Wings of Tin

The transformation of grief.

2012-02-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

There are few things that change your life and leave you feeling more helpless and heartbroken than cancer. To watch someones body fail them while their alert mind looks on powerlessly can test you in ways you never expected and leave you questioning everything. When I was 13, I watched the grandfather that I adored beyond words vanish in a matter of months with lymphoma. At 22, I sat at the bedside of my great-uncle the day he learned that his stomach pain was actually a malignant tumor that would take his life in a matter of weeks. At 26 one of my childhood "adopted fathers" passed away with lung cancer and then not long after another one of my grandfathers was also taken. Over the last 8+ years I have also witnessed the slower battle my aunt fought and lost with breast cancer.

As I type this, one of step-grandmothers (the family tree is a bit confusing) is slipping away due to pancreatic cancer. I spoke with her yesterday for what will likely be the last time. The conversation started with light joking but before long I found myself desperate to tell her all of things I want her to know in case it was my only chance. We are never really taught the language of dealing with an impending loss but instead given default phrases like "you are in our thoughts and prayers" to use as crutches. Instead I told her all of the things I would tell everyone else at her funeral because that is what I would want to hear. I told her that she has always made me laugh with her no-nonsense commentary and wry sense of humor; I let her know how lucky I have felt to have her as a part of my life; and for the first time in knowing her I told her how much I love her.

If there is any grace in cancer, it is found in the time left to say goodbye. For those that survive, it is instead the life changing perspective and new found appreciation for every new day. I am thankful to not have lost everyone that I have loved who has been diagnosed with cancer or else this list would be much longer.

Perhaps this tragic dance with death has played a role in who I have become and why I try to constantly push every day to the fullest.

I found this beautiful quote from the Center for Loss and Trauma by Dr. Joanne Cacciatore that captures many of the feelings associated with cancer:

This great undertaking.
This grief.

I don’t believe I have the power
to face it alone.

To conquer the helplessness, the desperation, the agony
in every cell of my body. The pain that winds its way
from the tips of my hair to the tips of my toes.

For the first time in my life
I realize
that I have changed.
That I need others.

Gluten Free in the Holy City

2012-02-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

Check out the article I wrote for City Paper on living gluten-free in Charleston.

Imagine that for your entire life you have felt sick. Between the fatigue, stomach pains, and nausea, you have been stuck in an endless cycle of dining roulette. The doctors assume that you are "just sensitive" and treat these symptoms with a variety of medications, but they never find the cause. Yet the older you get, the worse it gets. Before long, there have been visits to specialists, countless tests with inconclusive results, and the uncomfortable feeling that everyone thinks you are a hypochondriac. As the symptoms increase, it becomes impossible to lead a normal life out of fear that your stomach may stage a revolt, especially when it comes to traveling or even spending a day at the beach. You may or may not have been pulled over when speeding for a bathroom and forced by sheer desperation to throw your wallet at the officer's face while yelling, "I am about to shit my pants" and screeching off toward your house. Needless to say, your life is scoring a wee bit low on the fun-scale.

Then the day comes when you are told that there is a cure for what ails you and you will only have to give up one thing and one thing only to feel better: gluten. So, what is the big deal? It is only one little thing, right? And besides, what the hell is gluten anyway?

I can tell you firsthand that giving up gluten is no small feat. For many other gluten-sensitive people, their experiences mirror those described above. In the case of Michael Varnadore of Summerville, he found his answers through two-and-half-years of trial and error. His biggest challenge was gaining a complete understanding of what gluten is and in which products it can be found.

As Varnadore and I have both discovered, gluten's senior superlative was evidently for the "most popular food additive." It is a protein composite found in food processed from wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and oats. It is valued for its ability to give elasticity to dough, bind ingredients together, and provide a source of protein. In a nutshell, it makes things light, fluffy, and delicious.

From the obvious foods such as bread and pasta to less obvious items like luncheon meat, soy sauce, and french fries, gluten has made its way into almost every product in the grocery store. Just to make things even more complicated, it is not always explicitly named in the ingredients list, which is why there are now a number of companies labeling their products as gluten free. If this sounds a little overwhelming, then you can begin to understand how avoiding it can be more of an art than a science.

Instead of focusing on what cannot be eaten, sometimes it is easier to find out what you can eat. Fresh fruit, vegetables, beans, brown rice, eggs, alternative flours, dairy, tofu, seafood, and certified meat are all safe. There are a number of companies making gluten-free products including bread, snacks, desserts, cereal, and beer, although they will make a serious dent in your wallet.

There are millions of people like Varnadore and me who are negotiating these dietary challenges, yet not everyone has the same gluten-related issues. The spectrum of reactions to gluten can be divided into the following groups: wheat allergy, celiac disease, and gluten sensitivity. Wheat allergies are similar to other food allergies; they can cause hives, respiratory distress, and nausea. Those with celiac suffer from an inflammatory reaction in the digestive system when they are exposed to gluten; the reaction damages the villi (tiny hairs) in the small intestine and leads to the inability to absorb nutrients. Symptoms range from diarrhea to stomach pain, mouth ulcers, lactose intolerance, weight loss, anemia, migraines, lethargy, and joint pain. If you do not get diagnosed or choose to ignore the disease after you have been, you may end up suffering from malnutrition or developing intestinal cancer, diabetes, and other debilitating conditions.

My condition isn't quite as dire. I suffer from gluten sensitivity. Unfortunately, others like me exhibit the symptoms of celiac, but they test negative for a wheat allergy and celiac disease. However, they can alleviate their symptoms by switching to a gluten-free diet.

According to the Mayo Clinic, an estimated one in 100 people suffer from celiac, although many of them are undiagnosed and millions more are gluten sensitive. Although there is no definite number, recent studies have shown that gluten intolerance has steadily increased over the last 50 years. What is causing this rise in the number of cases? A variety of factors are believed to contribute, including an improved capability for diagnosis, the increase of gluten in diets, and the significant rise in other health conditions due to poor lifestyle choices.

Unfortunately for many individuals, it may take years to get diagnosed with a gluten-related condition. Kellen Lawson, an astrophysics major at College of Charleston, was diagnosed with celiac last November after a lifetime of stomach issues, blinding migraines, and malnourishment. Thanks to the keen eye of a friend's mother, a nurse practitioner, he finally underwent testing. Like many individuals who are unable to digest gluten, he is also lactose intolerant, adding yet another challenge to his diet. He has spent the last year learning how to cope with the disease while also attending class, working, and having a social life. Naturally, the things he misses the most are really good pizza and being able to eat out anywhere with friends. The silver lining is that his migraines and stomach pain are gone and he has learned how to prepare the majority of his meals from scratch, which is a good thing, since he says his friends and family "still have no idea what gluten is."

Luckily for Varnadore, Lawson, and many others, more and more people are aware of gluten allergies and celiac disease. There are currently dozens of gluten-free websites, new products on the market, cookbooks, and even gluten-free restaurants. Most major cities have an impressive selection of eateries, grocery stores, and meet-up groups interested in finding gluten-free, vegetarian, locally sourced, raw, vegan, or nut-free food.

So how does Charleston fare in the gluten-free world? Most of the large grocery store chains in the area carry gluten-free products, with Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Earth Fare, Harris Teeter, and Bi-Lo among the best. As for local restaurants, there seems to be a few leading the charge while others slowly get on board.

Tarteletteblog.com's Helene Dujardin, a writer, chef, and fellow gluten avoider, feels that Charleston restaurants still need a lot of education and training when it comes to food allergies. Although local chefs have demonstrated their culinary talents by showcasing local products and creating delicious meals for the all-eating omnivores, she believes that they are still a long way off from addressing dietary restrictions in their menus. Dujardin explains that this is an issue that goes beyond the chefs and begins with those on the front lines: the waitstaff. As the middlemen for the restaurants, the front-of-house staff must accurately communicate the capabilities of the kitchen and, in turn, explain the needs of the customers to the chefs.

Chef Michael Carmel, culinary department head at the Culinary Institute of Charleston, is working on addressing these issues. His students are trained on how to handle food allergies and preferences through a variety of courses from kitchen sanitation to menu development. Carmel believes that catering to those with dietary restrictions, whether it is gluten, nuts, or animal products, "is not only a business opportunity but it is essential." In his eyes, ignoring these groups is limiting your customer base and missing an incredible opportunity to stand out.

