” said Jaime.

“Rei,” Rei said quietly under her breath.

“The school with Rei,” said Jaime, nodding.

Samir gave them both a skeptical look before resuming picking oranges, “You’re hiding,” he said matter-of-factly.

“What? No!” Rei and Jaime’s voices were overlapping each other as they stumbled over several half-thought out excuses.

Samir gave them an impatient ‘Don’t assume I’m dumb’ look and Rei’s shoulders slumped. “Look, it’s complicated,” said Rei, “Okay?”

“Is he a secret boyfriend? You aren’t cheating on Jaz, are you?” said Samir, squinting at her.

“Oh gross! Barf! Like I would cheat on Jaz with Backpack Thief McPubertystache over here!” Rei blurted out, but then she caught herself and looked at Jaime, “I mean.... uh... no.”

“...real flattering,” said Jaime.

“Wait--You stole Rei’s backpack?!” Samir’s face lit up.

“Uh...” Jaime itched at the back of his neck.

“So you outran a ninja and Marti?” said Samir.

“He didn’t outrun me!” said Rei, indignantly.

“I out parkour’d her,” said Jaime, folding his arms smugly.

“Did not! You caught me on an off-day!” said Rei.

“I out parkour’d her,” Jaime whisper-spoke to Samir and Samir snorted slightly.

“So... you’re still here?” said Samir tilting his head, “I thought Overwatch would have just sent you to your parents or....”

Jaime glanced off and his lips thinned.

“...Oh,” said Samir and he looked to Rei, “Did they say what they were going to do with him or...?”

“I can take care of myself,” said Jaime, firmly, “Rei’s just helping me grab some stuff before I go.”

“...oh,” said Samir, his shoulders slumping slightly, “So you’re going.”

“I’m a wanderer,” said Jaime, putting his hands on his hips, “Erromes.”

“Erro...what?” Samir started.

“A pilgrim,” said Jaime.

“...you’re fourteen,” said Rei, flatly.

“Better than being in a cult,” said Jaime with a shrug.

“We’re not in a---!” Rei huffed before looking at Samir, “We’re just grabbing some food, that’s it.”

Samir shrugged, “Fine by me,” he pulled an orange from his basket and materialized a hard light knife, cutting the orange into neat sections. He held the cut orange out to Jaime. Jaime gave a wary glance to Rei before stepping over to Samir and taking the cut orange.

“Rei said you escaped Vishkar?” said Samir.

“...yeah,” said Jaime, trying to eat the orange slices as casually as possible despite how hungry he was.

“What was it like?” said Samir.

Jaime just paled slightly and Samir caught himself, “Sorry just... Mom hates them too, but she’s never talks about it, you know?”

“They always try and leave us out of that kind of stuff,” muttered Rei, interlacing her fingers behind her head.

“What’s the cowboy’s deal?” said Jaime, in-between bites of orange.

“Uncle Jesse?” said Rei,

“Like... why is he a cowboy?” said Jaime.

“Why are you a pilgrim if you keep freaking out and calling us a cult?” said Rei, arching an eyebrow.

“Pilgrims understand there are no easy answers,” said Jaime, airily.

“The way we live isn’t an easy answer,” said Rei with a scoff, “I’m scared of my parents dying, or my uncles dying, or anyone else on this Watchpoint dying. Like, all the time. And I’m scared of losing my home. All the time.”

“...oh,” said Jaime.

“You thought this was easy?” said Rei.

“...you go to school, and you have lunches and...” Jaime trailed off. Rei was glancing off, too.

An awkward pause passed between the three of them. Bastion at this point seemed to occupy itself with weeding the garden.

“No one knows why McCree’s a cowboy,” said Samir, at last, “That’s just how he is.” Another long pause passed and Samir cleared his throat. “You know, you’re probably going to want food with a longer shelf-life so..”

“Mess hall!” Rei blurted out.

“Right,” said Samir, spinning another teleporter into existence.

Jaime visibly tensed at the sight of another teleporter and Samir quickly waved it off into sparkling oblivion with a flick of his wrist. “Or we could walk! Walking is good!”

“‘We?’” said Rei.

“Well it’s not like we get a lot of visitors,” said Samir, hefting up his basket of oranges and stepping up next to them. Samir and Rei gave a wave to Bastion, who only briefly glanced up from a butterfly resting on a tomato flower to wave back at them as they left the garden.

“...so you live on the Watchpoint too?” said Jaime, walking with Rei and Samir. The three of them walked another cliffside path to a road that needed some re-paving ribboning through the watchpoint. Jaime was periodically grabbing oranges out of Samir’s basket, peeling and eating them as they walked.

“There’s just four of us,” said Samir, “There’s Rei, Marti, me, and my brother, Rajeev. We actually all go to the same school, but Rajeev and I are in lower grades.”

“Ah...” said Jaime, now feeling a little foolish for trying to keep up the ‘I’m Rei’s classmate’ lie, “...and your parents just... teach you being about being a ninja or using hard-light?”

“It took forever to convince Dad and Uncle to let me start training,” said Rei with a huff,  “Dad was okay with me learning Kendo, but he and Mom were so weird about me learning any actual ninja stuff. But I was climbing everything on the Watchpoint anyway so Uncle started teaching me stuff ‘so I wouldn’t hurt myself.’”

“For me, my Mom just uses hard-light for everything,” said Samir with a shrug, “It’s just kind of how we do everything. Cooking, cleaning, exercise---”

“Basketball,” said Rei as the road opened up to the watchpoint tarmac.

“That falls under exer--oh,” Samir was cut off by the pang pang pang of a basketball on blacktop glanced up to see a large hard-light basketball hoop set up in front of the watchpoint mess hall. Marti was guarding the hoop, in a tense cat-like position while Rajeev was furiously dribbling the ball in front of her, trying to get past her. Marti glanced over her shoulder at them.

“Rei?” Marti blinked a few times and looked at Jaime, “Isn’t that the--”

 She was cut off as Rajeev dipped to the side of her and jumped up to make a slam-dunk, only to have the entire basketball hoop dematerialize with the impact of his weight. He stumbled to the ground and the basketball smacked against the pavement and went flying. Jaime caught it out of the air.

“Boom!” Rajeev threw his arms up into the air, “Dunked it too hard! Too powerful!”

“I’m pretty sure the basket only dissolved because you need to dial up the shock absorption,” said Samir, with a huff.

“Details,” said Rajeev with a hand wave.

“What’s going on?” said Marti, looking between Rei and Jaime, “What’s he doing here?”

“I’m just helping him grab some stuff before he takes off,” said Rei with a shrug.

“...he’s taking off?” said Marti, “What did McCree say?”

“Well...” Rei trailed off.

“Rei,” Marti folded her arms.

“I mean he’s going to run off anyway!” said Rei.

“It’s true,” said Jaime with a shrug, still holding the basketball.

“And go back to stealing and dumpster-diving?” said Marti.

“What do you care?” said Jaime.

“You’re just a kid,” said Marti.

“So?” said Jaime a bit more stiffly.

“And you ran away from Vishkar,” Samir piped up.

“You ran away from Vishkar!?” Rajeev’s face lit up.

“And he outran Rei and Marti for like, 3 hours,” said Samir.

“He didn’t outrun me, he cheated,” said Rei.

