Know Your Farms - Farm Stand PT Opening
13 years ago
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Breakfast Series, 2
Thinking Inside the Box
Question of the Week: Where did cereal come from and how does it affect our food system?
The first morning on the job at Know Your Farms, I walked into the kitchen looking for breakfast. I opened drawers, looked in cupboards, and checked the cabinets but I couldn’t find anything. Where was breakfast. It should stick out easily – after all, it comes in a big box, with some eye catching graphics, maybe a maze or crossword puzzle on the back. This is a staple in American households – how could it not be in the kitchen? What did these people eat for breakfast? Where was the cereal??
Over the past few weeks, I have learned that real food does not come out of a box. It is not the repetitious ritual of robotically shoveling spoonfuls of sugary coated stars and diamonds into your mouth. It does not involve gluing your eyes to a piece of cardboard, searching for a way to get through the maze that ends at the pot o’ gold. Real food is not represented by leprechauns, tigers, or elves. So how did our perception of food deteriorate from whole, fresh, prepared ingredients to a brightly colored box full of high fructose corn syrup? This week, I am tackling the question, “Where does cereal come from and how does it affect our food system?” This is a big question with many layers of questions to consider along the way, but the changes that allowed the breakfast table to transform to boxed cereals all occurred in a relatively short period of time.
It all starts with the number 1863, a monumental year for processed food. In 1863, packaged cereal was born. It was invented by James Caleb Jackson, a Seventh-Day Adventist and strong proponent of vegetarianism. The cereal consisted of tiny grains that Jackson named Granula, but it was hardly fast food. Granula had to sit overnight in order to be ready to eat. The next step combined making breakfast a packaged and quick meal. In 1977, John Harvey Kellogg created a wheat, oat, and cornmeal concoction he called Granola. These dark days of boxed cereal didn’t have the sugary kick or bright colors to keep anyone coming back for a second bowl (Kellogg actually created Granola for patients living in the sanitarium where he worked in Battle Creek, Michigan who had bowel problems). But this all changed, and out of human error, processed cereal became a success. One day, while Kellogg and his brother, Will Keith Kellogg, were rolling out his oat, grain, cornmeal mixture to make Granola, they left it on the oven too long and it turned into crisp flakes. Corn flakes and the Kellogg cereal company were born! The Kellogg Brothers were followed by Charles William Post, a patient at the sanitarium who was inspired by the Kellogg brothers’ success. General Mills, Quaker, Nestle, and other cereal companies were quick to follow.
Knowing how cereal got its start, only scratches the surface of the question, “Where did cereal come from and how does it affect our food system?” We still have to consider more questions – What made cereal become so popular so quickly? Who did cereal companies target? When did cereal go from the wheat, cornmeal, oat mixture that John Harvey Kellogg cooked up to bouncing colors and aisles full of every sugary flavor imaginable? To get your mind thinking about tomorrow’s blog, consider what commercials you remember watching as kid on Saturday morning. If you find yourself thinking about Tony the tiger, Toucan Sam, or Captain Crunch – you may know the topic of the next breakfast series.
Sources
http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/health/cereal.html
http://www.cuisinenet.com/digest/breakfast/cereal.shtml
http://www.mrbreakfast.com/article.asp?articleid=13
Question of the Week: Where did cereal come from and how does it affect our food system?
The first morning on the job at Know Your Farms, I walked into the kitchen looking for breakfast. I opened drawers, looked in cupboards, and checked the cabinets but I couldn’t find anything. Where was breakfast. It should stick out easily – after all, it comes in a big box, with some eye catching graphics, maybe a maze or crossword puzzle on the back. This is a staple in American households – how could it not be in the kitchen? What did these people eat for breakfast? Where was the cereal??
Over the past few weeks, I have learned that real food does not come out of a box. It is not the repetitious ritual of robotically shoveling spoonfuls of sugary coated stars and diamonds into your mouth. It does not involve gluing your eyes to a piece of cardboard, searching for a way to get through the maze that ends at the pot o’ gold. Real food is not represented by leprechauns, tigers, or elves. So how did our perception of food deteriorate from whole, fresh, prepared ingredients to a brightly colored box full of high fructose corn syrup? This week, I am tackling the question, “Where does cereal come from and how does it affect our food system?” This is a big question with many layers of questions to consider along the way, but the changes that allowed the breakfast table to transform to boxed cereals all occurred in a relatively short period of time.
It all starts with the number 1863, a monumental year for processed food. In 1863, packaged cereal was born. It was invented by James Caleb Jackson, a Seventh-Day Adventist and strong proponent of vegetarianism. The cereal consisted of tiny grains that Jackson named Granula, but it was hardly fast food. Granula had to sit overnight in order to be ready to eat. The next step combined making breakfast a packaged and quick meal. In 1977, John Harvey Kellogg created a wheat, oat, and cornmeal concoction he called Granola. These dark days of boxed cereal didn’t have the sugary kick or bright colors to keep anyone coming back for a second bowl (Kellogg actually created Granola for patients living in the sanitarium where he worked in Battle Creek, Michigan who had bowel problems). But this all changed, and out of human error, processed cereal became a success. One day, while Kellogg and his brother, Will Keith Kellogg, were rolling out his oat, grain, cornmeal mixture to make Granola, they left it on the oven too long and it turned into crisp flakes. Corn flakes and the Kellogg cereal company were born! The Kellogg Brothers were followed by Charles William Post, a patient at the sanitarium who was inspired by the Kellogg brothers’ success. General Mills, Quaker, Nestle, and other cereal companies were quick to follow.
Knowing how cereal got its start, only scratches the surface of the question, “Where did cereal come from and how does it affect our food system?” We still have to consider more questions – What made cereal become so popular so quickly? Who did cereal companies target? When did cereal go from the wheat, cornmeal, oat mixture that John Harvey Kellogg cooked up to bouncing colors and aisles full of every sugary flavor imaginable? To get your mind thinking about tomorrow’s blog, consider what commercials you remember watching as kid on Saturday morning. If you find yourself thinking about Tony the tiger, Toucan Sam, or Captain Crunch – you may know the topic of the next breakfast series.
Sources
http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/health/cereal.html
http://www.cuisinenet.com/digest/breakfast/cereal.shtml
http://www.mrbreakfast.com/article.asp?articleid=13
Friday, July 23, 2010
The Breakfast Series, 1
The Breakfast Series, 1
When I say “breakfast,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? An omelet with green peppers, onions, and sausage? Yogurt over granola and fresh peaches? Zucchini bread with peanut butter and apple slices? Or maybe you were thinking more along the lines of a bowl of whole-grain cereal splashed with milk? A granola bar with coffee? Or maybe just the coffee? How about hitting the drive through and grabbing a doughnut and coffee to go? Forget it, I don’t even have time for breakfast.