Rebecca Powell, head of the Gluten.net Chef to Plate program, echoes this sentiment. "Gluten-free customers are very loyal. If they have a good experience, they come back with their friends and family," she says. Chef to Plate is a national program designed to help restaurants create staff and customer awareness about gluten-free dining by providing free educational materials and listing participating restaurants online. In addition to this program, Gluten.net also provides industry audits and certifications for those interested in getting the gluten-free label for their product.

Although there are not currently any Charleston restaurants participating in the Chef to Plate program, a handful have started to train their staff and create gluten-free menus, including Five Loaves Café, Crave, Caviar and Bananas, Patat Spot, Mustard Seed, Fat Hen, the Daily Dose, 82 Queen, Basil, Café Kronic, Glass Onion, East Bay Deli, Hominy Grill, S.N.O.B., Charleston Crab House, Chai's, and Mellow Mushroom.

Patat Spot owner Phillis Kalisky Mair has always catered to customers with food allergies at her European friet and falafel snack bar thanks in part to her sister's own gluten sensitivity. The restaurant boasts gluten-free falafel, gluten-free fries, and homemade pita, and it will soon offer gluten-free beer and desserts. In addition to catering to those with gluten allergies, she is also conscious of people who are allergic to nuts. Although Mair acknowledges that it is a little more expensive to make some of the products, she has attracted a loyal fanbase. "So many people have food allergies and they have to continuously worry about cross-contamination," Mair says. "We have had customers come in, see our selection, realize that we understand their challenges, and they literally jump up and down."

Chef Fred Neuville of Fat Hen has received similar praise from customers for his wide variety of gluten-free options, accommodating kitchen, and well-versed staff. He relishes crafting new items for the menu that can be enjoyed by customers with food allergies. "There are so many things that you can make gluten free," he says. "Why not make something great so people can come in and enjoy themselves?" After taking a look at the menu, it's easy to see that he is putting thought into action. From gluten-free boiled peanut salad and crab cakes to duck confit and butternut squash rice, Fat Hen makes eating gluten-free dishes seem like fine dining.

When most gluten-free individuals are asked what culinary delights they miss most, two of the most common answers are pizza and beer — especially if the person you're asking is me. Thankfully, Michael Shemtov, co-owner of Mellow Mushroom's King Street and Avondale locations, listened to the collective voices demanding delicious gluten-free pizza and beer. While working at the Mellow Mushroom corporate office in Atlanta, he saw an increasing number of e-mails from customers that had spent their lives loving pizza and beer, only to discover they could no longer have it. Not only were these customers no longer able to come into the pizzeria, but it meant that their families and friends would be coming in less often as well.

"Gluten-free customers have the veto power on eating out with their family, friends, and co-workers, so it is not just about those living without gluten," Shemtov says. "Not catering to these individuals is very shortsighted."

Over a span of two years, the company partnered with a number of gluten-free companies to develop the signature dough they now offer in their restaurants. Pair this dough with a well-trained staff, a separate prep area, and a bottle of Estrella Damm Daura beer, and gluten-free magic is made. Recently, the West Ashley Mellow Mushroom hosted a private gluten-free party in which the entire restaurant was scrubbed down and they served gluten-free friendly food to over 150 customers. Shemtov encourages restaurants to tap into this enthusiastic crowd that he describes as "tremendously loyal" and "very well networked with one another."

In the end, the consensus seems to be that the Holy City has much to learn about gluten sensitivity — but it's getting there. To support and encourage this growth in gluten-free understanding, the first ever Gluten/Allergen Free Expo in Charleston will be kicking off on May 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Omar Shrine Convention Center at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant. There will be gluten-free vendors and presentations from nutritionists, doctors, and chefs speaking on gluten-free living. Check out the event website, charlestongfafexpo.blogspot.com, for more info.

Top 10 Gluten-Free Must Haves

1. Udi brand products, from bread to muffins

2. So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage

3. Glutino brand products, especially the bagel chips

4. Diggity Doughnuts' gluten-free cinnamon-sugar donut holes

5. Redbridge gluten-free beer

6. Patat Spot bean potato cakes with cucumber dill sauce and friets

7. Pamela's Products' gluten-free flour mix

8. Five Loaves Café's soups

9. Gluten-free Chex cereal

10. Vegetarian burger from HoM sans bun

2012-02-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

Dan, my chicken man, is at it again. Check out the latest addition to our backyard homestead- the mobile chicken tractor. Using almost completely reclaimed materials, Dan has constructed this sexy little coop at a remarkable speed. Our chateau de chickens will serve as double duty: it provides new forage for our chickens while putting them to work preparing our garden beds by weeding and fertilizing at once. For the next few weeks, the chickens will be moved around the empty beds to get them ready for our spring planting- hooray for backyard chickens!

A Goats Tale

2012-02-03T18:04:00.000-08:00

Wednesday I started my day off one of the best ways a person can...on a farm. As if this is not great enough, there was the added bonus of baby animals. Within minutes of walking onto Jeremiah Farm and Goat Dairy I was on the ground cuddling newborn goats. The youngest one was two days old, all legs and curiosity. Its little hooves were so soft and tiny it melted my heart. Yet unlike his sisters, this little guy is not a hot commodity (being a male on a dairy farm) which means he is destined to either end up as a pet or sadly, on someone's dinner plate. It is easy to see people fall in love and adopt this four legged critters when they are sucking on your fingers and staring at you with their trusting square eyes.

For many people, the temptation to adopt baby farm animals is very great, regardless of their experience or housing. I have heard countless stories of people taking in baby chickens, ducks, goats, horses, pigs, etc. only to learn hard lessons in the care, knowledge, and budget it takes to care for these unique creatures. There was even a goat living on Folly beach inside (yep.) someones house. Beyond the need for space, specialized food, medication, and companionship, the often overlooked aspect is the lack of veterinary care available for farm animals. Unlike a dog or a cat owner, those with farm animals often must take matters into their own hands. Medical advice is exchanged online, from owner to owner, and at the local farm supply stores. This is a lesson that I had to learn the hard way with Billy the Goat, who did not survive long enough for me to even understand the problem that led to his demise.

Read about Billy's story here and here .

Even after such a traumatic experience, I found myself wearing rose colored glasses and before i knew it I was wondering if I could sneak a baby goat into downtown without causing a stir. As fate would have it, I actually ended my day with my old adult goat friends and was brought back to reality. I try to stop by and see them at least once a month if not every two weeks to make sure they are doing okay. Bob and Peanut are still hanging in there and now they are kept company by their younger sister Peaches and their two new pony pen-mates.

During my routine corral check, deworming, and hoof trimming, I noticed that Bob was spending a lot of time on the ground. As a three-legged goat, this isn't incredibly odd behavior, but he usually runs to the gate to greet me. When I gave him a once over, nothing was obviously wrong beside a small scratch above his tail. Yet if you are going to own a goat, you also always have to check the back-end to make sure they are no blockages or worms (not so cute now, huh?). That is when I discovered a deep wound hidden under the base of his tail that was oozing with infection. It took both Joseph and I to hold him down so I could clean it up enough to inspect it (while gagging) as Bob screamed the most heartbreaking sound of fear and discomfort. We called our go-to goat people with no avail and since the stores were closed, I headed over to Kipp's house to see if he had any advice or medication. Thankfully he was home and after a long discussion, I left with antibiotics, a tutorial on giving an antibiotic shot to a goat, and syringes. I headed back to the goat pen and illuminated by my headlights, I gave Bob his medication.

For the last two days, I have spend my evenings after work collecting supplies (including pro-biotics, wound cleaning spray, gauze, etc.) and administering drugs to my patient. It appears as though the wound is getting better but as mentioned, I am no expert and it is extremely hard to examine him. Having lost one goat in a matter of days, the last thing I want to do is miss something obvious that could stop his slide downhill. Even as I write this, I am thinking of things I should do, like check his temperature, the color of his gums, and the whites of his eyes.

My hope in sharing this experience is to give people a reality check before falling victim to the temptation to adopt cute baby animals and instead support the family farms that spend their lives caring for these animals by going to visit them.

I personally know of a few goats (and their respective farmers) that would love to have you stop by for a visit.

Goodbye Bogarden.

2012-01-29T18:26:00.000-08:00

Please click the link to read my last blog post for the Bogarden: http://thebogardencharleston.blogspot.com/2012/01/goodbye-friends.html

Resolution.