“He outran us,” Marti confirmed. 

“Woah...” Rajeev looked back at Jaime. He pointed at the basketball still in Jaime’s hand, “Wanna play a round?”

“What, just like that?” said Jaime.

Rajeev shrugged. “It’s just basketball. We don’t get a lot of visitors to the Watchpoint.” 

“...I don’t know if that’s a good idea...” Jaime said quietly, bounce-passing the ball to Marti.

“It’s a good idea,” said Marti, bounce-passing the ball back to him.

Jaime looked at her.

“I get what it feels like to not feel safe anywhere,” said Marti, “But...this place...”

“This place is about as safe from Vishkar as you can get,” said Samir, finishing her thought.

Jaime looked down at the ball and then his eyes flicked to Rei. “You don’t actually want to play with me,” he said, bouncing the ball to her.

“I don’t know about ‘play,’” said Rei, dribbling the ball thoughtfully, “But I gotta show the twins that you outrunning me was just a fluke somehow.” She chest-passed it so hard to him he rocked back on his heels.

“Oh it’s like that?” said Jaime, passing the ball back to her.

“It’s like that,” said Rei, bouncing the ball back.

“We can play guys vs. girls!” said Rajeev.

“That’s three on two,” said Samir.

“Two on two, each team gets a twin,” said Marti, “Rei and Rajeev vs Jaime and Samir. Sound fair?”

“What about you?” said Rei.

“I’ll be sneaking stuff out of the mess hall,” said Marti with a slight smile at Jaime, “Just for good faith.”

“How is it good faith if we’re still stea--” Rajeev started but Samir elbowed him.

“I shouldn’t stay that long,” Jaime said, 

“First to five?” said Samir, as he and Rajeev materialized a new hard-light hoop.

“...I’ve got time for first to five,” said Jaime.

----

“I meant to ask,” said Hanzo as the two of them briskly walked out of the hangar, “Did you and  the others come to a consensus about what should be done?” McCree fished the foster home pamphlet out of his back pocket and held it out to Hanzo. “...Ah,” said Hanzo.

“I mean, it’s obvious, ain’t it?” said McCree glancing off, “It’s not like he actually wants to be here...”

Hanzo studied McCree’s profile for a few seconds. “You’re not okay with this,” Hanzo said quietly.

“What?” said McCree, “I mean, I’ll be okay about it. I just gotta...” he trailed off, “Y’know.”

“He’s a lot like you,” said Hanzo, as they walked through one of the watchpoint’s cannibalized server rooms.

“You know, this would be easier if people stopped sayin’ that,” said McCree, pausing to examine a panel which had been removed from the wall.

Hanzo glanced off, “Do you remember when we would look after Rei when Genji and Angela were busy?”

“Oh don’t start---” McCree pressed the brim of his hat down.

“You loved it. You loved her. You listened to her babbling like it was the most important and interesting thing in the world.”

“That’s---”

“You even volunteered us for helping out with the twins when they were born.  And when Marti came to the Watchpoint you were constantly checking in to make sure she was settling in all right.”

“That’s babysitting! That’s kids you can walk away from!” said McCree, as they both walked out of the server room.

“But none of the children on this Watchpoint forgot that. They go to you when they feel like they can’t talk to their parents about something, you haven’t noticed that?”

“Well, maybe that’s because they don’t see me as an authority figure like everyone else--not a good ‘In local parentals’ factor,” said McCree.

“In loco parentis,” said Hanzo.

“See? I don’t know shit!”

“It’s not a matter of them not respecting you, it’s a matter of them seeing you as someone who respects them,” said Hanzo, “You’re coming from a childhood where you were largely relying on yourself... the adult figure you are to these children is the one you wish you had in your life. And it’s why Jaime was able to trust you enough to get his wrist looked at rather than just run off.”

“Hanzo, what are you gettin’ at, here?”

“You want to be a father--You’ve probably wanted to be a father ever since Rei was born. Possibly even earlier.”

“Well yeah, but there’s wanting something, and then knowing you’ll be shit at it,” said McCree, “I’m not like you, all... together.”

“You think I would be a good father?” a laugh rippled Hanzo’s voice and he noted the apparent hurt in McCree’s expression, “Oh... you actually...”

“You were a got-dang wizard with Rei! She still idolizes you! You’re always... prepared!” McCree furrowed his brow and thought for a second, “Did you ever want kids?”

“...In a sense, but...” Hanzo glanced down, “I didn’t think it would be fair to them. My father spent my childhood molding me into another, well, him. And as Genji can probably tell you, he wasn’t a good person. I don’t... I don’t want to inflict that on a child.”

“You would never,” said McCree on reflex, “Me on the other hand...” he shuddered, “If I became another kid’s Reyes...” he trailed off, “...we never really talked about this, did we?” he said at last.

“Well, given the fact that Overwatch is throwing us into near-constant danger and we never had to worry about pregnancy...” Hanzo trailed off, “Let’s just focus on finding him.”

“I hear that,” said McCree, “It ain’t about us. It’s about him.” McCree’s boot hit an odd texture and he glanced down.

“Orange peel,” said Hanzo, plucking up a bit of the waxy rind from the blacktop. They looked at the small trail of bits of orange peel like breadcrumbs through the watchpoint.

“Could be another macaque,” said McCree.

“Too clean,” said Hanzo.

“Welp, it’s a lead,” said McCree, following the trail. It lead them on a meandering path through the watchpoint, a fairly straight line towards the mess hall.

The trail of orange peel tapered off to nothingness and McCree frowned, but then his head jerked up at the sound of Rei shouting. He gave a glance back to Hanzo and both of them picked up their pace, rounding the corner to see Jaime, Rei, and the twins all involved in an intense game of basketball around one hard-light hoop. Rei was passing to Rajeev, getting intercepted by Jaime who would shoot for the basket, only to be intercepted by Rajeev. They didn’t even notice McCree and Hanzo coming out from behind a building’s corner, but McCree hung back. He fished the foster home brochure out of the back of his pocket, he glanced down at the photo of the smiling family at the table laden with pancakes, then glanced back up at the four kids laughing and shouting at each other as they scrambled around the basketball hoop. 

The sensible voice in his head spoke up, saying, Do what’s best for him. He deserves normal, but then an angrier voice spoke, What the hell is normal anyway? There hasn’t been a normal ever since the goddamn Omnic Crisis. It’s not about ‘normal’ it’s about ‘home.’ And when the hell has ‘home’ ever been normal for anyone?

“Jesse?” Hanzo’s voice cut through McCree’s train of thought and McCree glanced over at him, “Do you think we should...?” He looked back at Jaime intercepting a shot from Rei and then laughing about it.

“...I mean, he doesn’t have to go right away, does he?” said McCree, watching as Jaime managed to snatch the ball back from Rajeev and get an assist from Samir.

“Not... right away,” said Hanzo.

I never did any fics surrounding Jaime joining the watchpoint. I should fix that.

Oof this one ended up long. 

In Loco Parentis

------

The mid-morning sunlight streamed through the slats of the watchpoint boardroom.

“We’re not a homeless shelter,” Jack’s arms were folded, “Or an orphanage.”

“You know the situation is more complicated than that,” said McCree, “If he’s fleeing Vishkar---”

“There are thousands of people displaced by Talon, Null Sector, and the Siberian Omnium,” said Jack, “We barely have the resources to sustain ourselves. If we start taking on civilians...”