We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but what exactly is a breakfast? Go ahead, try to define it. Is it hot? Is it cold? Is it a liquid or a solid? Is it even a meal? Are we always breaking a fast when we eat breakfast? What time is breakfast? What is breakfast? I haven’t figured out the answers, but I do know that I have a whole lot of questions about “the most important meal of the day.” I want to learn about what it is, when it started, and how it has evolved in America, a society elbow deep in health problems and mangled food systems.
So, I decided the best place to start is right here on the Know Your Farms intern blog. Now, it’s a lot to bite off in one chew so I’m going to take the questions nibble by nibble. I will ask a question each day about the history of breakfast, the evolution of breakfast, breakfast in modern society, breakfast in other cultures, and so on in an attempt to learn more about what breakfast is. In addition to reflecting on the question of the day, I will also track what I eat for breakfast and record any interesting information I come across through research, conversation, or observation.
So stay tuned to get the “snap, crackle, and pop” about what this ritual is all about. Keep up with the blog while wasting time on facebook, when you’re dying to learn about how Seventh-Day Adventists revolutionized breakfast, or over your morning coffee. This post should be ready by breakfast time.
When I say “breakfast,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? An omelet with green peppers, onions, and sausage? Yogurt over granola and fresh peaches? Zucchini bread with peanut butter and apple slices? Or maybe you were thinking more along the lines of a bowl of whole-grain cereal splashed with milk? A granola bar with coffee? Or maybe just the coffee? How about hitting the drive through and grabbing a doughnut and coffee to go? Forget it, I don’t even have time for breakfast.
We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but what exactly is a breakfast? Go ahead, try to define it. Is it hot? Is it cold? Is it a liquid or a solid? Is it even a meal? Are we always breaking a fast when we eat breakfast? What time is breakfast? What is breakfast? I haven’t figured out the answers, but I do know that I have a whole lot of questions about “the most important meal of the day.” I want to learn about what it is, when it started, and how it has evolved in America, a society elbow deep in health problems and mangled food systems.
So, I decided the best place to start is right here on the Know Your Farms intern blog. Now, it’s a lot to bite off in one chew so I’m going to take the questions nibble by nibble. I will ask a question each day about the history of breakfast, the evolution of breakfast, breakfast in modern society, breakfast in other cultures, and so on in an attempt to learn more about what breakfast is. In addition to reflecting on the question of the day, I will also track what I eat for breakfast and record any interesting information I come across through research, conversation, or observation.
So stay tuned to get the “snap, crackle, and pop” about what this ritual is all about. Keep up with the blog while wasting time on facebook, when you’re dying to learn about how Seventh-Day Adventists revolutionized breakfast, or over your morning coffee. This post should be ready by breakfast time.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Zucchini Crust Tomato Basil Tart
Last Wednesday, Kaitlin and I made a wonderful decision to stick around and get some work done out on Christy’s front porch while people were coming to pick up their CSA boxes. I have to say that working on the front porch is always a good idea, considering the presence of the incredibly comfortable bed (yes, an actual bed!). One of the greatest perks to sticking around was that Dr. Molinek showed up at a very opportune time to share some advice with us. In addition to offering Kaitlin some advice concerning Davidson math classes, she also recommended a zucchini crust tomato basil tart recipe, which she and her husband had come across in preparing the previous week’s CSA box contents.
Now I have to let you know that these days people around the house are a bit skeptical about recipes that I come across. There was a slight crisis with the blueberry cheesecake muffins from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook, a recipe that included pureed yellow squash and pureed lambs quarters. Needless to say, all but the ¼ of a muffin I dared to eat, ended up in the trash. However, the good news is that the zucchini crust tart was a HUGE hit! So for your personal enjoyment, here it is:
You need
* 2 lbs zucchini, shredded (about 6 medium zukes)
* 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (use white and green parts) – We just used onions
* 1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs, plus
* 2 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs
* 1 to taste salt and black pepper
* 1 eggs, beaten
* 6 ounces shredded Fontina cheese – Feel free to use whatever cheese you already have
* 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced – or as many tomatoes as you’d like!
* 1/4 cup loosely packed slivered fresh basil leaves
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus
* 1 to taste more extra virgin olive oil, for the pan
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 1 1/4 hr
1. Place the zucchini and scallions in a large sauté pan.
2. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the zucchini shrinks, about 6 minutes.
3. Drain in a colander.
4. Press out excess water with a large spoon.
5. Return the zucchini and scallions to the pan.
6. Add 1/4 cup bread crumbs and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
7. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, tossing frquently.
8. Add the egg; toss.
9. Preheat the oven to 400°F and coat a 9-inch pie pan with oil.
10. Press the zucchini mixture into the bottom and up the sides, but not over the lip, of the pan.
11. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden.
12. Remove and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Fontina.
13. Top with the tomato slices, overlapping slightly if necessary.
14. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
15. Cover with 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, the basil, the olive oil and the remaining cup of Fontina.
16. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is well browned.
17. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
Now I have to let you know that these days people around the house are a bit skeptical about recipes that I come across. There was a slight crisis with the blueberry cheesecake muffins from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook, a recipe that included pureed yellow squash and pureed lambs quarters. Needless to say, all but the ¼ of a muffin I dared to eat, ended up in the trash. However, the good news is that the zucchini crust tart was a HUGE hit! So for your personal enjoyment, here it is:
You need
* 2 lbs zucchini, shredded (about 6 medium zukes)
* 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (use white and green parts) – We just used onions
* 1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs, plus
* 2 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs
* 1 to taste salt and black pepper
* 1 eggs, beaten
* 6 ounces shredded Fontina cheese – Feel free to use whatever cheese you already have
* 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced – or as many tomatoes as you’d like!
* 1/4 cup loosely packed slivered fresh basil leaves
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus
* 1 to taste more extra virgin olive oil, for the pan
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 1 1/4 hr
1. Place the zucchini and scallions in a large sauté pan.
2. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the zucchini shrinks, about 6 minutes.
3. Drain in a colander.
4. Press out excess water with a large spoon.
5. Return the zucchini and scallions to the pan.
6. Add 1/4 cup bread crumbs and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
7. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, tossing frquently.
8. Add the egg; toss.
9. Preheat the oven to 400°F and coat a 9-inch pie pan with oil.
10. Press the zucchini mixture into the bottom and up the sides, but not over the lip, of the pan.
11. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden.
12. Remove and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Fontina.
13. Top with the tomato slices, overlapping slightly if necessary.
14. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
15. Cover with 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, the basil, the olive oil and the remaining cup of Fontina.
16. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is well browned.
17. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Food Deserts and a Food Education Drought - Kaitlin
When my friends and family members ask me what I am doing with my time this summer, I get excited when I tell them that I am learning about slow food. This summer I have had the opportunity to help run the Know Your Farms CSA, volunteer at the farmer's market, and cook community meals made from whole, fresh ingredients. I have had the luxury to get to "know my farmers" and eat organically and learn how to grow my own food. Sometimes, I even find myself judging people who do not make the choice to buy foods that follow good, clean, and fair practices. I find myself scoffing at non Fair Trade coffee on a restaurant menu. I silently disapprove of my friend who orders a mango and banana smoothie at Jamba Juice. I start wanting to stop every car that pulls into Harris Teeter and yell at the driver, "Don't you know anything about eating locally!!" And that's when I have to stop myself. Not only am I acting like a slow-food psycho , but I am also forgetting about the 70,000 people in Charlotte Mecklenburg County alone who don't have the option to choose affordable and nutritious food.