2012-01-28T20:52:00.000-08:00

As you may notice, I am making some changes to my blog. I hope that this post is just the beginning of many that will make it more fun, interactive, and interesting for you to join me on my continuous journey towards a more meaningful and conscious life. Keeping my blog updated is just one part of my New Years resolution.

Since 2012 is potentially the end of the world as we know it, I have decided that I am going to spend this year trying to get it right. Instead of a handful of small new years resolutions, I have selected the theme of "Quality of Life" for the next eleven months. Sure, I have some less grandiose plans like swearing off soda (again) but my focus is on finding a balance between all of my commitments, interests, and loved ones while living a healthier lifestyle. Here have been some of my declarations:

1. I will not work at all hours of the day and night.
2. I will say yes to more social engagements.
3. I will spend more quality time with my family.
4. I will try to stay in better touch.
5. I will make time to pursue my interests outside of work.
6. I will plan my meals better.
7. I will find fun ways to exercise.

So far, I have done a pretty decent job with only the occasional slip-up. I have been spending a lot more time with my lady friends, I am enrolled in an Herbal Apprenticeship (more to come on that topic), I went to my first Hip-hop exercise class of the year, I have only had soda twice, and I am already scheduled to see my family in the next few weeks.

That being said, I have a feeling that the next two months are going to be some of the hardest with so much happening at work so if I can make it through April, the rest of the year will be smooth(er) sailing.

Wish me luck!

Nuts.

2011-12-20T18:04:00.000-08:00

Things have been a little busy the last few months- which for me should be expected- but I still manage to get swept up in a wave of my obligations and overwhelmed with self-imposed expectations. That being said, I have started over 6 different blog posts since the last one and never made time to finish them- but nothing motivates me like a good story. So here it goes.

Lately, Dan and I have been on different schedules. I am working the during the day and early evening and he is working the evening into the late night- so it is not uncommon for him to slip into the house under the cover of night.

Last week would be somewhat of an exception. Needless to say there was a little post-work indulgence one night after work that blurred into the wee hours of morning. I woke around 5:45 am to the sounds of a Dan finding his way to the guest room in a touch-and-go fashion. I considered getting up to check-in but it was frigid in the house and my aversion to the cold inspired me to leave him to his own devices.

About an hour and half later I woke up to the dogs tap-dancing around the bedroom with more enthusiasm than usual. As soon as I let them out, they ran to the guest room door and demanded to be let in. I will admit, I initially assumed they just desperately missed Dan, until I opened the door and they flew to the back of the room. At this point I left them to their own devices and headed to the kitchen for tea when I discovered the back door wide open. Before I could think too much about it, I heard Foxy in the front room going bananas (while Dan slept soundly).

We have had a lone rat or two make itself at home in the house and I always highly encourage the dogs to hunt them to the death. During these chases, Foxy makes a very unique whine/giddy/freaked out noise that was at that moment escaping her, so I decided to figure out the cause. As quietly as possible, I started moving a filing cabinet, boxes, and wires while the dogs became increasingly beside themselves. As soon as an opening presented itself, Foxy dove into the back corner and before I could react, a small furry rodent flew at my head and onto the curtains (cue startled screaming and dog barking). The trapped critter was flaying around in the curtains trying to escape when I realized we did not have a rat on our hands after-all.

It was a squirrel.

At this point I start laughing in that nervous but entertained way while exclaiming the word SQUIRREL intermingled with explicatives...

I know what you are thinking- this is the point where Dan shot out of bed, charged to my rescue and removed the wild beast. But you are seriously underestimating his ability to sleep through anything. Literally.

So meanwhile I have to drag the dogs, frothing at the mouth with sheer delight at our captive squirrel, and lock them out of the room.

I emptied a box and tried to corner the little guy using a broom but this elicited a glorious chase that included an attempt to escape up our blocked chimney, a rousing tour of Dan's closet, and an excursion through a chest of drawers. Meanwhile, Foxy has managed to wedge a surprisingly significant portion of her head under the door to watch. After a good chase, the squirrel and I found ourselves in a stand-off with our eyes locked as he perched onto of an oscillating fan and I promised him "I want you out as much as you want to be out- I will not hurt you" but he was not buying what I was selling.

After 30 or more minutes he eventually barricaded himself in a corner as seen in the picture.

Finally I popped one of our window screens out, created a barricade, and proceeded to wait the little guy out. The minute he showed his face, I went full broom on him and he flew through the air, out the window, and landed about 15 feet below on the sidewalk. He darted straight into traffic while I screamed "NOOOOOO" for fear that after all of my efforts he would end up as the exclamation point on a skid-mark. Yet my uninvited house guest managed to make his way into a tree and off to safety while chattering a stream of running commentary- which no doubt was about the crazy banchee and her two canine henchmen living in the house.

Needless to say, I was a little late to work, but thankfully my boss accepted my "Late Due to Squirrel" excuse.

In the end, Dan slept through the whole thing.

A few of my favorite things...

2011-09-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

Regardless of work, personal life, health, or weather- there are a few things that always make me smile.

The first being the four feathered ladies that live in my backyard... their little chicken personalities always make me laugh- from their array of noises to their sideways glances- I am equally amused every-time I am in the yard with them (especially when they try and eat Dan's toes and he has to run to save himself.) One of the best parts of my day is when I go out in the yard to call them in... they always get uber excited and half the time they fly to me. I have attempted to upload a short video of me feeding them meal-worms- hopefully it works!

The second being my great friends. There are so many great people in Charleston and I am lucky enough to know a few of them. Whether I am in need of volunteers for a garden work day or under the weather with a cold (like this past weekend), someone always comes to the rescue!

Here are a few pics from my last impromptu garden clean-up.

Memory

2011-09-08T06:24:00.000-07:00

In 2004, my best friend Jennie and I spent a summer backpacking through Europe. We visited Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, England and France. I could tell you hundreds of stories about that trip but there is one that is sharp in my mind today.

While we were in France, I took a train to visit my Aunt Nawal in Paris, where she lived with her husband and son. Since she had lived in Paris for the last half of my life, we never really had a chance to get to know one another as adults. Beyond the childhood memories of her, the things that I always stuck out in my mind about Nawal were that she loved to laugh, she was extremely beautiful and she had voice that could bring a room to tears.

We spent the day, just the two of us, catching up on the years since we had spent time together- looking through photos, talking about relationships, debating choices we had made, and laughing at ourselves. For the first time, we learned about each other as women and as friends. Although I had planned to head back when it got dark, we ended up opening a bottle of wine and enjoying an impromptu dinner. As anyone that has ever known Nawal or myself, you can only imagine how many dirty jokes we exchanged, giggling like school girls. As the second bottle of wine opened, we started talking about our family. Through this conversation, I realized how close my Aunt was with my father, even though they have ten years between them. She helped me to understand a lot of things about him that I would have never known otherwise and for that I am very grateful. After we finished up dinner, I had to run to the station to catch the last train, feeling the warm glow of a fantastic evening. After than night, I saw my aunt three more times, but nothing that could compare to our time in Paris.

Throughout all of these years, she has been battling with cancer. When I saw her in Paris, she joked about her wig and made light of the changes chemo was causing her body but she did not dwell on the subject or pity herself. Her battle lasted so long, I started to think that she was going to win, despite what I was told by my family. Monday I received the call that she was gone.

When you lose someone that is so far away, it is hard to embrace the sense of loss. I have spent the last two days thinking a lot about her but unable to grieve, until my father shared the most beautiful recording of my aunt singing the song Memory. I cannot upload it here but I will share the lyrics because the could not be more heart-breakingly appropriate for our beloved Nawal.

She dedicated the song to my father: "To my big brother Gregory: the best pilot, the best lawyer, and the best big brother in the whole wide world."

Memory:

Daylight
See the dew on the sunflower
And a rose that is fading
Roses whither away
Like the sunflower
I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
I am waiting for the day . . .

Midnight
Not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory?
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan

Memory
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again

Every streetlamp
Seems to beat a fatalistic warning
Someone mutters
And the streetlamp gutters
And soon it will be morning

Daylight
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I musn't give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin

Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale cold smell of morning
The streetlamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning

Touch me
It's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun
If you touch me
You'll understand what happiness is

Look
A new day has begun

May she rest in peace.