“Even at the peak of Overwatch’s power, there wasn’t a whole lot they could do about 30 million crisis orphans,” said Sombra.

“But with Marti--” McCree looked over at Sombra, who had several screens open around her head.

“I’m Marti’s legal guardian,” said Sombra, scrolling through one of her screens with a flick of her wrist, “It’s different.”

“So what, we just throw him out?” said McCree.

“Not ‘throw him out,’” said Winston. He cleared his throat and set several pamphlets on the table in front of McCree, “His associating with us also potentially makes him even more of a target for Talon. While I do believe Overwatch is meant to help everyone, we have to be able to delegate what that help looks like.”

McCree picked up one of the pamphlets and his mouth thinned. There was a picture of a handful of kids of varying backgrounds in front of an idyllic suburban house. “...Foster care,” said McCree, “You’re talking about foster care.”

“I can cover his tracks,” said Sombra, “Keep Vishkar from scooping him back up.”

McCree opened up the pamphlet and his eyes glazed over it. Clean. Homey. Normal. He deserved normal. All kids deserved normal.

He’ll be clawing at that pretty flowery wallpaper within two weeks, run off again within a month, thought McCree, He’s too angry. Too scared. Too hungry. He’s seen too much to think he can--No. Shut up. Shut up. You’re projecting. You’re projecting. You’re projecting.

“It’s best if you talk to him,” said Winston, “From his perspective, you’re the closest thing he has to ‘In Loco Parentis.’”

“In local what now?”

“It’s a legal term meaning--” Winston caught himself, “Er--”

“‘In place of a parent,’” said Sombra, she gave McCree a slightly pitying look, “McCree, we all know your story. We know what you’re thinking.”

“What? What am I thinking? That it’s wrong to shove him back into a system that just tossed him into Vishkar’s jaws before?” McCree folded his arms. “I’m just saying, even if we put him in completely anonymously, you know Talon and Vishkar comb through the poorest and most desperate for...their ranks.”

“We have to demonstrate some cooperation with the proper channels,” said Winston.

“Look, we get your concerns but try to see it from our perspective. He’s only a few years younger than you were when Reyes picked you up,” said Sombra, folding her arms, “This is personal for you, we get it---”

“You think I’m emotionally compromised,” said McCree with a scoff.

“Yes,” said Sombra, flatly, “But, it’s because of that compromise that we also trust you to do what’s best for him.” Sombra insistently tapped a finger on the end of the pamphlet McCree was holding for emphasis as she said ‘do what’s best.’

McCree looked down at the pamphlet.

“He’s at a stage you were at once, and I get wanting to help him through that,” Sombra went on, “But we’re fighting against a global corporate-backed terrorist collective and a robot invasion. The best thing we can do for him is get him as far away from it as we can.”

McCree looked at a photo of several children around a table with plates of pancakes as a human and omnic pair of foster parents proudly beamed at the camera. Normal. He deserved normal.

“I’ll... I’ll talk to the kid,” said McCree, itching at the brim of his hat, “I guess... all that matters is getting a roof over his head, right?”

He looked at Jack and found no sympathy in that visor. All that matters is stopping Talon, he could almost hear Jack’s voice.

“Of course,” said Winston, “We have complete faith in you.”

“I mean, unless he’s already stolen everything he could and dipped already,” said Sombra with a slight chuckle.

McCree shot her a dirty look.

“Crisis Orphan mentality,” said Sombra with a shrug, “It’s what I would have done in his place.”

“We ain’t treatin’ him like a criminal!” said McCree.

“He’s literally here because he stole Rei’s backpack,” said Jack, flatly.

“Hanzo’s been keeping an eye on him,” said McCree, “Last I checked he was still asleep. It’ll be fine.”

----

“You lost him!?” McCree was pacing back and forth in front of Hanzo as they stood in an empty watchpoint dormitory, “How do you lose a whole-ass 14-year-old?!”

“I wasn’t going to have him wake up with me staring at him, I thought it prudent to fix something for him to eat for a late breakfast!” said Hanzo. He was holding a now-cold plate of a neatly folded omelette flecked with chives.

“...of all the times for you to switch gears from ninja to Uncle Hanzo...” McCree huffed but Hanzo just furrowed his brows at him. “Sorry--” McCree caught himself, “Sorry. We gotta go find him. Athena?” McCree called and looked around the dorm room. There was no response.

“Did he disable Athena in here?” said Hanzo, shocked.

“If he could run away from a Vishkar orphanage...” McCree pulled out his comm, “Athena, you there? I need Watchpoint surveillance feeds on my comm.”

“If we don’t want him to feel like a criminal, perhaps activating all Watchpoint security isn’t the best way to go about this,” said Hanzo, “We’ll look around for him first. Give him time to come back.”

“In that time he could hop another freighter or--or get hurt! He’s cleared with Satya’s turrets, right?” said McCree.

“Of course he’s cleared with Satya’s turrets, we aren’t savages!” Hanzo retorted, “Every moment we spend arguing is a moment we should be spending making sure he’s all right. Come,” said Hanzo, already briskly walking out

“You gotta be kidding me,” muttered McCree, following behind him.

----

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Jaime was hunched over a pried-open panel to see nothing but empty black space. The scent of his own new clothes threw him off, distracted him. The fact that he couldn’t really smell himself anymore was definitely an improvement, but he was wondering how much the stress of getting out of here would undo that. He rooted around in the space, trying to feel for wires, but then huffed.

“The whole watchpoint’s been cannibalized several times over. Any copper or palladium in the walls here has probably been stripped for Mei’s or Athena’s servers,” a voice that seemed to be trying to jam too many syllables in at once while hitting its consonants a little too hard spoke up from behind Jaime, and Jaime glanced over his shoulder to see a familiar girl with thick eyebrows and wild dark hair tied half-back in a yellow ribbon. “There’s no way you can try to get them without getting caught, though,” she added.

“...Psycho,” said Jaime.

“Thief,” said Rei.

“I already said sorry about your stupid backpack,” said Jaime, pushing himself up from his knees and dusting himself off, already walking away.

“And you’re already trying to steal again!” said Rei, huffily pacing after him.

“You know most people don’t steal because they have anything against whoever they’re stealing from, right?” said Jaime, “It’s not about you, or your watch...thing.”

“Watchpoint,” said Rei.

“It’s about survival,” said Jaime.

“So ask!” said Rei, “They’re Overwatch! You think we don’t care about people’s survival?!”

“I really don’t care about your weird army cult thing,” said Jaime, continuing to walk.

“Cult?!” Rei blustered.

“Yeah. Big compound, lots of guns...weird kids who were born here and don’t question the giant weird compound or the guns---”

“Overwatch is trying to save the world from Talon and Null Sector! Trying to save the world isn’t a cult!” said Rei.

Jaime just gave her a semi-pitying look that made her blood boil.

“Well fine! If you want to go back to being a scuzzy little thief, be my guest!” she said, throwing her hands up.

“That’s the plan,” said Jaime, continuing to walk away, “Not like I’m dumb enough to wait for them to hand me off to the police or another orphanage.”

“Fine!” Rei said again, folding her arms, before suddenly catching herself, “Wait---”

Jaime stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.