Yesterday, Christy and I attended a presentation from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council. At the presentation, Dr. Elizabeth Racine, the Assistant Professor of Public Health at UNC-Charlotte shared information on the food system in Charlotte Mecklenburg. Dr. Racine addressed major questions about food deserts in Mecklenburg County. According to the 2008 US Farm Bill, a food desert is an "area in US w/ limited access to affordable and nutritious food, particularly such an area composed of predominantly lower income neighborhoods and communities" (2008 US Farm Bill). The Food Policy Council's study concluded that 60 food deserts exists within the 373 CBGs in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. People in food deserts do not have the ability to settle for food that comes out of a warehouse or even a convenience store. Without access to transportation, these individuals cannot even reach food centers outside of the food desert without paying the price. According to research from the University of Arizona, people in lower income neighborhoods spend more on groceries than in higher income neighborhoods. This is due to the money that individuals end up spending on transportation to reach the food center and due to the fact that individuals must shop more frequently and buy smaller quantities which end up making the entire food purchasing experience more expensive. People living in food deserts have to take what they can get. We talk about the importance of buying fair trade coffee, chocolate, or other foreign goods but it is easy to forget that there is a food system in our own county, right next to our own neighborhoods, that is not providing good, clean, fair food to its residents. Many of us have the luxury to turn our noses up at high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors, but those standards do not exist for so many individuals, especially in food deserts. The bottom line is that 70,000 individuals living in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County do not have the ability to easily make healthy choices every day.
So where do we go from here? Marilyn Marks, a member of the Food Policy Council, brought up the importance of tackling these food problems within the food deserts. We have to motivate the people in these communities to voice their ideas if we want change to come about. The problem here is that these food deserts are not only lacking affordable, healthy food, but they are also facing a food education drought. Individuals in these areas need to gain knowledge on how to effectively generate changes in their communities by demanding healthy, affordable food choices. This starts with providing food education along with the SNAP program in schools, encouraging churches and neighborhoods to start community gardens, and giving the populations living in food deserts the support and confidence to voice the changes they want to see. I'm interested to learn how the Food Policy Council continues to raise awareness and spread knowledge about food deserts and the changes that must be made. Through this kind of education, individuals involved in food systems in Charlotte can start making connections between educating populations in food deserts and helping these individuals gain the ability to make healthy, affordable choices.
Yesterday, Christy and I attended a presentation from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council. At the presentation, Dr. Elizabeth Racine, the Assistant Professor of Public Health at UNC-Charlotte shared information on the food system in Charlotte Mecklenburg. Dr. Racine addressed major questions about food deserts in Mecklenburg County. According to the 2008 US Farm Bill, a food desert is an "area in US w/ limited access to affordable and nutritious food, particularly such an area composed of predominantly lower income neighborhoods and communities" (2008 US Farm Bill). The Food Policy Council's study concluded that 60 food deserts exists within the 373 CBGs in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. People in food deserts do not have the ability to settle for food that comes out of a warehouse or even a convenience store. Without access to transportation, these individuals cannot even reach food centers outside of the food desert without paying the price. According to research from the University of Arizona, people in lower income neighborhoods spend more on groceries than in higher income neighborhoods. This is due to the money that individuals end up spending on transportation to reach the food center and due to the fact that individuals must shop more frequently and buy smaller quantities which end up making the entire food purchasing experience more expensive. People living in food deserts have to take what they can get. We talk about the importance of buying fair trade coffee, chocolate, or other foreign goods but it is easy to forget that there is a food system in our own county, right next to our own neighborhoods, that is not providing good, clean, fair food to its residents. Many of us have the luxury to turn our noses up at high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors, but those standards do not exist for so many individuals, especially in food deserts. The bottom line is that 70,000 individuals living in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County do not have the ability to easily make healthy choices every day.
So where do we go from here? Marilyn Marks, a member of the Food Policy Council, brought up the importance of tackling these food problems within the food deserts. We have to motivate the people in these communities to voice their ideas if we want change to come about. The problem here is that these food deserts are not only lacking affordable, healthy food, but they are also facing a food education drought. Individuals in these areas need to gain knowledge on how to effectively generate changes in their communities by demanding healthy, affordable food choices. This starts with providing food education along with the SNAP program in schools, encouraging churches and neighborhoods to start community gardens, and giving the populations living in food deserts the support and confidence to voice the changes they want to see. I'm interested to learn how the Food Policy Council continues to raise awareness and spread knowledge about food deserts and the changes that must be made. Through this kind of education, individuals involved in food systems in Charlotte can start making connections between educating populations in food deserts and helping these individuals gain the ability to make healthy, affordable choices.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
A Tale of Tomatoes- James
I realized last night that we've used the same tomato sauce as a base for at least one dish at each of our last three community dinners.
Almost all the tomatoes we've been using recently began their life at All-Seasons Farm. This sauce; however, began it's culinary life as a topping for pasta. We started with sauteeing onion (Barbee Farms) and Garlic Scapes (Coldwater Creek), added some zucchini (KYF Garden) and bell peppers (Barbee), dumped a bunch of those tomatoes in and let them cook, and finished with some basil from the garden. Delicious and Simple. However, we made a little too much, and it was still around come Sunday.
Sunday's dinner was interesting. We started thinking there might be 10 people around, if we got lucky. We ended up successfully feeding 18, with the tomato sauce playing a solid supporting role role in our adaptation of this Zucchini Cups recipe. Also featured were Swiss-chard-stuffed Patty Pan Squash (chard courtesy of Coldwater Creek, squash from the Barbees), grilled leeks (also Barbee) with a mustard sauce, baba ganoush (with Barbee eggplant), and a garlic scape pesto/Goat Lady Chevre/homemade yogurt dip that I was really proud of. We also ate a lot of melon (Canteloupe and Watermelon from the Barbees, again).
Having successfully cleaned out the fridge Sunday, we were faced with the clean out the fridge-after cleaning out the fridge meal. Or rather, the leftovers meal. Our hero, the tomato sauce, went through another transmutation, this time to something that vaguely resembled chili. This time we again started with onion and garlic (from the same folks as the first time), then added some summer squash, a couple jalapenos (KC Farms), a lot of cumin, and some cooked ground beef. Once those cooked some, we dumped in the remainder of the zucchini filling, the remainder of a jar of Yah's Best Salsa, and a few more tomatoes, for good measure. Very casual, real filling. A fitting end for our hero.