Back to the Start

2011-08-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent the afternoon and evening hosting a Growers Group at a small local farm; I was able to see their cattle operation, their processing facility, and meet a number of other local livestock and meat producers. Although I am vegetarian and do not believe in slaughtering animals for food, I also believe in supporting small family farms and helping those farmers striving to provide animals with a healthier life and more humane slaughtering (I have a hard time typing those two words side by side- but that is a whole other blog post.)

All of the farmers that I met were such genuinely nice down-to-earth people; they work extremely hard for a living, are passionate about their livelihoods, and are more informed about their field of work than any other group I have been involved with.

I have a lot to learn about the entire meat production side of farming but the more I talk to people and research, the more complicated I realize the whole process has become. I am amazed that small farmers have even survived through all of the red tape, regulation, and corporate subsidizing. Thankfully, it seems as though the tides are turning towards a greater awareness of the importance of our small local farms, the need to re-build the local food economy, and the consequences of corporate farming. I think this little video below does a great job of creating a visual, despite the fact that it is actually a commercial. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMfSGt6rHos&feature=player_embedded

Hurricane Basics

2011-08-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Miss Irene, many Charlestonians are gearing up for what could be one of their first Category 3 hurricanes they may have ever experienced. This is not to say that Charleston does not have hurricanes (although the past few years have been good to us), but rather we have a lot of people that are inland transplants that may have never had the experience first hand.

In my discussion the last day and half, I have been shocked to hear how little people actually know about what to do when there is a chance of a hurricane. It is for this reason that I am writing this post, in the hopes that even if this storm does not hit, perhaps a few people may be more prepared than before.

1. Your property:

I list this first because this is something that people often forget until it is too late.

Make sure you have renters/homeowner's insurance. For renters, this can often been purchased the same week of a storm and is generally very affordable.
Pack all valuable documents in water-safe containers, make copies to be kept somewhere separate.
Take pictures of every room in your house.
Take pictures of all valuable items.
Buy plastic tubs for all items that could be damaged by water but that you would not be able to evacuate with.
Make a list of what items you will take with you in case of evacuation.
If you are in danger of flooding, raise everything off the ground with cinder-blocks, create a sandbag wall around your doors, and duck-tape the bottom seams of the doors from the inside and outside (I have seen more than one case of this actually stopping water from coming in.)
If you are going to leave your house and evacuate, move valuables away from windows, cover with tarps, hang hurricane protection over your windows, and take what you can.
Consider parking your vehicle in a parking deck to avoid damage and/or flooding.

2. Supplies:

This is a checklist from NOAA. Also consider what you would need to take in case of an evacuation.

Water - at least 1 gallon daily per person for 3 to 7 days

Food - at least enough for 3 to 7 days

— non-perishable packaged or canned food / juices
— foods for infants or the elderly
— snack foods
— non-electric can opener
— cooking tools / fuel (propane camping stove and fuel)
— paper plates / plastic utensils

Blankets / Pillows, etc.

Clothing - seasonal / rain gear/ sturdy shoes

First Aid Kit / Medicines / Prescription Drugs

Special Items - for babies and the elderly

Toiletries / Hygiene items / Moisture wipes

Flashlight / Batteries

Radio - Battery operated and NOAA weather radio

Telephones - Fully charged cell phone with extra battery and a traditional (not cordless) telephone set

Cash (with some small bills) and Credit Cards - Banks and ATMs may not be available for extended periods

Keys

Toys, Books and Games

Important documents - in a waterproof container or watertight resealable plastic bag

— insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc.

Tools - keep a set with you during the storm

Vehicle fuel tanks filled (buy extra gas can and fill as well)

Pet care items

— proper identification / immunization records / medications
— ample supply of food and water
— a carrier or cage
— muzzle and leash

3. To stay or to go:

Obviously, you need to make this decision based on what is most appropriate for you and your situation. That being said, here are some things to consider.

What category is the storm? Category 3 and above should evacuate but if you are living in an area that could flood, be cut off by flooding of roads, or is isolated- any hurricane can pose a threat.
What type of home do you live in? Can your house get flooded? Are their any large trees over your house that could come through the house? Do you have a safe place in the house with no windows that you can safely hide? If flood waters rose, would you be able to climb to higher ground?
If you were to be cut off from power and water for 7-10 days, would you be able to survive off of the supplies you currently have?
Do you have somewhere safer to go? Consider asking around with family, friends and co-workers to see if there is an alternative place for you to go, how long you can stay, and if your pets are welcome.
Will your employer expect you to return the day after the hurricane? You would be surprised.

4. Other things people often forget.

If you evacuate, shut off your water valves, cut-off your main breaker, and unplug everything before you leave.
Getting contact information from your neighbors so if you evacuate you can find out how your house is.
Extra coolers filled with ice-packs to unpack your fridge into if the power goes out.
Generator and fuel is always a fun item (if you have the money...)
Fill your bath-tubs and sinks with water the night/day of the hurricane... this way you will have even more potable water.
Expect excessive evacuation delays and how much gas this could potentially use.
In addition to filling your car with gas, check all fluids, tire pressure, filters, etc.
Either own or know someone with a chain-saw and fuel.
Let other people know your plan so they don't have to worry!

Due to sheer exhaustion, I am going to give this a rest and hope that Irene will as well!!

Stay safe and always remember- it is better safe than sorry. So buy everything you could ever need and keep the receipts in case you don't!!

2011-08-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

There have been many people in my life that have never understood the path that I have taken or why I have chosen to struggle when there were seemingly easier routes to follow. Although it has at times worn me down to a shadow of myself, it has become clear that having strong beliefs and convictions is a burden worth bearing.

“A little integrity is better than any career.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

2011-08-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

Let the good times roll.

2011-08-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

Neal, Jamie, and I riding a pig in Cincinnati, OH

This weekend my friend Jamie from college came to visit from Ohio. We had not seen each other in over two years since her wedding and prior to that maybe once since living in Wilmington, NC. Jamie and I met the end of my freshman year of college at UNCW because she lived in the same apartment complex as one of my best friends. The first impression I had of Jamie was that she was ridiculously proud of being from Ohio (did you know that 8 of our presidents are from OH, it is the birthplace of the wright brothers, and that buckeyes are goodluck?), she loved sports (Go Buckeyes!), and she would say exactly what she was thinking (while laughing the whole time). What I loved about her was that even though we had completely different political views and many differing beliefs, she was always up for and adventure and you could count on her to be there when you needed her.

My sophomore year we ended up all living together in a neighborhood called Yesteroak, which was the beginning of what would be three years of being her roommate and many insane memories. There were a lot of cul-de-sac parties, late nights of playing nintendo, girl fights (sometimes involving nintendo), dance parties, dog chasing, broken hearts, pig-pickins, and growing pains.

When she arrived Friday night it was as though I had just seen her last week. There is something about having lived with someone for several years that creates a level of comfort similar to family. No matter what you have gone through or how long it has been you tend to fall back into your routine without any trouble.

Saturday while I worked the farmers market she went with Dan on the bike ride for Edwin and then biked to Marion square to meet up with me. Before she arrived I had gotten a call that there were some loose chickens in someone's front yard (my boss told me I could add the title Chicken Wrangler to my resume if I could catch them). So when Jamie found me, we jumped in the truck and went on a chicken hunt. Next thing I know I have caught a hen and cannot find the rest of the flock. I peek over the fence and see the other six hanging out next door. As it turns out, they live at the neighbors house under the porch and are owned by a guy that obviously knows nothing about chickens (including that they fly, need water, and that roosters are illegal downtown). Needless to say, if they get loose again, I may not be returning them.

From there we headed home and then to Sullivan's Island. We hung out under the cloud covered sky, watching storms roll past, and eventually got chased away by the tide. I realized that I need to spend way more time at the beach, especially in the late afternoon.

After beaching it, we stopped at a local bar to get a drink, at which point we decided we wanted to find a dock to sit on and enjoy the sunset. With our to-go drinks and Jamee's fishing pole we headed out onto a small and unblocked private dock. We put our feet in the water, cast out the line, watched the sun melt into the water, and talked about the good ole days.

As if the moment could not get any better, dolphins broke the surface and began curiously investigating what our private dock party was all about. This same moment could have easily occurred 6 years ago except that now we talk about our careers, being in committed relationships, and considering a life with children.