“If you need things before you go, we can give them to you. No stealing,” said Rei, “I mean, obviously you can’t strip Athena or any of the tech, but... clothes and soap and food...” she trailed off.

Jaime’s stomach audibly growled at the word ‘food.’

“...Have you eaten yet today?” said Rei, suddenly alarmed.

“What are you, my mom?” said Jaime with a scoff before his stomach growled again.

“Come with me,” said Rei, briskly stepping up alongside him. She looked to his wrist, fully healed from the sprain thanks to biotics, and took his elbow, “Come on.”

“Is this the cult love-bombing?” said Jaime, being half-dragged behind her, “I’m not going if it’s the cult love-bombing.”

“Oh my god, it’s not love-bombing, I’m just taking you to the garden so you can grab some fruit,” said Rei continuing to drag him along, “It’s closer than the mess hall. You’re less likely to run into the adults there.”

“You have guns, a compound, and a little mini-farm, and you want me to believe you’re not a cult,” said Jaime, flatly. They rounded a corner and walked a narrow path between the hangar and the seaside cliffs.

“I don’t have guns. And Bastion actually does most of the gardening,” said Rei, as they walked.

“Who?” said Jaime, but he blinked several times as the ground opened up  to a wide grassy area bordered by Gibraltar’s rocks and the hangar. There was a line of orange trees up against the hangar, and a significant section of the grass had been carved out to form a small victory garden growing tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, carrots, and corn. Opposite the orange trees were several thrumming beehive boxes, and at the far end of the garden was an apparently well-loved old greenhouse that had gone through several patch-ups over the years, and a knobby little olive tree twisting up next to it, canvas laid out at its roots.

“Thwuh-wheet?” an inquisitive beep came from behind them and both Rei and Jaime quickly turned on their heels to see Bastion looming over them, . Jaime’s breath caught in his throat and he stumbled back. Bastion tilted its boxy head at him.

“...that’s a Bastion unit,” said Jaime, his voice tense in his throat as he took several steps back.

“Bastion doesn’t like to fight,” said Rei, as several birds fluttered around Bastion’s head. Bastion gestured at Jaime with its hand.

“Oh um--he’s.... from school!” said Rei, “He’s just visiting.”

“Right,” Jaime repeated hesitantly, “From... the school.” But then Jaime jumped about a foot in the air as a bright blue teleporter opened at the end of the line of orange trees. Rei stepped in front of Jaime, half-expecting an adult to step out of it, but instead it was only Samir, looking more rumpled than usual in a baggy tank top, basketball shorts, and sandals. The only thing that kept Jaime from breaking out into a dead sprint out of that garden at the slightest sight of hard-light was both Rei and Bastion’s complete non-reaction to the appearance of a teleporter. Samir didn’t seem really aware of them as he materialized a large basket and a hard-light telescoping fruit picker.

“I thought you said Overwatch was against Vishkar!” Jaime hissed from behind Rei as Samir hummed and picked oranges.

“We are,” said Rei, “Samir’s mom--I mean, one of Samir’s moms---well, long story short, you’re not the first person to leave Vishkar.”

Jaime blinked several times, “I’m... I’m not?”

“Rei?” Samir’s head turned toward her as an orange thudded to the ground at his feet, “Who are you talking to?”

Jaime leaned out slightly from behind Bastion and Samir squinted a little.

“Uh...Hi. Jaime. I’m Jaime, from... from school. The school. That I go to. With her,” said Jaime.

“Rei,” Rei said quietly under her breath.

“The school with Rei,” said Jaime, nodding.

Samir gave them both a skeptical look before resuming picking oranges, “You’re hiding,” he said matter-of-factly.

“What? No!” Rei and Jaime’s voices were overlapping each other as they stumbled over several half-thought out excuses.

Samir gave them an impatient ‘Don’t assume I’m dumb’ look and Rei’s shoulders slumped. “Look, it’s complicated,” said Rei, “Okay?”

“Is he a secret boyfriend? You aren’t cheating on Jaz, are you?” said Samir, squinting at her.

“Oh gross! Barf! Like I would cheat on Jaz with Backpack Thief McPubertystache over here!” Rei blurted out, but then she caught herself and looked at Jaime, “I mean.... uh... no.”

“...real flattering,” said Jaime.

“Wait--You stole Rei’s backpack?!” Samir’s face lit up.

“Uh...” Jaime itched at the back of his neck.

“So you outran a ninja and Marti?” said Samir.

“He didn’t outrun me!” said Rei, indignantly.

“I out parkour’d her,” said Jaime, folding his arms smugly.

“Did not! You caught me on an off-day!” said Rei.

“I out parkour’d her,” Jaime whisper-spoke to Samir and Samir snorted slightly.

“So... you’re still here?” said Samir tilting his head, “I thought Overwatch would have just sent you to your parents or....”

Jaime glanced off and his lips thinned.

“...Oh,” said Samir and he looked to Rei, “Did they say what they were going to do with him or...?”

“I can take care of myself,” said Jaime, firmly, “Rei’s just helping me grab some stuff before I go.”

“...oh,” said Samir, his shoulders slumping slightly, “So you’re going.”

“I’m a wanderer,” said Jaime, putting his hands on his hips, “Erromes.”

“Erro...what?” Samir started.

“A pilgrim,” said Jaime.

“...you’re fourteen,” said Rei, flatly.

“Better than being in a cult,” said Jaime with a shrug.

“We’re not in a---!” Rei huffed before looking at Samir, “We’re just grabbing some food, that’s it.”

Samir shrugged, “Fine by me,” he pulled an orange from his basket and materialized a hard light knife, cutting the orange into neat sections. He held the cut orange out to Jaime. Jaime gave a wary glance to Rei before stepping over to Samir and taking the cut orange.

“Rei said you escaped Vishkar?” said Samir.

“...yeah,” said Jaime, trying to eat the orange slices as casually as possible despite how hungry he was.

“What was it like?” said Samir.

Jaime just paled slightly and Samir caught himself, “Sorry just... Mom hates them too, but she’s never talks about it, you know?”

“They always try and leave us out of that kind of stuff,” muttered Rei, interlacing her fingers behind her head.

“What’s the cowboy’s deal?” said Jaime, in-between bites of orange.

“Uncle Jesse?” said Rei,

“Like... why is he a cowboy?” said Jaime.

“Why are you a pilgrim if you keep freaking out and calling us a cult?” said Rei, arching an eyebrow.

“Pilgrims understand there are no easy answers,” said Jaime, airily.

“The way we live isn’t an easy answer,” said Rei with a scoff, “I’m scared of my parents dying, or my uncles dying, or anyone else on this Watchpoint dying. Like, all the time. And I’m scared of losing my home. All the time.”

“...oh,” said Jaime.

“You thought this was easy?” said Rei.

“...you go to school, and you have lunches and...” Jaime trailed off. Rei was glancing off, too.

An awkward pause passed between the three of them. Bastion at this point seemed to occupy itself with weeding the garden.

“No one knows why McCree’s a cowboy,” said Samir, at last, “That’s just how he is.” Another long pause passed and Samir cleared his throat. “You know, you’re probably going to want food with a longer shelf-life so..”

“Mess hall!” Rei blurted out.

“Right,” said Samir, spinning another teleporter into existence.

