Blog #2
Turning A Corner
Working through my first internship with Ogallala Commons, I realized that I love teaching. Mentoring the TCEDC Garden and Food Center program has shown me that I do have some experience to pass on and that there are youth willing to learn it. To see these young adults discover new ideas and broaden their perspectives has inspired me to go back to school and pursue a teaching career in music. At my Harvest Ceremony on August 24th, 2018 I gave a recap of the Spring and Summer as we grew fruits and vegetables. After the ceremony, I felt like I had turned a corner in my life and I am on the right path.
Tiana Suazo and I attempted to give a full picture of the state of our food system on a local and global level. We did this by showing films and holding discussions with the interns about what food sovereignty means to different cultures. These experiences helped the interns understand why what we are doing (growing organic food) is so important, no matter what scale the operation. For me to be a part of their experience has been a journey that I would have never taken on my own.
Now I begin a second internship as Summer slowly turns to Fall. The garden is still in full swing and the 12-week Garden program is at the half-way point. My plan is to finish out the last 6 weeks with the interns and collect the seed with Tiana. I will also prepare the greenhouses for a fall and early winter crop of greens. The high school students, Raymond and Gabe, will be with us for a bit longer and will help collect and clean seed for next year. I am happy that at least two will be able to see what a full growing season looks like. These two young men have been a great pleasure to work with and I am excited about the Fall harvest.