Sunday after brunch we headed into downtown to walk King street, visit the market, explore some of my favorite spots, and visit Dan at work. We took a bike taxi to dinner, dodged the rain-drops, and finally headed home to go to bed. The weekend was nothing incredibly out of the ordinary but it was nice because for a few days I was able to enjoy the comfort of an old friend, share my world with someone that genuinely cared, and laugh until it hurt.

I know that in 6 more years we will look back nostalgically on weekends like this one and envy our freedom and youth... but I have no doubt that we continue to enjoy whatever it is we happen to be doing.

Everything will be okay.

2011-07-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

I promise my next post will be full of pictures, fun stories, and happy thoughts. For now I have to share some videos that support a lot of my thoughts from the last post. Please know that I do not necessarily agree with everything these people have to say but I like their overall messages.

Here is a video of a man doing what a lot of us wish we could in a way that I found ridiculously entertaining.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAQrsA3m8Bg&feature=player_embedded#at=453

Then there is this music video for "Words I Never Said" by Lupe Fiasco that makes a pretty strong statement...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22l1sf5JZD0

The last one is another Lupe Fiasco song that is a little more inspirational, especially for kids that are growing up in bad neighborhoods...my favorite verse is:

"So no matter what you been through
no matter what you into
no matter what you see when you look outside your window
brown grass or green grass
picket fence or barbed wire
Never ever put them down
you just lift your arms higher
raise em till’ your arms tired
Let em’ know you’re there
That you struggling and survivin’ that you gonna persevere
Yeah, ain’t no body leavin, no body goin’ home
even if they turn the lights out the show is goin’ on!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haHMGIBaanQ

Proud to be an American

2011-07-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

Monday night was was the annual celebration of the day our country declared our independence... I spent the evening with friends, riding bikes, and being awed by the sound and sight of fireworks going off less a few hundred feet away. As the reverberations pounded my chest, I thought about how impressive it is that we have harnessed the power of chemical reactions to create something so beautiful. The visual spectacle was accompanied by iconic American music like the Top Gun soundtrack and Born in the USA, both of which brought a smile to my face along with a reminder that the essence of the 4th of July celebration has changed dramatically since 1776.

When the show concluded, we walked our bikes through the crowds planning our next stop. As we walked, a guy in front of me finished his tall-boy (beer), crushed it up and threw it into the bushes. Unable to contain myself, I blurted "Seriously?" to the back of his head. He cocked his head to the side and arrogantly grunted "Yeah". To which I replied, "Proud to be an American." His parting words of justification were, "Yeah, I do what I want."

This basically sums ups my overall disappointment with the average American. Fly the stars and stripes, attend a baseball game, watch the fireworks, get drunk, and then carelessly live your life to your own comfort and convenience. This guy was just one more of the millions that seems to confuse independence for entitlement, freedom for free reign, and pride for ego. This situation deserves a poster in which fireworks are going off in the background and this red-white-and-blue patriot is littering next to a pristine marsh.. across the top it would simply say "FAIL".

It seems the Land of the Free has given a little too much leeway in all the wrong places. Our consumer driven economy has skewed the values of our country so much that we have sold our principles and quality of life for a few more pennies. People have put their own privileges above the rights of others so that they can live cheap, easy, and convenient lifestyles full of instant gratification and self indulgence. I could go off on this tangent for weeks but I think you all get the point. Back to my iconic 4th of July...

After this less than inspiring run-in, we all headed back to the house and decided to play a board game. We settled on playing "Life", since none of us had played since childhood. After a thorough briefing, we got rolling. You start with a mini-van, you must choose between going straight into a career or accruing $40k of debt for a degree, and then you take a spin. Along the way, you stop to get your career and salary, get married, have kids, win and lose money, buy a house, choose to purchase insurance, play the stock market, and make decisions that mirror those being made everyday. Of course the person with the most money and assets wins in the end. Within minutes of beginning we all realized that this game is a lot more entertaining when we were younger and these types of decisions were too far in the future to be taken seriously. We softened the blow of this reality with a few drinks, competing stories of financial woes, some upbeat music, and the occasionally self-depreciating joke.

Playing as a adult comes with a much different perspective and when your mini-van driving game piece ends up accruing debt, getting stuck with a low-paying job, and being left behind your peers on the board- it starts to feel a little too much like the real thing.

This brings me back again to the idea of what it means to be an American. There are so many movies, television shows, songs, commercials and games similar to "Life" that further reinforce the idea that there is a standard operating procedure for becoming a successful adult in the United States. It gives the impression that there is a "right way", that you can win or lose, and that the winner is the one with all of the money. Yet this expectation and set of rules has resulted in the highest rate of divorce, bankruptcy, and suicide since the 1950s and more people are on mood and behavioral modifying medications than ever. It is this "right way" that pushed me to feel inadequate, left me doubting my decisions, and created a constant pressure for me to achieve traditional success that left me with stomach ulcers and debt.

I recently watched the documentary God Grew Tired of Us and it left me with the most bizarre mix of hope and disappointment on this same subject. It tells the story of the thousands of boys ages 3- 13 that fled their country of Sudan to avoid being killed or enslaved and spent almost a decade as refugees. Of these refugees, 3800 were selected to be re-settled in the United States. You watch them leave a refugee village that is small and lacking in supplies but full of brotherhood, friendship, and laughter with hope that the US holds the key to a better life. The young men must overcome the immense cultural and physical differences of coming to a new country and prepare to repay the debt that they have accrued for their travels. The story unfolds as they struggled to learn our customs, speak better English, and adjust to the American way of life.

Over the span of four years there is a transformation of these young men as they find jobs, send money home, try and stay connect with each other, and struggle to overcome their alienation of being immigrants. I cringed when I watched as they were harassed by police officers for traveling in groups, ignored by other pedestrians when they needed help, and mocked for their accents; this lack of compassion combined with the pressure resulted in the complete mental breakdown of one of the young men that had to be institutionalized. In many of the interviews they talk about they missed the sense of community, openness, and friendship that is such an integral part of their country. They felt a sense of disillusionment at how hard they had to work to gain so little, leaving them with no time for their family and a never ending sense of backsliding.

These young men had seen such unimaginable things, survived walking hundreds of miles carrying one another, lived through attacks from wild animals, and entered man-hood as orphaned refugees only to end up in America scraping for minimum wage and losing themselves in the isolation of our society. Towards the end it shows many of the young men gathering at a conference to re-connect with each other and in many cases and address the issues that many of them were facing and there was a glimmer of hope in their unfailing ambition.

I was inspired by the hearts and the strength of these young men that had endured so much pain and suffering and continued to work so hard in hopes of changing their lives. I then think about how many people grow-up in the United States surrounded by type of opportunities these boys crossed a desert and an ocean for and take it for granted. How many people their age are sleepwalking through life ungrateful, seeking instant gratification, never questioning anything, always trying to buy something bigger and better, and seeking out to the quickest and easiest way to die fat and happy.

Perhaps it is time we all stop and consider what it is to be an American and how we need to start re-defining that. To me being an American should mean that I respect the freedom so many have died for by using it to strengthen my community and my country. When I am successful, I should delight in the opportunity to share my time, experience, and bounty with those that are less fortunate. I will celebrate my independence by defending my right to make my own decisions about my life and my body. To ensure that the leaders of my country are strong I will use my voice to guide their decisions and vote for those that I believe in. I believe that every body of government, business, and corporation should operate in a way they can be proud of and hold policies of transparency with no fear of third party auditing. Although my funds are limited, I will use my money wisely and support the local economy that supports me by buying from local businesses, restaurants, and farmers. It is time that we demand that our country is shaped democratically by the voice of the people and not the corporations and groups with deep pockets. I am proud to be an American but I am not yet proud of many of my fellow Americans, something I hope will change with time.

I think it is time we start holding each other to a higher standard, to start exploring and supporting new and different ways of living, to learn from cultures much older than ours, to meet our neighbors, and to become a country of individuals that believes in something greater than ourselves.

Adventures in Farmland...

2011-06-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was able to spend three glorious days traveling from one farm to the next with Daniel, starting in Conway, SC and ending somewhere outside of Greenville, SC. We toured eight farms total, spending around an hour and half on average at each farm. Needless to say, it was an awesome weekend full of great people, an abundance of vegetables, all kinds of animals, and beautiful places.