Jaime visibly tensed at the sight of another teleporter and Samir quickly waved it off into sparkling oblivion with a flick of his wrist. “Or we could walk! Walking is good!”

“‘We?’” said Rei.

“Well it’s not like we get a lot of visitors,” said Samir, hefting up his basket of oranges and stepping up next to them. Samir and Rei gave a wave to Bastion, who only briefly glanced up from a butterfly resting on a tomato flower to wave back at them as they left the garden.

“...so you live on the Watchpoint too?” said Jaime, walking with Rei and Samir. The three of them walked another cliffside path to a road that needed some re-paving ribboning through the watchpoint. Jaime was periodically grabbing oranges out of Samir’s basket, peeling and eating them as they walked.

“There’s just four of us,” said Samir, “There’s Rei, Marti, me, and my brother, Rajeev. We actually all go to the same school, but Rajeev and I are in lower grades.”

“Ah...” said Jaime, now feeling a little foolish for trying to keep up the ‘I’m Rei’s classmate’ lie, “...and your parents just... teach you being about being a ninja or using hard-light?”

“It took forever to convince Dad and Uncle to let me start training,” said Rei with a huff,  “Dad was okay with me learning Kendo, but he and Mom were so weird about me learning any actual ninja stuff. But I was climbing everything on the Watchpoint anyway so Uncle started teaching me stuff ‘so I wouldn’t hurt myself.’”

“For me, my Mom just uses hard-light for everything,” said Samir with a shrug, “It’s just kind of how we do everything. Cooking, cleaning, exercise---”

“Basketball,” said Rei as the road opened up to the watchpoint tarmac.

“That falls under exer--oh,” Samir was cut off by the pang pang pang of a basketball on blacktop glanced up to see a large hard-light basketball hoop set up in front of the watchpoint mess hall. Marti was guarding the hoop, in a tense cat-like position while Rajeev was furiously dribbling the ball in front of her, trying to get past her. Marti glanced over her shoulder at them.

“Rei?” Marti blinked a few times and looked at Jaime, “Isn’t that the--”

 She was cut off as Rajeev dipped to the side of her and jumped up to make a slam-dunk, only to have the entire basketball hoop dematerialize with the impact of his weight. He stumbled to the ground and the basketball smacked against the pavement and went flying. Jaime caught it out of the air.

“Boom!” Rajeev threw his arms up into the air, “Dunked it too hard! Too powerful!”

“I’m pretty sure the basket only dissolved because you need to dial up the shock absorption,” said Samir, with a huff.

“Details,” said Rajeev with a hand wave.

“What’s going on?” said Marti, looking between Rei and Jaime, “What’s he doing here?”

“I’m just helping him grab some stuff before he takes off,” said Rei with a shrug.

“...he’s taking off?” said Marti, “What did McCree say?”

“Well...” Rei trailed off.

“Rei,” Marti folded her arms.

“I mean he’s going to run off anyway!” said Rei.

“It’s true,” said Jaime with a shrug, still holding the basketball.

“And go back to stealing and dumpster-diving?” said Marti.

“What do you care?” said Jaime.

“You’re just a kid,” said Marti.

“So?” said Jaime a bit more stiffly.

“And you ran away from Vishkar,” Samir piped up.

“You ran away from Vishkar!?” Rajeev’s face lit up.

“And he outran Rei and Marti for like, 3 hours,” said Samir.

“He didn’t outrun me, he cheated,” said Rei.

“He outran us,” Marti confirmed. 

“Woah...” Rajeev looked back at Jaime. He pointed at the basketball still in Jaime’s hand, “Wanna play a round?”

“What, just like that?” said Jaime.

Rajeev shrugged. “It’s just basketball. We don’t get a lot of visitors to the Watchpoint.” 

“...I don’t know if that’s a good idea...” Jaime said quietly, bounce-passing the ball to Marti.

“It’s a good idea,” said Marti, bounce-passing the ball back to him.

Jaime looked at her.

“I get what it feels like to not feel safe anywhere,” said Marti, “But...this place...”

“This place is about as safe from Vishkar as you can get,” said Samir, finishing her thought.

Jaime looked down at the ball and then his eyes flicked to Rei. “You don’t actually want to play with me,” he said, bouncing the ball to her.

“I don’t know about ‘play,’” said Rei, dribbling the ball thoughtfully, “But I gotta show the twins that you outrunning me was just a fluke somehow.” She chest-passed it so hard to him he rocked back on his heels.

“Oh it’s like that?” said Jaime, passing the ball back to her.

“It’s like that,” said Rei, bouncing the ball back.

“We can play guys vs. girls!” said Rajeev.

“That’s three on two,” said Samir.

“Two on two, each team gets a twin,” said Marti, “Rei and Rajeev vs Jaime and Samir. Sound fair?”

“What about you?” said Rei.

“I’ll be sneaking stuff out of the mess hall,” said Marti with a slight smile at Jaime, “Just for good faith.”

“How is it good faith if we’re still stea--” Rajeev started but Samir elbowed him.

“I shouldn’t stay that long,” Jaime said, 

“First to five?” said Samir, as he and Rajeev materialized a new hard-light hoop.

“...I’ve got time for first to five,” said Jaime.

----

“I meant to ask,” said Hanzo as the two of them briskly walked out of the hangar, “Did you and  the others come to a consensus about what should be done?” McCree fished the foster home pamphlet out of his back pocket and held it out to Hanzo. “...Ah,” said Hanzo.

“I mean, it’s obvious, ain’t it?” said McCree glancing off, “It’s not like he actually wants to be here...”

Hanzo studied McCree’s profile for a few seconds. “You’re not okay with this,” Hanzo said quietly.

“What?” said McCree, “I mean, I’ll be okay about it. I just gotta...” he trailed off, “Y’know.”

“He’s a lot like you,” said Hanzo, as they walked through one of the watchpoint’s cannibalized server rooms.

“You know, this would be easier if people stopped sayin’ that,” said McCree, pausing to examine a panel which had been removed from the wall.

Hanzo glanced off, “Do you remember when we would look after Rei when Genji and Angela were busy?”

“Oh don’t start---” McCree pressed the brim of his hat down.

“You loved it. You loved her. You listened to her babbling like it was the most important and interesting thing in the world.”

“That’s---”

“You even volunteered us for helping out with the twins when they were born.  And when Marti came to the Watchpoint you were constantly checking in to make sure she was settling in all right.”

“That’s babysitting! That’s kids you can walk away from!” said McCree, as they both walked out of the server room.

“But none of the children on this Watchpoint forgot that. They go to you when they feel like they can’t talk to their parents about something, you haven’t noticed that?”

“Well, maybe that’s because they don’t see me as an authority figure like everyone else--not a good ‘In local parentals’ factor,” said McCree.

“In loco parentis,” said Hanzo.

“See? I don’t know shit!”

“It’s not a matter of them not respecting you, it’s a matter of them seeing you as someone who respects them,” said Hanzo, “You’re coming from a childhood where you were largely relying on yourself... the adult figure you are to these children is the one you wish you had in your life. And it’s why Jaime was able to trust you enough to get his wrist looked at rather than just run off.”

“Hanzo, what are you gettin’ at, here?”

“You want to be a father--You’ve probably wanted to be a father ever since Rei was born. Possibly even earlier.”