Almost all the tomatoes we've been using recently began their life at All-Seasons Farm. This sauce; however, began it's culinary life as a topping for pasta. We started with sauteeing onion (Barbee Farms) and Garlic Scapes (Coldwater Creek), added some zucchini (KYF Garden) and bell peppers (Barbee), dumped a bunch of those tomatoes in and let them cook, and finished with some basil from the garden. Delicious and Simple. However, we made a little too much, and it was still around come Sunday.
Sunday's dinner was interesting. We started thinking there might be 10 people around, if we got lucky. We ended up successfully feeding 18, with the tomato sauce playing a solid supporting role role in our adaptation of this Zucchini Cups recipe. Also featured were Swiss-chard-stuffed Patty Pan Squash (chard courtesy of Coldwater Creek, squash from the Barbees), grilled leeks (also Barbee) with a mustard sauce, baba ganoush (with Barbee eggplant), and a garlic scape pesto/Goat Lady Chevre/homemade yogurt dip that I was really proud of. We also ate a lot of melon (Canteloupe and Watermelon from the Barbees, again).
Having successfully cleaned out the fridge Sunday, we were faced with the clean out the fridge-after cleaning out the fridge meal. Or rather, the leftovers meal. Our hero, the tomato sauce, went through another transmutation, this time to something that vaguely resembled chili. This time we again started with onion and garlic (from the same folks as the first time), then added some summer squash, a couple jalapenos (KC Farms), a lot of cumin, and some cooked ground beef. Once those cooked some, we dumped in the remainder of the zucchini filling, the remainder of a jar of Yah's Best Salsa, and a few more tomatoes, for good measure. Very casual, real filling. A fitting end for our hero.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Prepositions- James
Each of my summers in college, I've ended up with a little "what I'm doing this summer" speech that I repeat almost verbatim when someone asks me that question. It's not something I do consciously, it just happens over time. Once it comes together, however, I start to pay attention to the words I've chosen. In particular, I've noticed that I used a different preposition to talk about my relationship to my job each time.
Two years ago, I worked at Long Branch Environmental Education Center, a blueberry farm near Asheville. Last year, I worked with the Lake Norman Community Development Council, a grassroots group of nonprofit organizations. This summer, I find myself saying that I'm working for Know Your Farms.
While all my jobs have been place-based in some way, my summer Long Branch was the only time when the entity I worked for had a definitive location. My work with the LNCDC and Know Your Farms has mostly been done in particular places, but there's no one place that is those two organizations. Hence, I worked at Long Branch. On the other hand, the grassroots collaborative nature of the LNCDC made me feel like I was working with not for that organization.
This summer, for the first time my employer is a for-profit company (pending the adoption in NC of the L3C business structure). That distinction has shown me some of my own blind spots. To put it rather crudely, I'd associated doing good in the world with working for a nonprofit. Yet here I was, working towards something I would consider "doing good in the world," and when I told people how much I enjoyed the diversity of things I'm doing with, I more than once heard "Well, that's small business for you." Given that I have a mild allergy to the word "business," it was a weird thing to hear. However, I'm getting over that allergy, and I'm trying to poke into those blind spots. Given that I'm gonna be looking for a job in less than a year, it would be better for me if I could reconcile "doing good in the world" with "business."
Two years ago, I worked at Long Branch Environmental Education Center, a blueberry farm near Asheville. Last year, I worked with the Lake Norman Community Development Council, a grassroots group of nonprofit organizations. This summer, I find myself saying that I'm working for Know Your Farms.
While all my jobs have been place-based in some way, my summer Long Branch was the only time when the entity I worked for had a definitive location. My work with the LNCDC and Know Your Farms has mostly been done in particular places, but there's no one place that is those two organizations. Hence, I worked at Long Branch. On the other hand, the grassroots collaborative nature of the LNCDC made me feel like I was working with not for that organization.
This summer, for the first time my employer is a for-profit company (pending the adoption in NC of the L3C business structure). That distinction has shown me some of my own blind spots. To put it rather crudely, I'd associated doing good in the world with working for a nonprofit. Yet here I was, working towards something I would consider "doing good in the world," and when I told people how much I enjoyed the diversity of things I'm doing with, I more than once heard "Well, that's small business for you." Given that I have a mild allergy to the word "business," it was a weird thing to hear. However, I'm getting over that allergy, and I'm trying to poke into those blind spots. Given that I'm gonna be looking for a job in less than a year, it would be better for me if I could reconcile "doing good in the world" with "business."
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday Dinner: Group Effort- James
Sunday's dinner was one of those lovely meals where no one person can take credit for any part of it. Christy can take the credit for planning the meal, but humbly said she didn't lift a finger (which was not true). It was also an "oh my God how did we get so much squash" kind of meal. We had 11 people around the table, lots of Davidson students and a few neighbors. I was told by young Kiki from next door that I seemed like a James, which I took as a compliment.
Here's what we ate (and who prepped it, in addition to who grew it)
Ratatouille (Veggies chopped by yours truly, cooking courtesy of Robert, Morgan, and Kristina)
-Eggplant (Barbee Farms)
-Summer Squash (KC Farms)
-Zucchini (Know Your Farms Garden)
-Onions (Various Sources. We've got a lot of them.)
-Jalapeno and Bananna Peppers (KC Farms)
-Tomatoes (All Seasons Farms)
-Oregano, Basil, Garlic (Know Your Farms Garden)
"Simply Divine" Grilled Corn (Robert, Yours Truly)
-Corn (Barbee Farms)- Soaked before Grilling
Chili con Carne con Queso, or Dip, if you want to avoid tongue twisters (Christy)
Ground Ostrich (Bird Brain Farms)
Jalapeno Peppers (KC Farms)
Onions (See Above)
Cheese (Ashe County Sharp Cheddar)
Hard Boiled Eggs (Margie, Morgan)
-Eggs (We're not really sure at this point...)
Hummus/Cucumber spears (Camp Leftovers)
Cucumbers (Know Your Farms Garden/Barbee Farms)
Garlic (Know Your Farms Gardens)
Canned Chickpeas, Tahini, Lemon Juice (Not Local)
We concluded with Homemade Icecream (featuring Homeland Creamery milk) and Davidson Chocolate Company Truffles.
Here's what we ate (and who prepped it, in addition to who grew it)
Ratatouille (Veggies chopped by yours truly, cooking courtesy of Robert, Morgan, and Kristina)
-Eggplant (Barbee Farms)
-Summer Squash (KC Farms)
-Zucchini (Know Your Farms Garden)
-Onions (Various Sources. We've got a lot of them.)
-Jalapeno and Bananna Peppers (KC Farms)
-Tomatoes (All Seasons Farms)
-Oregano, Basil, Garlic (Know Your Farms Garden)
"Simply Divine" Grilled Corn (Robert, Yours Truly)
-Corn (Barbee Farms)- Soaked before Grilling
Chili con Carne con Queso, or Dip, if you want to avoid tongue twisters (Christy)
Ground Ostrich (Bird Brain Farms)
Jalapeno Peppers (KC Farms)
Onions (See Above)
Cheese (Ashe County Sharp Cheddar)
Hard Boiled Eggs (Margie, Morgan)
-Eggs (We're not really sure at this point...)