On Friday we visited Freewoods Farm, Thompson Farm, LW Paul Living Museum in conjunction with a Clemson program. We learned about the history around African American farmers, saw some interesting agri-tourism ideas, and got some hands-on experience at another living history farm. The LW Paul Living Museum was my favorite of the day because it included info on cane sugar, corn milling, timber sawing, tobacco cutting/stringing/curing, mule cultivation, potato storage and other fun historical building examples. I even got to try the plow behind the mule! Here are the pictures of all three:

Saturday we headed over to the Clemson Student farm, Barrioz Family Farm, and Baird Family Farm. At Clemson we were able to hear three phenomenal speakers talk about how to control pests organically including weeds, insects, and diseases. I also got to see an old friend from college which was great! Barrioz Family Farm was a nice example of a market garden that had some great terracing and a cute little tractor. Our final farm for the day was a little trickier to find and we ended up cutting through a private drive full of goats to get to our final destination (a bonus!). Baird Family Farm had a great set up that included bottom lands, a stream, forested hills, and upland fields. They let us walk in their stream, tour their fields, and feed their pig.

Sunday we headed to Bio-way farm and then onto Early Bird Worm Farm. Bio-way was utilizing some strategies in permaculture, which I cannot get enough of. He had some really neat forest plants that were edible and/or medicinal as well as mushroom logs and native flowers. Early Bird Worm Farm was hands down the best part of the tours. This farm makes its living raising and selling worms but also processes deer/chickens, raises rabbits, grows/sells vegetables, grows mushrooms, processes corn, and hosts a variety of critters including sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, rabbits, and dogs. We ended up staying at this farm talking to the farmer until it was dark and left with our car full of farm fresh goodies.

Here are the pictures:

In the end I managed to meet a lot of great people, learned a lot of new techniques for organic growing, scored a little tan, plowed a field, saw tobacco flowers, pet a pig, ate fresh veggies, discovered jam called FROG (figs, raspberries, oranges, and ginger), bought a plant that helps toothaches, and became even more inspired to homestead.

I think this quote pretty much sums up the trip:

"Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bands."

–Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Jay (Aug. 23, 1785)

Getting adjusted.

2011-06-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

Although I am down to just one job, I don't want anyone to worry that I will get bored or lack any kind of adventure. As usual every day is different and today was another action packed one.

I woke up early with my usual routine of dog feeding and garden maintenance... then I headed off to start the day at Joseph Fields farm playing with the goats and apprentices. After showing the apprentices about de-worming, hoof clipping, and other critter related info, I chatted with Joseph about dealing with blossom end rot and left determined to figure out if he is allowed to use Calcium Nitrate since he is certified organic.

I stopped at the Bogarden for my daily check in and somehow managed to get a $45 ticket for being half-way in a no-parking zone for less than 5 minutes. Are meter maids human or have they had their bodies snatched by aliens? They are eerily lacking compassion or hearing, even when given basil as a peace offering. Just as I am putting the ticket in my car, a neighbor drives past just to yell at me for having my truck parked in a no-parking zone. Not feeling the love on the corner of Bogard and Rutledge today... but at least the Sunflowers are looking good.

After that expensive stop-off, I made it back to the office for desk work where I cranked out emails/phone meetings and created a Lowcountry Farmers Google Group that I am excited about. I then went to a new small restaurant in Park Circle where I ate jicama for the first time (yum!) and was served a very expensive Mojito without the alcohol... the old guy serving me clearly thought I was underage but didn't have the guts to ask-awkward.

Then I came home to play with the dogs, do some dishes, and hang out session with one of my close friends. When she left, I headed out to check our the freshly cut grass and as usual ended up in the garden. I weeded and fought pests, both of which have gained significant ground recently. Between aphids, squash bugs, and squash vine borers, I am get all kinds of hands-on organic pest management experience.

To rewarded myself, I harvested peppers, cucumbers, collards, squash, beans, tomatoes, okra, and herbs for dinner. Afterward I made some herb butter to use later on and shared the recipe with my sister and mom.

Needless to say, I now spend my day doing what I love and I have time after work to spend time with the people I love, in the places I love.

All of my hard work pays off... finally.

2011-05-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed by now, I like to keep things interesting in my life. Over the last few months I have been struggling to balance my Director Position with Fields to Families with working as a full-time nanny (plus babysitting, landscaping, dog walking, etc.).

Myself and Dale Snyder of Sweetgrass Garden Co-op, a farm dedicated to growing food for the hungry of the Lowcountry.

She is a little less cute when you arrive at 4:30am and leave at 7pm.

I have had very little time, energy, or money to allow to me to stay connected with friends and family as I was working days, nights, and weekends. I honestly avoided blogging for fear of scaring people into thinking I was going to have a full-blown meltdown... which was not far from reality.

Just as I felt as if I had lost my way, I was presented with the opportunity to take on a new position with Lowcountry Local First (non-profit that supports the shift to buying local) as the Director of Sustainable Agriculture. This was a tricky offer because the person that held this position before me was a friend of mine and I felt very committed to Fields to Families. This being said, I could not ignore the fact that I needed a full-time salary and the position was perfect for me. So over the last month I informed my board at Fields to Families as well as my nanny family that I would be leaving. I slowly began taking on responsibility at LLF while tying up loose ends at my previous positions.

Yesterday was my first day solely working with LLF and for the first time in almost five years, I will finally have only one job. Okay, let me say that again. For the first time in almost five years, I will finally have only ONE JOB. This alone is like a gift from the heavens. You can read the email announcement that was sent out at the very bottom of this post. In summary, I will be running a department that does the following:

-the Growing New Farmers program to partner farming apprentices with farming mentors (which I helped pilot last year). We currently have three Teaching Assistants, four full-time apprentices, and 15 part-time apprentices. See a pic below...

-the New and Beginning Farmers program to work with farmers that have farmed 10 years or less receive statewide trainings.
-the Fresh on the Menu program to connect Chefs, Farmers, Producers, and the general public.
- the Growers Group program to host farm tours, guest speakers, and networking for local growers.
- Other fun and exciting farm related things!!

So what the heck have I been doing in the last few months besides working (because of course, I love a good juggling act).

Throughout this whole season I have continued to work hard on the Bogarden project, which has been a great labor of love. Daniel and I also worked closely with our co-conspirators at the Holy City Bike Co-op to plan and facilitate Bike! Bike! Southeast, a bicycling conference that was attended by over 75 people from several states and a variety of cities. This and other efforts has led to the presentation of an award next week from the City, although I am still unsure what I am actually receiving :-)

Dan leading the group through Hampton Park to the Lowcountry Roller Derby bout.

Here is a short video that was produced about the Bogarden this month by a woman named Melanie Creech that did a great job:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BFuw10aG8k&feature=channel_video_title

There is also another news story style video as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCmcCxC2qRM&feature=relmfu

As far as life on the home-front, Daniel and I have been using what little free time we have to start our own little homestead. We have tilled a large plot of 7 rows and planted tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, watermelon, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, onions, and okra. We put up a fence to stop the dogs from doing their own "tilling" and unwanted fertilizing and planted some perennials out-front. Dan scavenged some bricks from the yard and dug a nice little fire pit for us. Using mostly salvaged materials we have been making slow and steady process on our chicken coop... which is turning into high-end avian housing for a small flock of upscale chickens. As usual, I have my ridiculously large collection of potted flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruit trees scatter throughout the property. The compost bin that Dan made from salvaged wood is currently hosting some gloriously rich looking black gold.

So overall... life has been busy and will continue to be busy... at least now I can have more time for play. And sleep, yes, sleep.

Here is the job announcement:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lowcountry Local First <Lowcountry_Local_First@mail.vresp.com>
Date: Fri, Apr 8, 2011 at 12:25 PM
Subject: LLF Announces new Director of Sustainable Agriculture

Nikki Seibert new Director of Sustainable Agriculture for LLF!

As things are growing all over the Lowcountry so are we! We are excited to announce that Nikki Seibert will be joining us at Lowcountry Local First as the Director of our Sustainable Agriculture Program, Farm Fresh Food!

As many of you know LLF has been working in this area since our inception partnering with SCDA to promote “Fresh on the Menu” by reaching out to those restaurants looking to source local food and farmers seeking new markets.