“Well yeah, but there’s wanting something, and then knowing you’ll be shit at it,” said McCree, “I’m not like you, all... together.”

“You think I would be a good father?” a laugh rippled Hanzo’s voice and he noted the apparent hurt in McCree’s expression, “Oh... you actually...”

“You were a got-dang wizard with Rei! She still idolizes you! You’re always... prepared!” McCree furrowed his brow and thought for a second, “Did you ever want kids?”

“...In a sense, but...” Hanzo glanced down, “I didn’t think it would be fair to them. My father spent my childhood molding me into another, well, him. And as Genji can probably tell you, he wasn’t a good person. I don’t... I don’t want to inflict that on a child.”

“You would never,” said McCree on reflex, “Me on the other hand...” he shuddered, “If I became another kid’s Reyes...” he trailed off, “...we never really talked about this, did we?” he said at last.

“Well, given the fact that Overwatch is throwing us into near-constant danger and we never had to worry about pregnancy...” Hanzo trailed off, “Let’s just focus on finding him.”

“I hear that,” said McCree, “It ain’t about us. It’s about him.” McCree’s boot hit an odd texture and he glanced down.

“Orange peel,” said Hanzo, plucking up a bit of the waxy rind from the blacktop. They looked at the small trail of bits of orange peel like breadcrumbs through the watchpoint.

“Could be another macaque,” said McCree.

“Too clean,” said Hanzo.

“Welp, it’s a lead,” said McCree, following the trail. It lead them on a meandering path through the watchpoint, a fairly straight line towards the mess hall.

The trail of orange peel tapered off to nothingness and McCree frowned, but then his head jerked up at the sound of Rei shouting. He gave a glance back to Hanzo and both of them picked up their pace, rounding the corner to see Jaime, Rei, and the twins all involved in an intense game of basketball around one hard-light hoop. Rei was passing to Rajeev, getting intercepted by Jaime who would shoot for the basket, only to be intercepted by Rajeev. They didn’t even notice McCree and Hanzo coming out from behind a building’s corner, but McCree hung back. He fished the foster home brochure out of the back of his pocket, he glanced down at the photo of the smiling family at the table laden with pancakes, then glanced back up at the four kids laughing and shouting at each other as they scrambled around the basketball hoop. 

The sensible voice in his head spoke up, saying, Do what’s best for him. He deserves normal, but then an angrier voice spoke, What the hell is normal anyway? There hasn’t been a normal ever since the goddamn Omnic Crisis. It’s not about ‘normal’ it’s about ‘home.’ And when the hell has ‘home’ ever been normal for anyone?

“Jesse?” Hanzo’s voice cut through McCree’s train of thought and McCree glanced over at him, “Do you think we should...?” He looked back at Jaime intercepting a shot from Rei and then laughing about it.

“...I mean, he doesn’t have to go right away, does he?” said McCree, watching as Jaime managed to snatch the ball back from Rajeev and get an assist from Samir.

“Not... right away,” said Hanzo.

[agapekids]

Life in the Garden: How gardening classes can help kids stay home

Tucked into the far corner of the Agape Kitale campus lies a tiny organic paradise known as the shamba, translated into English as “garden.” A sturdy wall of maize lines the rear, preceded by alternating rows of a surprising variety of crops: sukuma (kale), bell peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, strawberries, chives, beans. The list goes on. Every living thing in the garden is there for a purpose, as stated by a sign proclaiming the many health benefits of vegetables, “God’s pharmacy.” Even the hedge is not merely a decoration, but a source of natural medicine and healthful nutrients, being comprised of two plants, an anti-malarial herb and a passion fruit vine. Standing like the Tree of Life in the center of all this, a mature avocado tree spreads its shade over an unruly half circle of benches. This shamba isn’t just a source of food for Agape; it’s a classroom.

Twice a week, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, children can elect to take classes and learn practical skills of animal husbandry and crop farming to supplement their IRPs. And who wouldn’t rather take classes outdoors in the sunshine, getting one’s hands dirty rather than to be cooped up indoors doing bookwork? The classes are really popular with the children, so much so, that sometimes kids are caught sneaking out of their tutoring classes to go work in the shamba. “[If they could] there’s quite a few kids that would always choose to be there instead of class,” says Andrea Dowell, director of Agape Kitale.

Gardening classes may sound like a fun and practical supplement to coursework, but the rationale behind it goes deeper to the very heart of what Agape does, family reunification and strengthening. The farming classes are the brainchild of John Okomba, an independent contractor retained by Overlake Christian Church. John oversees the shamba and provides his insights for it, and he’s a veritable treasure trove of ideas.

John reasons that since some children run away from home due to a food shortage, if they know how to grow their own food, they won’t have that need or fear any longer. It gives the children a sense of security to know that they will always have food if they know how to grow it themselves. They can watch the process of farm to table, so to speak, happening in front of them at Agape and realize for themselves that if they can learn this and take that knowledge back home with them, they don’t need to worry about going hungry in the future.

John’s vision for the shamba is to continue creating and maintaining a variety of small-scale projects, small being for practicality and space reasons, but also with the mind that some children are returning to families who have limited land space. One example of this is the experimental farming technique of growing kale in a sack instead of in the ground. Theoretically, several crops can be grown at once in the same bag, albeit in small quantities (about 99 plants per sack). The one currently in progress gets a fairly high yield of about 85%.

Another example is the rabbits, which a few responsible children help maintain, knowing that they get to take one with them when they go home. Chickens are a common source of food in Kenya, but rabbits are especially practical because they are small, take up little space, and reproduce quickly. They can then also be sold for income that could be used for school fees.

“They have the mind of taking care of whatever they have instead of going back to the streets,” says John, referring to the children who bring home rabbits. This is also more widely true for children who start small farms after they go home. It’s a commitment, something they are now responsible for that they don’t want to lose due to neglect. It gives them purpose and keeps them busy with important work, something everyone needs.

Maybe one day Agape can teach farming skills to the parents as well, not only so that they can have the self-sustaining knowledge of food production, but so they can see for themselves what their children are learning and understand and support their children better in their newfound skills. What does John hope? That maybe one day every child who comes to Agape can take home a rabbit.

The shamba can teach us so much more than can be written about in one article. There is so much potential for family strengthening that can be further explored. Even just taking a walk through it is revitalizing; there’s something about being in a garden that brings peace and refreshment. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise. It’s where life first started, a Garden called Eden. ▬ 

by Katie Suratt

[vprprajakta]

Fresh Herbs Market Analysis | Size, Share, Global Demand and Industry Forecast 2027

Market-Overview

Spices in foods have acquired conspicuousness as of late as people become zeroed in on wellbeing and careful eating rehearses. Reports made by MRFR detail the advancements in the business that can be anticipated in the market through the estimate time frame.

The superior interest for spices in unpredictable treatment rehearses is assessed to make an extra push for fostering the fresh herbs market. Besides, the improvement in cultivating and development rehearses is assessed to incite the fresh herbs market development in the forthcoming years.

Segmental Analysis

The segmental survey of the fresh herbs market is done based on conveyance channel, classification, type and area. The dispersion channel portion of the fresh herbs market comprises of food retail and food administration. The classification fragment of the fresh herbs market comprises of Salicornia, chives, basil, coriander, mint, parsley, and others. The sort portion of the fresh herbs market comprises of natural and regular. The area fragment of the fresh herbs market comprises of the Middle East, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Africa.