Hummus/Cucumber spears (Camp Leftovers)
Cucumbers (Know Your Farms Garden/Barbee Farms)
Garlic (Know Your Farms Gardens)
Canned Chickpeas, Tahini, Lemon Juice (Not Local)
We concluded with Homemade Icecream (featuring Homeland Creamery milk) and Davidson Chocolate Company Truffles.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Well..I made it!
Hello KYF! I have made it safely to Ireland, and I am enjoying my first full day on the farm. Currently, I am working in the OOOOBY store. That stands for Out of Our Own Back Yard. It reminds me a lot of the Bradford store because there is a big huge garden, greenhouses, a shop, and the owner, Suzie, teaches different classes on health and gardening. I won't usually have internet, but if I work in the shop any more while I am here, I'll update and share how life is going. So far, living without electricity or running water has been awesome. The other WWOOFers are all college students or kids just out of college who are also traveling solo. We cook together in the outdoor kitchen and usually eat outside. When it gets cold, which it does get a lot colder than I expected, we eat in the yurt. I'll upload pictures of the garden, the store, and the yurt when I get back.
So far, it has been a lot like my first few days interning for KYF. There is the adjustment period of settling in, getting to know everyone, and learning how things work but I already feel a little ahead of the game. I'm doing a lot of the same types of things I've done working with Aaron and Colleen at the incubator farm and the same work I've done on the Commons Garden.
One of the strongest similarities I see is that in the same way a lot of the KYF farmers look out for each other and barter, the farmers in Carraig Dulra (the farmland area I'm living on) also have strong ties. It's cool to hear how Suzie shares land and teaches classes at the store with other farmers. There is definitely a very strong community here.
I will upload pictures soon - they help explain it so much better! Hope you are all doing well!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday Dinner- James
Dinner Tuesday was a simple thing. Three of us, pasta, sauce, some bread, not much else (for some reason we talked an awful lot about cat piss...).
Pasta=Penne, Pasta Wench Portobello Asiago Vidalia Ravioli
Sauce
Ground Beef (Grateful Growers)
Zucchini (KC Farms)
Shitake Mushrooms (Landis Gourmet Mushrooms)
Kale (Coldwater Creek Farm)
Basil (Know Your Farms)
Garlic Scapes (Coldwater Creek)
Canned Tomatoes (Know Your Farms)
Onions (We're not really sure at this point, we've got a lot of them)
At one point when we were cooking, Morgan looked at the pot of sauce and exclaimed "This is All Real Food!"
That's what we're all about.
Pasta=Penne, Pasta Wench Portobello Asiago Vidalia Ravioli
Sauce
Ground Beef (Grateful Growers)
Zucchini (KC Farms)
Shitake Mushrooms (Landis Gourmet Mushrooms)
Kale (Coldwater Creek Farm)
Basil (Know Your Farms)
Garlic Scapes (Coldwater Creek)
Canned Tomatoes (Know Your Farms)
Onions (We're not really sure at this point, we've got a lot of them)
At one point when we were cooking, Morgan looked at the pot of sauce and exclaimed "This is All Real Food!"
That's what we're all about.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Thursday's Dinner- James
Folks were coming and going for most of dinner on Thursday, so it felt a little chaotic. My almost total inexperience with pizza dough didn't help, but somehow we managed to get four not-too-bad pizzas out of the two frozen lumps of dough that Kaitlin made about a week ago. As I feel like someone should be chronicling our culinary (mis)adventures in Christy's absence, here's what we put on those pizza crusts.
Pizza 1 (aka Veggie Monster)
Whole Wheat Crust
Lamb's Quarters Pesto (Lamb's Quarters courtesy of Inspired Gardens)
Organic Valley Mozzarella
Summer Squash (KC Farms)
Shitake Mushrooms (Landis Gourmet Mushrooms)
Green Onions
Pizza Two (loosely based on this recepie)
Whole Wheat Crust
Mozzarella
Kale (Coldwater Creek Farm)
Goat Lady Dairy Peppered Chevre Log
Goat Lady Dairy Hard Goat Cheese
Pizza Three (aka The Meat-za)
White Crust (many thanks to Evan for rolling out the white flour crusts)
Chef Ricardo's Mucho Macho Tomato Sauce
Mozzarella
Ground Beef (Grateful Growers)
Shitake Mushrooms (Landis Gourmet Mushrooms)
Roasted Peppers (Christy's Freezer)
Pizza Three (aka James got hungry and wanted to stop putting toppings on pizzas)
White Crust
Tomato Sauce (Fisher Farms)
Mozzarella
I was particularly proud of/enjoyed the kale/goat cheese one. The tang of the goat cheese was lovely with the slightly bitter kale and the hefty whole wheat crust. Props to "When Harry Met Salad," both for having an amazing blog title and for the idea of the combination.
Pizza 1 (aka Veggie Monster)
Whole Wheat Crust
Lamb's Quarters Pesto (Lamb's Quarters courtesy of Inspired Gardens)
Organic Valley Mozzarella
Summer Squash (KC Farms)
Shitake Mushrooms (Landis Gourmet Mushrooms)
Green Onions
Pizza Two (loosely based on this recepie)
Whole Wheat Crust
Mozzarella
Kale (Coldwater Creek Farm)
Goat Lady Dairy Peppered Chevre Log
Goat Lady Dairy Hard Goat Cheese
Pizza Three (aka The Meat-za)
White Crust (many thanks to Evan for rolling out the white flour crusts)
Chef Ricardo's Mucho Macho Tomato Sauce
Mozzarella
Ground Beef (Grateful Growers)
Shitake Mushrooms (Landis Gourmet Mushrooms)
Roasted Peppers (Christy's Freezer)
Pizza Three (aka James got hungry and wanted to stop putting toppings on pizzas)
White Crust
Tomato Sauce (Fisher Farms)
Mozzarella
I was particularly proud of/enjoyed the kale/goat cheese one. The tang of the goat cheese was lovely with the slightly bitter kale and the hefty whole wheat crust. Props to "When Harry Met Salad," both for having an amazing blog title and for the idea of the combination.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Jack of All Trades- James
Today, Christy, Margie, and I had a conversation about the design of spaces. I brought up Yi-Fu Tuan's book "Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience" (which may or may not be a book worth reading, I still haven't decided). Perception and design of space is something I'm pretty fascinated by, and I may return to the subject later in the summer, but what's relevant to what I want to talk about at the moment is the fact that "Space and Place" is the kind of book that, as Christy put it, "confuses librarians." I've found it slotted in psychology, philosophy, and geography. We both enjoy the fact that it confuses categorization.
I've found that my work with Know Your Farms defies categorization in the same way. In the space of one day, my job has gone from planting lima beans to doing web promotion for the camp. In the space of the last 8 days, my job has taken me to 2 states and at least 5 cities in NC. I've gone from helping cook dinner for 11 to trying my hand at html (the dinner turned out better than the code). While it's slightly frustrating for casual conversation, I like the fact that when people ask me what I'm doing for the summer I have to say "Well, I'm doing a lot of different things."
