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Coronavirus in Oklahoma: An American in Paris in the age of coronavirus comes home and plants a garden

Richard Mize
by Richard Mize
Published: Sun, April 5, 2020 1:05 AM Updated: Sun, April 5, 2020 1:24 AM

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Sarah Bytyqi
Sarah Bytyqi

EDITOR'S NOTE: Sarah Bytyqi, founder and managing broker of Verbode, a real estate brokerage downtown, was in Paris in late January when the coronavirus hit. She came home ready to grow food. Here is her story.

I moved east of Oklahoma City last year to a 5-acre homestead in Spencer. There was an existing organic peach orchard when I bought it but not a vegetable garden, only a small patch of asparagus. I started a “backyard” garden last year for fun just to see what it would be like.

I was in Paris Jan. 29-Feb. 8, working on a new business venture with a few friends and my daughter, Alyssa Del Valle, who is a senior at The New School/Parsons Paris studying strategic design and management in fashion. I was on my way back to Oklahoma at the Paris airport when I saw travel notices regarding Chinese passengers entering into the USA. I continued to get updates from Alyssa about the spread of the virus in Europe, specifically in Milan.

It was Fashion Week in Milan the day I left Paris and the virus was spreading like crazy. The entire fashion industry was in chaos trying to navigate COVID-19, and it was early! Her internship and school is directly intertwined with Fashion Week in Paris, which was slated for the following week (mid-February). Most of the buyers stayed home but Fashion Week continued. Paris was empty of the normal 50,000-plus global brand ambassadors that normally convene.

Alyssa was in shock and saw first-hand how serious the situation was. I, too, knew then there was something global emerging and had the thought then that I needed to expand the garden at my farm, which we refer to as the Hippy Hideaway, and grow enough food for my family and friends. With help from Brandon Begley, owner at Dirt Therapy, we started to build the beds and gardens.

So far we’ve planted cole crops: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, potatoes, leeks, carrots, arugula, bok Choy, kale and transplanted the strawberries that came back from last year. With the help of our friends Todd and Jamee Kelly at Greenstock Nursuries, we added to the orchard: three cherry trees and two pear trees.

Today (Thursday), I bought an apricot tree and three apple trees but held off on planting them due to the possible frost. We also have about a dozen varieties of tomato and pepper plants, eggplant, and a host of seeds, most of which we purchased from Eckroat Seed Co., Prairie Wind Farms, Ruzycki Farms and the Jones Hardware store, all local, small businesses in the OKC metro.

Related Photos
<strong>Alyssa Del Valle of Oklahoma City is a senior at The New School/Parsons Paris. [PROVIDED]</strong>

Alyssa Del Valle of Oklahoma City is a senior at The New School/Parsons Paris. [PROVIDED]

Brandon Begley, owner of Dirt Therapy, and 11-year-old Ari Bytyqi plan an expansion of a vegetable garden in Spencer. [PROVIDED]
Sarah Bytyqi
<figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-7d7d7cd3edbf11261524b9338c7be884.jpg" alt="Photo - Alyssa Del Valle of Oklahoma City is a senior at The New School/Parsons Paris. [PROVIDED] " title=" Alyssa Del Valle of Oklahoma City is a senior at The New School/Parsons Paris. [PROVIDED] "><figcaption> Alyssa Del Valle of Oklahoma City is a senior at The New School/Parsons Paris. [PROVIDED] </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-280086de9671417a098ef64f0e104062.jpg" alt="Photo - Brandon Begley, owner of Dirt Therapy, and 11-year-old Ari Bytyqi plan an expansion of a vegetable garden in Spencer. [PROVIDED] " title=" Brandon Begley, owner of Dirt Therapy, and 11-year-old Ari Bytyqi plan an expansion of a vegetable garden in Spencer. [PROVIDED] "><figcaption> Brandon Begley, owner of Dirt Therapy, and 11-year-old Ari Bytyqi plan an expansion of a vegetable garden in Spencer. [PROVIDED] </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-2f53ff86131c2919904b63e583971098.jpg" alt="Photo - Sarah Bytyqi " title=" Sarah Bytyqi "><figcaption> Sarah Bytyqi </figcaption></figure>
Richard Mize

Real estate editor Richard Mize has edited The Oklahoman's weekly residential real estate section and covered housing, commercial real estate, construction, development, finance and related business since 1999. From 1989 to 1999, he worked... Read more ›

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