Key Players

Spisa Group, Vitacress, Van VugtKruiden, Rocket Farms, Fresh Thyme, Pacific Botanicals, Shenandoah Growers, Inc., Langmead Herbs, Herb Pharm, Al-Hanin Herbs

Get More Professional and Technical Industry Insights @ https://valuepropresearch.com/report/fresh-herbs-market-1023/

Definite Regional Analysis

The provincial investigation of the fresh herbs market comprises of the Middle East, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Africa. The production network related restrictions connected with dissemination are assessed to hold the advancement in specific areas for organizations working in the new spices region. The fresh herbs market in North America is assessed to see an unassuming flood sought after in the figure period. The Asia Pacific fresh herbs market is probably going to lay down a good foundation for itself as the significant spice delivering district, with huge amounts of new spices being appropriated to the local business sectors of the North American area and the Middle Eastern district. Typically, spice creation is entirely unsound and is formed by ecological impacts, like precipitation, floods, and dry spells, provoking a break in interest and supply, prompting cost contrasts. The European fresh herbs market is projected to record the most noteworthy CAGR in the conjecture time frame because of the raising interest for new culinary spices in the district, primarily in Northern Europe. Yet, the advancement could be postponed by the low necessity from arising nations.

Serious Analysis

The ascent in acquisitions and consolidations is assessed to reproduce a reassuring climate for the players, prompting a few new item contributions. The utilization of online channels is assessed to acquire priority as the market finds some peace with the new business real factors. The advancement of worldwide exchange is anticipated to make a promising by and large impact available, with many organizations picking this period to test new and undiscovered business sectors. The public authority support is assessed to have a positive extension for the improvement in a few vital regions of the worldwide market. The market is assessed to push ahead with alert because of the encounters acquired during the pandemic. The flood in advancement and resynchronization of the activity and circulation cycle is assessed to cause what is going on for the general market's future. The headway in the worldwide circulation fastens is assessed to additionally improve the market's advancement in the approaching time frame.

Industry Updates:

Apr 2021 Wheezy, a quick staple inventory administration, has made an agreement with vertical ranch organization Infirm to collect its dispersion places with ongoing spices. Infirm reap that is developed hydroponically at its developing home in Tottenham can be shipped various times each week by its 4 Wheezy dispersion centers in Battersea, Fulham, London Fields and Lambeth. The German vertical cultivating organization expressed it would have the option to adjust soon and further develop dispersion and amount with regards to the necessity from Wheezy clients.

Damage 2021 Bio-Planet initially presented its upward developed basil from its self-created vertical ranch, which utilizes this strategy to change from regular cultivating. It requires less water and plot and less supplements bringing about spices with minuscule ecological impressions. The underlying endeavor's prosperity has incited the organization to extend to supportable basil and the strategy for developing coriander. The spices are being sold since February in the Bio-Planet web shop and 31 stores.

[smallboxgarden]

Gardening with HDPE Grow Bags

A growing number of gardeners are discovering the many benefits of using HDPE grow bags for their gardening projects. Whether you’re starting seeds indoors in the winter, have plans to set up an aquaponics system, or are looking to start your own urban farm, there are many reasons to look into HDPE grow bags as an option in your gardening endeavors. Here’s why you should consider using HDPE grow bags instead of traditional soil and containers when starting your plants indoors or outdoors this year!

What is HDPE Grow Bags?

Some types of plant growth media are made from materials such as soil, sand, coco coir, and peat moss. Polyethylene grow bags are another great option for both inside the house and outside house gardening. Made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), these lightweight bag containers can be used to grow most plants in either a vertical or horizontal position. This type of container is also known as flexible flower pots or fabric pots. Plants like basil, chives, and tomatoes all do well when grown in an HDPE bag.

Uses and Benefits of HDPE Grow bags in gardening

People who are looking to start gardening may want to try using HDPE grow bags for their plants. This will allow them to have a wider variety of plants growing in different locations and help their produce be cleaner and fresher than it would if it was growing elsewhere. Gardening is something that people usually do because they like to have fresh vegetables around, but those who grow food at home tend not to realize that they can use an HDPE grow bag. Having one or two of these bags will make it possible for anyone to enjoy gardening while still being able to harvest good vegetables and fruits that don’t require a lot of work on their part.

HDPE grow bags are beneficial for gardening in many ways. If you are a gardening enthusiast but have never heard of them before, you will surely find them as something that you cannot do without when it comes to planting new flowers and plants. HDPE grow bags are perfect if you are someone who is looking for an alternative to plastic pots or containers and other materials that might be toxic to your plants. The fact that they are made from recycled materials is another plus flowers have grown up big enough. HDPE grow bags are perfect for traveling as well if you want to take your favorite plant on vacation!

Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Set of Grow Bags

Choosing which type of bag will depend on your gardening style and where you plan to place your containers—outdoors on a deck, patio or balcony; indoors on a window sill; or in a hydroponic garden using water tanks. There are many choices when it comes to growing your own fruits and vegetables, from tomatoes to herbs. To be sure you choose the right set of gardening grow bag, however, here’s what you need to know.

1. First and foremost is safety- Most grow bags are made of polyethylene plastic, which is a non-toxic and phthalate-free material that does not emit any harmful chemicals into your soil.

2. Next, you should look at how strong and durable grow bags are.

3. You’ll also want to think about whether or not it can be recycled.

One of the easiest ways to have fresh produce year-round is to grow it in HDPE grow bags. It’s fast, easy and you don’t have to worry about soil quality – especially if your plants are going outside for a few months at a time.

We recommend you to try HDPE grow bags from Small Box Garden, their non costly and durable garden grow bags are made of high-density polyethylene. With good thickness, they are completely waterproof, mildew-proof, and are UV stabilized for long-lasting performance. Their double stitching ensures complete reinforcement for durability, load-bearing capacity, and stability. These gardens grow bags have wide openings which makes them very easy to use. Moreover, their heavy-duty handles allow you to move around easily from one place to another while watering your plants.

Tips for Using Grow Bags Effectively

When using HDPE grow bags for gardening, you need to be aware of several variables in order to get your efforts off on the right foot. It’s possible to grow successful gardens in grow bags, but it takes a few tricks.

1. One mistake people make is not considering how much space they’ll have to actually plant within their bag. If you don’t consider your vertical space, you could end up with very little room for plants and soil.

2. It’s also important to think about how much room you’ll have for drainage; if there isn’t enough airflow or drainage holes in your bag, it can affect your soil and plants over time.

3. Look for “dwarf” alternates also called miniature types of full-size plants while deciding which plants to grow in grow bags. They thrive better in grow bags.

4. For best results in grow bags, use a soil type of compost and vermiculite mixture.

5. At last, Location, Location, and Location. Correct placement of grows bags to fulfill plant thrive needs should always be kept in mind.

Other Considerations When Purchasing and Using HDPE Garden Growing Bags

Though black-colored gardening grow bags are popular, clear gardening grow bags can be useful for monitoring plant growth. In addition, gardening grow bags that utilize food-grade plastics should be a top priority for growers who want to ensure their plants aren’t exposed to harmful materials. And lastly, keep in mind that good preparation is essential for producing healthy crops. Even if you use quality garden growing bags and containers as part of your DIY hydroponic system, it’s still important to add nutrients and check pH levels in order to produce great plants.