I've found that my work with Know Your Farms defies categorization in the same way. In the space of one day, my job has gone from planting lima beans to doing web promotion for the camp. In the space of the last 8 days, my job has taken me to 2 states and at least 5 cities in NC. I've gone from helping cook dinner for 11 to trying my hand at html (the dinner turned out better than the code). While it's slightly frustrating for casual conversation, I like the fact that when people ask me what I'm doing for the summer I have to say "Well, I'm doing a lot of different things."
"We Tried" - Kaitlin
Yesterday was Sunday dinner! I spent most of Sunday day making pie crusts for the quiche and pizza dough for pizzas we will eat later this week. We made dinner for 11 tonight and had 4 guests - Robbie, Dani, Luke, and Alex. It's great to have guests because as we're learning more about where our food comes from and how to prepare it, it's fun to be able to share knowledge with individuals who are not working with local food everyday.
Tonight's Menu consisted of 3 different kinds of quiche and a delicious salad. Dessert was a little bit of a flop, but we satisfied our sweet teeth with Homeland Creamery Ice cream! Woohoooooo!
Tonight's Menu consisted of 3 different kinds of quiche and a delicious salad. Dessert was a little bit of a flop, but we satisfied our sweet teeth with Homeland Creamery Ice cream! Woohoooooo!
Today while making the Quiche crusts, I learned that using lard rather than shortening is better for your health. Although lard usually gets a bad rap, lard consists of fats that your body can break down and use. Shortening like Crisco has a vegetable oil base and has so many partially hydrogenated oil that your body cannot break down the substance - and that's a recipe for clogged arteries! Sooooo, we modified Margie's pie crust recipe and the recipe for pie crust in "The Joy of Cooking" by replacing shortening with lard.
Margie's Recipe (Modified)
1 and 1/4 cup flour (Linley Mills)
1/4 cup lard (Grateful Growers)
1/4 cup butter (Homeland Creamery)
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of vodka to 3 tablespoons ice water
Flaky Cream-Cheese Pastry Dough
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (Linley Mills)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
cut into 1/4 inch pieces and add:
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (Homeland Creamery)
3 ounces cold cream cheese
The "James Wants Bacon Quiche"
Onions (Barbee Farms)
Zucchini (Barbee Farms)
Thyme (Know Your Farms)
Bacon (Grateful Growers)
Ostrich Egg (Bird Brain)
Cream (Homeland Creamery)
Pepper Chevre Log (Goat Lady Dairy)
Onions (Barbee Farms)
Zucchini (Barbee Farms)
Thyme (Know Your Farms)
Bacon (Grateful Growers)
Ostrich Egg (Bird Brain)
Cream (Homeland Creamery)
Pepper Chevre Log (Goat Lady Dairy)
Christy's "Mexican Quiche"
Sausage (Wild Turkey Farms)
Bell Peppers (Aaron Newton's last year crop)
Sausage (Wild Turkey Farms)
Bell Peppers (Aaron Newton's last year crop)
Pepperjack Cheese (Ashecounty Cheese)
Ostrich Egg (Bird Brain)
Cream (Homeland Creamery)
Cream (Homeland Creamery)
Margie's "Gudaitis Family Spinach Quiche"
Spinach (Inspired Garden)
Onion (Barbee)
Kale (Know Your Farms)
Ostrich Egg (Bird Brain)
Gouda (Ashecounty Cheese)
The "We Tried" Salad
Romaine lettuce (Know Your Farms)
Red lettuce (Know Your Farms)
Spinach leaves (Inspired Garden)
Carrots (Barbee Farms)
Onions (Barbee Farms)
Broccoli (Know Your Farms)
Zucchini (Barbee Farms)
"Lusty Monk" Dressing
1 part balsamic to three parts extra virgin olive oil mixed with one spoonful Lusty Monk Mustard from Asheville, NC
Thursday, June 3, 2010
CSA Days
This week I did the preparation, run, drop, and debrief for the CSA. At first, I did not think this would take more than a few hours. How difficult could it be to load and deliver some boxes? Over the past few days, I have learned that this operation is a lot more difficult, even for a CSA that serves 38 people. The work it takes to make this kind of procedure run smoothly and successfully gave me a whole new appreciation for how our food goes from the farm to our plates.
One of the most shocking parts of this process was how much time it took to deliver the food. Yesterday, Robbie and I loaded the truck around 1:30, left Christy's house by 2:00, and even though the drop ran smoothly, we did not make it back until 9:30. It seems to me that there has to be a better way to deliver food efficiently and sustainably. I was discussing this with Christy today, but we could not think of a solution. There are so many factors to consider. You have to allow time for traffic and give the customers enough time to pick up their boxes without feeling rushed. There also is the matter of picking up and dropping off the rented refrigerated truck. Hopefully, if Know Your Farms owns its own truck the time will be cut down a bit, but it there will still be five or six hours devoted to deliveries.
Going through this drop gave me a real appreciation for the time and energy it takes to distribute local food. It has also made me start thinking about what we consider "local" - a walk? a car drive? How many miles? Although I know that for most individuals, the food from the CSA box is the most local option available, even this operation requires a lot of gas to pick up food and distribute the boxes. The fact is that this is the most local option available because our country is not designed around local food. If we lived in a "local food friendly" nation, there would be space in cities for urban farms, rooftop gardens, and ordinances that allowed individuals to keep chickens. Unfortunately, we live in a nation where most of our food comes from thousands of miles away and buying locally means filling up a 22 foot refrigerated truck twice in two days in order to pick up food, keep the food fresh, and make deliveries.
I'm not saying that the CSA is not local. This CSA is the best option we have. It makes a real difference compared to the millions of miles that food travels to get to a grocery store. However, I think it is sad that our nation's concern for local food is so low that this is the best option we have. I believe that we are capable of doing more and making our food even more local. We have the power to grow food on our own blocks, in our own backyards, and right on the roofs of the Charlotte skyline. It is unrealistic to believe that tomorrow, everyone in Charlotte will begin shopping at local stores, harvesting their own gardens, or trading eggs for tomatoes with neighbors. Change sometimes happens slowly, and the CSA program is one step towards changing Charlotte. This single CSA program will not change the world, but it does plant the seed for individuals to start thinking about the idea of "local" and to consider their habits. It may inspire individuals in Charlotte to grow their own food or start supporting local businesses in the city. It may encourage individuals to begin to make changes, and as they change the overall must adjust. These small efforts contribute to the overall push that will change the way our food system operates by making room for slow food.
One of the most shocking parts of this process was how much time it took to deliver the food. Yesterday, Robbie and I loaded the truck around 1:30, left Christy's house by 2:00, and even though the drop ran smoothly, we did not make it back until 9:30. It seems to me that there has to be a better way to deliver food efficiently and sustainably. I was discussing this with Christy today, but we could not think of a solution. There are so many factors to consider. You have to allow time for traffic and give the customers enough time to pick up their boxes without feeling rushed. There also is the matter of picking up and dropping off the rented refrigerated truck. Hopefully, if Know Your Farms owns its own truck the time will be cut down a bit, but it there will still be five or six hours devoted to deliveries.