Nikki has played an integral role with the LLF team over the past year and half when piloting our Growing New Farmers Program and our online market Farm Fresh Market. Nikki has participated as an apprentice in our program and then gone on to lead Fields to Families as their Executive Director. Her ability to build community is apparent in what she has already accomplished with the Bogarden and the Holy City Bike Co-op. We know that her professionalism and desire for excellence make her the perfect choice for sustaining and building on our current programming.

Nikki will be joining us starting April 18^th please join me in welcoming her to the team!

Locally Yours,

Jamee

BIO:
Nikki Seibert is a passionate local leader in the environmental and social justice movements in the Lowcountry whose diverse experience has allowed her to initiate significant change.

With a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and several years working in Environmental Education and Outreach, she moved to Charleston in 2007 to work for Habitat for Humanity as an AmeriCorps Construction Crew Leader. After her service year, she developed an award winning green building program for Sea Island Habitat that gained local and regional recognition beyond just the construction changes but the homeowner education, community outreach, and staff trainings. During this time, she also completed her Masters of Environmental Studies at the College of Charleston, ran the campus’s recycling program, wrote and reported for The Digitel, and blogged about her car-free lifestyle. After the completion of her Masters, she continued working for Habitat but also assisted Charleston County Human Services Commission in the development of their Housing program as a part-time case worker. In 2010, she joined three friends in the creation of the Bogarden community garden on the corner of Bogard and Rutledge Ave which received a City of Charleston Community Pride Award.

The above efforts earned her the Dana Beach Award, the Leadership in Sustainability Award, the Outstanding Graduate Student Award, the Carolina Recycling Association “Behind the Scenes” Award, and a Post and Courier High Profile.

When the LLF Growing New Farmers program was announced, Nikki immediately saw her opportunity to turn her lifetime hobby of working with gardens into a career shift. Her time as a farming apprentice exposed her to all of the elements of the local food system and ultimately led to her position as the Director for Fields to Families.

She is excited for the opportunity to focus her attention on the Sustainable Agriculture program for Lowcountry Local First and is excited to continue its success!

Living La Vida Locavore

2011-03-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

Locavore: A person that eats foods primarily grown or produced in a 100 mile radius from where they live.

As of yesterday, spring is officially here. Over the last few weeks, I have been visiting farms to talk to the farmers their plans, their anxieties, and of course, to walk the remaining fields of winter crops in the company of bees seeking out plants bolting into flower. As if looking into the future of their season, I took a peek into the warm, humid greenhouses, giddy with excitement at the overflowing trays of lettuce, peas, beans, tomatoes, herbs, and flowers.

Pete Ambrose in his Greenhouse

The excitement is not just in the fields but spreading into the cities. Local residents are brightening up their yards with early blooms and filling their gardens with small seedling vegetables and herbs. Farmers Market managers are holding meetings to refresh the regulars and welcome in the huge flux of new vendors. March has already ushered in the Food and Wine Festival, the Kid's Fair, College Spring Breaks, Gleanings, and soon the Carolina Yard/Gardening School. April will be filled with Earth Day events, the Chef's Potluck, Clean City Sweep, and many other outdoor events.

Bogarden Workday March 19th, 2011

Locally, regionally, and nationally there has been a lot of focus on the small farmer, eating locally grown and produced products, and supporting local vendors. Following on the heels of the organic food wave, consumers are beginning to realize that there is more to food that how it is grown but where it is grown as well. The benefits of eating local produce/products, supporting a local economy, and having a connection to your food are becoming more understood, accepted, and appreciated. For Charlestonians, we are truly lucky to be in a city that has such a love affair with food and the growers/producers to support it.

Charleston boasts some of the South's best chefs, farmers, food artisans, and markets. I am lucky enough to have spent the last few years in Charleston getting to know where to shop, who to buy from, where to eat, and how to get the best of the best in this wonderful southern city.

After many requests for advice regarding the local food movement in Charleston, I am finally compiling some of the information that I have discovered. Much of this information was taken from other website and simply compiled all together and I am grateful for LLF, USDA, and the PickYourOwn websites. Follow along as I take you on a step by step tour of what it takes to become a Locavore in Lowcountry.

Let us begin the journey to a more exciting, healthier, and tastier menu. The first step is to consider the season. Although your local grocery store may have a variety of produce year round does not mean that you can actually find watermelon in Charleston in February. If you do not see it at the farmers market, it is probably not growing in Charleston. There are a number of websites that will help you identify what is in season in your state during any given month, such as the SC Department of Agriculture’s Certified SC Grown’s: http://www.certifiedscgrown.com/ or Providence Produce’s website: http://www.providenceproduce.com/index-4.html.

The next step is actually acquiring the food. The only way to know exactly where your food came from and how it was grown is to grow it yourself. If you are a gardener or want to try your hand at growing your own produce, look for the zone on the back of the seed packets and plant according to the recommended months for your area. Consider purchasing vegetable/herb seedlings from the incredible selection at Sea Island Savory Herbs on Johns Island, especially if you are interested in heirlooms and non-traditional plants. If you don’t have a yard, consider container gardening or getting a plot at one of the community gardens in town.

If you are currently shaking your head because you know you will never have the time or energy to have a garden, have no fear. Because even if you have a yard or garden, it would be extremely difficult to supply all of your fruits and vegetables, much less everything else you need for your family such as eggs, pasta, grains, meat, milk, and cheese. The best way to get hold of these is to buy direct from local producers so your money goes straight to the source and you are guaranteed to get a fresher product. Direct purchasing can be done through Community Supported Agriculture shares, Farmers Markets, Farm Stands and U-pick.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA):

The best way to guarantee that you will have a steady supply of fresh local vegetables all season is to take part in Community Supported Agriculture or CSA. The CSA model allows for someone to purchase a share in the farm for a season and in return they receive a specific amount of produce/meat each week. Some farms have pick-up locations while others will deliver and most offer different size shares. It is important to think about purchasing a share before the season is in full swing so the farmers can plan according and plant enough for everyone. If it is your first time, I recommend getting a smaller share or splitting a share with a friend or neighbor until you are used to the process. In addition to produce, Charleston also has CSAs for seafood, beef, and other locally raised animal products. Who is currently offering a CSA in the Charleston Area? Check out the list below:

Abundant Seafood
843-478-5078
abundantseafood@gmail.com
Visit the website

Ambrose Family CSA Farm
Selkirk Plantation Road
Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
843-559-9999
ambrosecsa@stonofarmmarket.com
Visit the website

Clammer Dave's Sustainable Gourmet
1522 Macoma Road
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466
843-343-2970
dave@clammerdave.com
Visit the website

Cordray Farms (beef)
6708 County Line Rd
Ravenell, SC 29470
843-766-7922
michael@cordrays.com
Visit the website

Cypress Artisan Meat Share
843-727-0111
savourcraig@aol.com
Visit the website

Green Grocer (Beef)
2463 Leadenwah Dr
Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
843-559-5095

Gruber Family CSA Farm
265 Old Bell Road.
St. George, SC 29477
843-563-1159 or 843-693-7069
info@Gruber-CSA-Farm.com
Visit the website

Joseph Fields Farm CSA
3129 River Road
Johns Island, SC 29455
843-729-9606/843-830-8612
jfieldsfarmllc@bellsouth.net

Legare Farms CSA
2620 Handscome Point Road
Johns Island, SC 29455
843-599-0763
legarefarms@bellsouth.net

Marshview Organic Farm
12 Georgees Trail
Saint Helena Island, SC 29920
843-838-3709
Sara.Reynolds@beaufort.k12.sc.us

Our Local Foods CSA
P.O. Box 6
McClellanville, SC 29458
843-887-3500
info@ourlocalfoods.com
Visit the website

Pinckney's Produce CSA
P.O. Box 229
Vance, SC 29163
803-492-3521
info@pinckneysproduce.com
Visit the website

Rosebank Farms CSA
4455 Betsy Kerrison Parkway
John’s Island, SC 29455
(843) 768-0508
csa@rosebankfarms.com
Visit the website

Thackery Farm CSA
Wadmalaw, SC
(843) 559-9058
info@thackerayfarms.com

Farmers Markets:

Despite popular belief that the only Farmers Market in Charleston is in Marion Square, there are actually ten local farmers markets in the Charleston area where you can meet the producers face to face. From vegetables and fruit to beef and eggs, you can find just about everything at the local markets. See the listings below.