Those growing on professionally designed systems may need to take extra precautions; if unsure about where you can get the best quality HDPE grow bags, Visit SmallBoxGarden to buy any type of gardening grow bag.

[adaruthless-blog]

In September my daughter and I started a vegetable garden, on the left and now is November and we are harvesting every day our fresh vegetables and even some fruit like strawberries, need to plant more, they are doing really great!

This garden has brought so much joy to us! Everyday we watch the stuff growing! We pull the weeds out, dig the soil, plant more, replant, have already extended and have plans for the next season. Our skin is brown, sun drenched. Some say ‘ gosh, have you been on a holiday?’ No, in my veggie garden. It is like an oasis. This garden has heeling powers, it brings back pride and future, it closes wounds and makes me grow at the same time. A veggie garden nurtures the soul. When I look up over the wall into the distance I get a glimpse of Joburg with its hustle and notorious fighting for survival of the fittest. There is no fighting in my garden, each plant gets sun, water and good soil to prosper in. Strange that this city is unable to provide the same equally for everyone out there. Do we really need to live on the back of each other?

Anyhow, where the water feature is now a huge 70 year old Jacaranda tree used to grow. It always looks romantic having an old house framed by a huge tree, but believe me nothing grew under it not even lawn, we watered and watered, but not the bushes and lawn benefited - the tree suck it all up! And then dropped the flowers for 6 weeks long, then dropped the stems of the flowers for the following 3 weeks, eventually grew leaves also on long stems with plenty of fingers and each finger having more than 100 tiny leaves just to mess around a bit- for instance dropping into the air vents of an aircon of a car, or on to windscreen wipers , or blocking the drains of the outside wastes, Jacaranda trees are to any house and pool owner a horror. And for garden owners anyhow, the shade, the foliage, the dry sucking! So the tree had to go! A tree felling team felled it for 2 weeks long. The roots in the middle are deep but branching out on the surface like a spider network. When we started the design of a half circle with pathways within the vegetable beds and dig up the soil we had to notice that everywhere were roots, 10 to 20 cm below the surface in a radius of 15 meters. It was a costly operation. After a altogether 6 weeks the vegetable beds were ready for planting, the irrigation system in place, connected with a timer and a double valve to the tap. Trellises up the wall, a little wooden farm fence to keep the dogs out and then the planting started!!!

I don’t have a particular green finger!

My daughter has. A project like this does bring one together and holds one together, not that I want to bind my daughter to me unnecessarily. No I want her to be free and independent and explore the world, the neighborhood, the nightlife, clubs and various scenes around us. I at her age had my own flat, lived my own life, drove all the way to France all by myself without my parents even knowing about it, got nearly raped on a camping ground, fended the dirty guy off kicked him in the ass and that was all...I forgot about him. South Africa is different. One needs a close network of relatives, of friends, to group up to be able to visit places or go to parties. We don’t have that, we are a mix of expats, foreigners, immigrants. So in other words we try to find our roots in the soil if we haven’t got them with people.

The plants make us local. The security hut on the way up to the Koppie where we take the dogs for a walk has a little veggie patch next to it, spinach, beetroot, kale and onions! Wise mixture!

Our mixture is a bit crazy. When I start adding up it eould a list of one hundred words at least. It’s easy to get this type of variety, just think of all the herbs! Chives are a must, cottage cheese on a slice of Rye bread with lots of freshly cut chives is a great lunch, and one can add to it leaves of Rocket and lettuce, tomatoes basil.

The bush beans were very easy to grow and quick to harvest! Delicious! I just throw them in boiling water for not even5 minutes and add them to salads.

George, my daughter, has come up with the plan to replant just before harvest the same crop again, so that we never run out. This year we are spending a lot of money on this garden, but I think we will get it right and grow from seeds! Some people are lucky, in their garden the seeds start growing straight from the bed, not yet in our garden. We have to do the trays first and then separate into the beds. Yesterday I planted the carrots into their destined spaces! In the evening I saw that they had taken! And early this morning it was confirmed by their strong ooks.

[foodsindustry]

Fresh Herbs Market | Business Advancement Analysis Based on Trends and Regional Forecast to 2025

Market Synopsis

According to the research conducted by Market Research Future Reports (MRFR), the worldwide Fresh Herbs Market Growth is anticipated to increase by USD 1,183.2 million, thriving at a CAGR of 3.9% during the review period from 2018 to 2025. The increased preference for packaged fresh herbs is estimated to drive the global fresh herbs market 2020. Besides, the growing demand for organic fresh herbs is estimated to produce a conducive environment for several growth opportunities. In addition, there has been an increased popularity in cross-cultural cuisines, which has propelled the market. Moreover, globalization has resulted in increased global trade. Also, with increased tourism, there has been a rise in demand for ethnic cuisines. The increased popularity of Asian food in Europe and North America has led to a rise in the consumption of herbs such as holy basil, coriander, and bay leaf. Therefore, the adoption of cross-cultural cuisines has led to significant growth in the market.

However, the fluctuating prices of commodities are estimated to be the most crucial factor impeding the market growth of the global fresh herbs market during the review period. Also, the outbreak of novel coronavirus is estimated to bring a significant impact on the supply chain. Various regions remained under the state of lockdown, which has immensely affected the market. We will provide an impact analysis report on COVID-19.

 Key Players

The renowned players of the worldwide fresh herbs market are Vitacress (UK), Spisa Group (Sweden), Van Vugt Kruiden (Netherlands), Nomad Foods (UK), Rocket Farms (US), Pacific Botanicals (US), Langmead Herbs (UK), Shenandoah Growers, Inc. (the US), Organic Herb Trading Company (UK), and Al-Hanin Herbs (Egypt).

 Market Segmentation

The worldwide fresh herbs market can be distinguished on the grounds of category, type, distribution channel, and region.

On the grounds of category, the worldwide fresh herbs market can be segmented into conventional and organic.

On the grounds of the type, the worldwide fresh herbs market can be segmented into basil, chives, coriander, parsley, mint, Salicornia, and others.

On the grounds of the distribution channel, the worldwide fresh herbs market can be segmented into foodservice and food retail.

On the grounds of the geography, the worldwide fresh herbs market can be distinguished into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the rest of the world.

 To get more info: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/press-release/fresh-herbs-market

 Geographical Analysis

Based on the geography, the global market can be classified into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the rest of the world. As per the research at MRFR, the worldwide market is predicted to increase generously during the review period. The study has revealed that the global market is likely to be dominated by the APAC region. The APAC zone is projected to procure the maximum market share of about 40% in 2020. China is projected to play a vital role in market expansion. The European market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the review period. The region is witnessing a rise in demand for fresh culinary herbs, which is leading to the rise in the regional market. Europe is anticipated to record a CAGR of 4.7% during the assessment period from 2019 to 2025. There has been a rise in demand for Asian food in Europe and North America. As per the analysis by MRFR, online grocery sales in the US are likely to record a CAGR of 19.7% from 2019 to 2023.

 Industry News

August 2020

Nomads Foods, the UK based company, has announced that it may permanently shift towards frozen produce. Frozen food has proven to be the fastest-growing category in the last four months, amidst the COVID-19 lockdown.