Going through this drop gave me a real appreciation for the time and energy it takes to distribute local food. It has also made me start thinking about what we consider "local" - a walk? a car drive? How many miles? Although I know that for most individuals, the food from the CSA box is the most local option available, even this operation requires a lot of gas to pick up food and distribute the boxes. The fact is that this is the most local option available because our country is not designed around local food. If we lived in a "local food friendly" nation, there would be space in cities for urban farms, rooftop gardens, and ordinances that allowed individuals to keep chickens. Unfortunately, we live in a nation where most of our food comes from thousands of miles away and buying locally means filling up a 22 foot refrigerated truck twice in two days in order to pick up food, keep the food fresh, and make deliveries.
I'm not saying that the CSA is not local. This CSA is the best option we have. It makes a real difference compared to the millions of miles that food travels to get to a grocery store. However, I think it is sad that our nation's concern for local food is so low that this is the best option we have. I believe that we are capable of doing more and making our food even more local. We have the power to grow food on our own blocks, in our own backyards, and right on the roofs of the Charlotte skyline. It is unrealistic to believe that tomorrow, everyone in Charlotte will begin shopping at local stores, harvesting their own gardens, or trading eggs for tomatoes with neighbors. Change sometimes happens slowly, and the CSA program is one step towards changing Charlotte. This single CSA program will not change the world, but it does plant the seed for individuals to start thinking about the idea of "local" and to consider their habits. It may inspire individuals in Charlotte to grow their own food or start supporting local businesses in the city. It may encourage individuals to begin to make changes, and as they change the overall must adjust. These small efforts contribute to the overall push that will change the way our food system operates by making room for slow food.
KYF!
Plaza Midwood drop behind the Common Market
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Movement- Morgan
The Local Market Model
The farmers market fosters an elemental form of human exchange. The communal and cultural gathering around food in the mainstream is largely lost at the hand of transnational global food networks and the homogeneous super market model. Countering the globalized form of food production and distribution hinges on a consumer population that assumes responsibility and engages in conscious choices for the source and practices of their food production. This seems to be one of the largest statements for the ‘locavore’ movement: engage in this alternative network to access food based on transparency and trust with a vested interest in local community and land. It has been awesome to see this movement alive in the Davidson community. Knowingly or not, members of the CSA and consumers at the Farmer’s Market are assuming the role Carlos Petrini recognizes as, ‘coproducers’ (Shiva, Vandana (Ed.) 2007. Manifestos on the Future of Food and Seed. Cambridge, MA: South End Press.). Coproduction is based on the relationship between consumer and producer. The consumer assumes the burdens and responsibilities of their farmers while farmers make a commitment to quality for the consumer and the land.
Food communities
Petrini also recognizes the ways that alternative food networks are living reminders for the meaning of community. Among fast paced lives and distanced forms of communication, the farmers market and communal gathering around honest food bring us together. There is a lot to be lost in forgoing cooked meals and food in a social context. These things are coming alive for us as interns, and I know as the summer goes on I have so much more to experience!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Blog Post 2 - Community Links
Today was a big day for getting in touch with Davidson College and the Davidson Community. The day started with Morgan, Margie, and I going to Ada Jenkins Center to plant a garden with T. We planted peppers, tomatoes, and herbs that we will be carrying for throughout the summer. When it’s time to harvest, the food will go to the Loaves and Fishes pantry at Ada Jenkins. T told us that the garden used to be used for a program for Davidson Middle School and Elementary School called “Problem Solvers.” The program was cut because there was not enough funding, and for some reason this offhand comment stuck with me throughout the day. It’s really a bummer that a program where kids are learning where food comes from and how to grow something that they can eat and share is being cut from the school system. Later in the day while I was finding some sponsors for the email list in Natural Awakenings Magazine, I read an article about food and school systems. (Link to article: http://awakeningcharlotte.com/content/2009/07/28/school-lunch-program/) The food services that schools are using are not only unhealthy, but they also eliminate a major education piece that students could be learning by eating healthy foods and engaging in programs where they have the opportunity to take care of a garden. With so many health, environmental, and economic problems connected to the food world, why are “Problem Solvers” and other programs that attempt to connect kids to learning about the world around them, being eliminated? Teaching the next generation to be problem solvers should be the main priority in our schools. It’s really interesting to see how food and education are connected, but the same road blocks often prevent us from making progress in both areas.
After that, I had a meeting with Dee Phillips at Commons. We discussed the Commons staff’s trip to Barbee Farms, the possibility of a Commons work study position, and the Davidson College Community Garden. Dee enjoyed the farm tour and was really impressed with Tommy Barbee’s stuff. She said that they will definitely use him in the fall which is a great step! She also said that I could go along on the staff’s next farm tour to Wild Turkey Farm.
We did not make as much progress with the work study conversation. The staff does not see a need for a Commons work study even though I think it is extremely important. Dee said that I could put a proposal together, and I just finished it today. I’m proposing a position called Food Systems Educator. This is a work study position that Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. I think that this position would help dining services make huge strides because it is centered on education. It would teach students what they are eating and where there food comes from, generating the energy and interest needed to make changes. It has been suggested that there is not enough student interest to make these changes, but I disagree. I think that if students were informed about their food and had an outlet to express their interest these changes could be put into place much easier. My role as the Food Systems Educator would involve a few components. I would maintain the garden behind Commons, work on a webpage for the College completely focused on sustainability in dining services (see Middlebury as an example: http://www.middlebury.edu/sustainability/food), keep students updated by sending out posts in the Crier about weekly local or organic options, have food films (a few of these are only 15-30 minutes – see website http://www.nycfoodfilmfestival.com/ ) that could be shown on the dark side during dinner hours so that students would be getting informed over dinner while not having to commit 2 hours to watching a movie, and much more. Education is key to bringing about improvements, and I think that a Food Systems Educator work study position would bring the dining staff and the students to the same table.
We also talked about the Davidson College Community Garden behind Commons and how it would be cared for over the summer. I am taking over the project for the summer which means harvesting the radishes, lettuce, and onions now and the squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers in the next few weeks. I will also need to get the ground ready to start planting fall vegetables. I don’t know too much about this stuff, but I am already learning a lot just by working in Christy’s garden and reading some of her books. I know next time to plant basil and tomatoes together, plant garlic to keep out the bugs, and start weeding a lot earlier! Still, I feel like I don’t really know what I’m doing, and it would be great to have some kind of mentoring so that I could plant some really good fall crops. So if anyone’s reading this blog and has any interest…let me know!
After that, I had a meeting with Dee Phillips at Commons. We discussed the Commons staff’s trip to Barbee Farms, the possibility of a Commons work study position, and the Davidson College Community Garden. Dee enjoyed the farm tour and was really impressed with Tommy Barbee’s stuff. She said that they will definitely use him in the fall which is a great step! She also said that I could go along on the staff’s next farm tour to Wild Turkey Farm.
We did not make as much progress with the work study conversation. The staff does not see a need for a Commons work study even though I think it is extremely important. Dee said that I could put a proposal together, and I just finished it today. I’m proposing a position called Food Systems Educator. This is a work study position that Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. I think that this position would help dining services make huge strides because it is centered on education. It would teach students what they are eating and where there food comes from, generating the energy and interest needed to make changes. It has been suggested that there is not enough student interest to make these changes, but I disagree. I think that if students were informed about their food and had an outlet to express their interest these changes could be put into place much easier. My role as the Food Systems Educator would involve a few components. I would maintain the garden behind Commons, work on a webpage for the College completely focused on sustainability in dining services (see Middlebury as an example: http://www.middlebury.edu/sustainability/food), keep students updated by sending out posts in the Crier about weekly local or organic options, have food films (a few of these are only 15-30 minutes – see website http://www.nycfoodfilmfestival.com/ ) that could be shown on the dark side during dinner hours so that students would be getting informed over dinner while not having to commit 2 hours to watching a movie, and much more. Education is key to bringing about improvements, and I think that a Food Systems Educator work study position would bring the dining staff and the students to the same table.
We also talked about the Davidson College Community Garden behind Commons and how it would be cared for over the summer. I am taking over the project for the summer which means harvesting the radishes, lettuce, and onions now and the squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers in the next few weeks. I will also need to get the ground ready to start planting fall vegetables. I don’t know too much about this stuff, but I am already learning a lot just by working in Christy’s garden and reading some of her books. I know next time to plant basil and tomatoes together, plant garlic to keep out the bugs, and start weeding a lot earlier! Still, I feel like I don’t really know what I’m doing, and it would be great to have some kind of mentoring so that I could plant some really good fall crops. So if anyone’s reading this blog and has any interest…let me know!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Blog Post 1: First Days and Goals for the Summer
Today it has been one week since I started interning at Know Your Farms. After a week of settling in – learning about my responsibilities as an intern, setting some goals for the summer, and learning to navigate my way through Christy’s kitchen – I have finally gotten around to blogging. I hope to blog everyday and upload any pictures I take for Know Your Farms in order to keep a record of the work I’ve done and make the experience more meaningful for me. I think blogging will give me a lot of time to reflect on the work I do each day, from what I did well to what I could have done better, so that I can take a step back at the end of the day to see the whole picture and make improvements.
After just a week of working for Know Your Farms, I can already tell that I am going to learn a ton this summer. So far, I have distributed Know Your Farms CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes, harvested vegetables on an incubator farm in Concord, worked at the Davidson Farmer’s Market, and worked with the other interns on planning the Know Your Farms day camp. Working with the other interns has been a great experience. Even when we are preparing dinner together, it is awesome to discuss ideas and watch something come together. All of us have different backgrounds and our own goals for what we want to achieve this summer, and I think it will be very rewarding and exciting to learn how we can use our strengths to help one another with individual projects and make creative and successful group projects.
This summer, I hope to learn a lot more about how communities operate and how we can channel the talents and energies in a community towards making healthy choices. I also want to learn more about working with a group when learning something new and when teaching others. We have a lot to learn this summer from farmers, community members and each other, and we also have the opportunity to teach what we’ve learned during the day camp weeks. I want to learn more about communities and working in a group because I think these are really valuable skills I will be able to take back to Davidson College in the fall when the Food Group starts taking steps to providing healthier and more sustainable options in Commons and the Union. Also, after already running into some struggles with Davidson College over changing the options, I will really appreciate this summer’s opportunity to be part of a network of people who care about making changes in the food world.
Tomorrow, Morgan, Margie and I are going to meet with T at the Ada Jenkins Garden. I am excited to see another garden in Davidson because I want to see how it is managed and used in order to find ways to improve the Davidson College Community Garden.
After just a week of working for Know Your Farms, I can already tell that I am going to learn a ton this summer. So far, I have distributed Know Your Farms CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes, harvested vegetables on an incubator farm in Concord, worked at the Davidson Farmer’s Market, and worked with the other interns on planning the Know Your Farms day camp. Working with the other interns has been a great experience. Even when we are preparing dinner together, it is awesome to discuss ideas and watch something come together. All of us have different backgrounds and our own goals for what we want to achieve this summer, and I think it will be very rewarding and exciting to learn how we can use our strengths to help one another with individual projects and make creative and successful group projects.
This summer, I hope to learn a lot more about how communities operate and how we can channel the talents and energies in a community towards making healthy choices. I also want to learn more about working with a group when learning something new and when teaching others. We have a lot to learn this summer from farmers, community members and each other, and we also have the opportunity to teach what we’ve learned during the day camp weeks. I want to learn more about communities and working in a group because I think these are really valuable skills I will be able to take back to Davidson College in the fall when the Food Group starts taking steps to providing healthier and more sustainable options in Commons and the Union. Also, after already running into some struggles with Davidson College over changing the options, I will really appreciate this summer’s opportunity to be part of a network of people who care about making changes in the food world.
Tomorrow, Morgan, Margie and I are going to meet with T at the Ada Jenkins Garden. I am excited to see another garden in Davidson because I want to see how it is managed and used in order to find ways to improve the Davidson College Community Garden.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Expectations, Day Four- James
Christy asked me last night what my expectations for the summer were. While I think that's a valuable question to work through (and one I'll answer sooner or later), it's not really how I think about things. For better or worse, I tend to think in the moment, about what's directly in front of me (I was also supposed to write this post on day one of work. It's now around day four. Punctuality isn't a strong suit either). But while my expectations may be nebulous, I can say with more certainty what it is I'm excited about this summer.
For one, I'm excited to have access to a fridge, a freezer, a pantry, a back yard, and occasionally a front porch full of fresh, local food to cook and a group of people to cook and eat with. For two, it makes me happy to be doing work that's very hands on. I'm an English major, and I got a little burnt out on the intellectual side of things after I wrote a 17 page paper on Moby-Dick and the unconscious mind. Somewhat more abstractly, I like knowing the community around me, and working with food and farmers seems to me to get at the roots of a community like nothing else.
Someday, I'll actually think about expectations. But for now, I'm just glad it's summer.
Peace, Love, and Yellow Squash,
James
For one, I'm excited to have access to a fridge, a freezer, a pantry, a back yard, and occasionally a front porch full of fresh, local food to cook and a group of people to cook and eat with. For two, it makes me happy to be doing work that's very hands on. I'm an English major, and I got a little burnt out on the intellectual side of things after I wrote a 17 page paper on Moby-Dick and the unconscious mind. Somewhat more abstractly, I like knowing the community around me, and working with food and farmers seems to me to get at the roots of a community like nothing else.
Someday, I'll actually think about expectations. But for now, I'm just glad it's summer.
Peace, Love, and Yellow Squash,
James
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