Awendaw Farmers and Fresh Seafood Market

Contact: Donna Smith
Address: Town Hall, 6971 Doar Rd, Awendaw, SC 29429
Hours Of Operation: 2nd Saturday if the month, 9:00 - Noon
Email: awendaw@tds.net
Telephone: 843-928-3100

Charleston Farmers Market
Facility Type: Open-Air
Contact: Karen Williams
Address: Marion Square at King St. & Calhoun St., Charleston, SC 29401
Hours Of Operation: Saturdays, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Seasons Operation: April 9th-November
Programs Accepted: SFMNP - Senior Checks, WIC Vouchers
Email: farmersmarket@ci.charleston.sc.us
Telephone: 843-724-7309, 843-724-7309

Freshfields Village Farmers Market

Facility Type: Open-Air
Contact: Trish Pruitt
Address: Market Location: 149 Village Green Ln, Johns Island, SC 29455
Mailing Address: 130 Gardeners Circle, PMB 125, Johns Island, SC 29455
Directions: Crossroads of Kiawah, Seabrook, and Johns Island
Hours Of Operation: Monday 4:00 - 8:00 pm
Seasons Operation: June - August
Email: tpruitt@kiawahisland.com
Telephone: 843-768-6491, 843-768-6491
Fax: 843-768-6493
Web Site: http://www.freshfieldsvillage.com

James Island Presbyterian Church Farmers Market-Seeds of Hope

Facility Type: Open-Air
Contact: Donna Bryan
Address: Market Location: Ft. Johnson & Folly Rd., 1632 Ft. Johnson Rd., Charleston, SC 29412, Contact Mailing Address: PO Box 11349, Columbia, SC 29206
Contact: Henry Meeuwse
Hours Of Operation: Wednesday 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Friday 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Seasons Operation: SEASONAL
Programs Accepted: SFMNP - Senior Checks, WIC Vouchers
Email: dhbryan@bellsouth.net
Telephone: Church: 843-795-3111

John Wesley United Methodist Church-Seeds of Hope

Facility Type: Open-Air
Contact: Donna Bryan
Address: 661 Savannah Hwy, Charleston, SC 29407
Hours Of Operation: Saturday 8:00 a.m. - Noon
Seasons Operation: Seasonal, June to October
Programs Accepted: EBT/SNAP, WIC Vouchers
Telephone: Church # 843-766-5596

Mount Pleasant Farmers Market

Facility Type: Open-Air
Contact: Tracy Ritcher|
Address: Moultrie Middle School, Coleman Blvd. & Simmons St., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
|Hours Of Operation: Tuesdays, 4 p.m. - dark
Seasons Operation: SEASONAL (April-October)
Programs Accepted: SFMNP - Senior Checks, WIC Vouchers
Email: trichter@townofmountpleasant.com
Telephone: 843-884-8517, 843-884-8517
Web Site: http://www.townofmountpleasant.com/index.cfm?section=11&page=6

MUSC Farmers Market

Facility Type: Open-Air
Contact: Annie Lovering
Address: 171 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29401
Directions: Located in the Horseshoe
Hours Of Operation: Fridays 7:00 am-3:00 pm
Programs Accepted: SFMNP - Senior Checks, WIC Vouchers
Telephone: 843-792-1245, 843-792-1245

North Charleston/Hanahan Farmers Market

Facility Type: Open-Air/Covered
Contact: Belinda Swindler
Address: 4800 Park Circle, North Charleston, SC, Mailing Address: PO Box 190016, Dept. 700, N. Charleston, SC 29419
Hours Of Operation: Thursdays, 2 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Seasons Operation: SEASONAL
Programs Accepted: EBT/SNAP, SFMNP - Senior Checks, WIC Vouchers
Email: belindaswindler@yahoo.com
Telephone: 843-745-1028

Ralph H. Johnson Medical Center Farmers Market

Contact: Nancy Gannon
Address: 109 Bee St., Charleston, SC 29401
Hours Of Operation: Wednesdays 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Seasons Operation: April-December
Programs Accepted: SFMNP - Senior Checks, WIC Vouchers
Email: nancy.gannon@va.gov
Telephone: 843-789-7607, 843-789-7607

Town of Summerville Farmer’s Market:

Location: First Citizens Bank next to Town Hall.
Hours of Operation: 8am-until
Season: April-fall
Website: http://tinyurl.com/4v23oc8

Farm Stands/On-site Purchasing

Nothing compares to going straight to action and buying from the source. On-site purchasing and farm stands are another great direct connection to farm produce and are often open everyday, with hours beyond the months of the farmers markets.

Our Local Foods

10882 Highway 17
North McClellanville, SC 29458
(843) 887-3500
info@ourlocalfoods.com

Boone Hall Farm

1235 State Road S-10-97
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464-9020
(843) 884-4371

The Tomato Shed/Stono Market/Ambrose Farm

842 Main Road
SC 29455
(843) 559-9999

Rosebank Farm Stand

Coming this summer!

(843) 768-9139

Fields Farm Stand

3129 River Road
John's Island, South Carolina
(843) 559-3694

Tea Plantation

6617 Maybank Highway
Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
(843) 559-0383

Irving House Vineyard

6775 Bears Bluff Road
Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487-6812
(843) 559-6867

Geechie Boy Market and Mill

2995 Hwy 174
Edisto Island, SC 29438

U-Pick:
For those that are interesting in getting their hands dirty, there are a number of farms that allow people to pick produce directly from the farm at a lower cost. The following are a list of local u-pick farms:

Ambrose Family Farm -

Follows organic practices, strawberries, pumpkins
2349 Black Pond Lane

Selkirk Plantation Road
Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487.
Phone: 843-559-0988.
Alternate Phone: 843-559-9999.

Email: ambrosecsa@stonofarmmarket.com.

Open: Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 5 pm. During Strawberry Season, beginning April 15, Mon-Sat 9am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm for u Pick Strawberries.

Directions: Highway 700 (Maybank Highway) onto Wadmalaw Island. 7 miles from the Wadmalaw bridge turn right onto Liberia Road 1 mile exactly, left onto Selkirk Plantation Road Take an IMMEDIATE Left through the farm gate.

Boone Hall Farms Market - blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes,
2521 Highway 17 North,

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466.

Phone: 843-856-8154.

Alternate Phone: 843-856-5366.

Email: steve@boonehallfarms.com.

Open: U - Pick Open when available - Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm Closed Sunday. Directions: Boone Hall Farms Market is located on Highway 17 North on the out skirts of Mt. Pleasant, S.C. 1/2 mile past Long Point Road.

Strawberries late April to early June Blackberries late June to mid July Blueberries late June to mid July Tomatoes mid June to August and late Sept to late October

Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.

Champney's Blueberry Farm - blueberries, u-pick and prepicked

4492 Rose Drive,
Ravenel, SC 29470.
Phone: 843-763-6564.
Fax: 843-832-6052.

Email: champneysblueberries@gmail.com.

Open: from the first Saturday in June, Monday thru Saturday 9:00am til 8:00pm. Directions: From Citadel Mall take highway 17 south towards Savannah. Travel approximately 8 miles and you will see our sign on the right. It will be 1/2 mile south of the intersection of highway 17 and highway 162.

Payment: Cash, only. Prices in 2010: $8 per gallon bucket if you pick, $3 per pint if we pick.

Plantation U-Pick - Strawberries, Pumpkin Patch, Christmas Trees
Hwy. 17 N.,

Mt. Pleasant, SC.

Apr 1 - August 31 9 am to 6 PM.
Pumpkin Patch (August 5 - August 31)

Christmas Trees (Nov 27 - December 24)
Strawberries U-pick or We-pick (Apr 1 - June 10).

Local Distributors:

If you are unable to buy direct from one of the sources, consider supporting a store that purchases from local growers and producers. Items purchased locally are usually labeled but if you are not sure what is local, do not hesitate to ask! Here are the five major stores that are currently selling local goodies:

The Vegetable Bin

10 Society Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 723-6424

Queen Street Grocery (they have crepes too!)

133 Queen Street
Charleston, SC 29401-1950
(843) 723-4121

Books Herbs and Spices:

63 Spring Street
Charleston, SC 29403-5327
(843) 722-4747

Remedy Market:

162 C Spring St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 793-3003

Piggly Wiggly: Visit the website for a complete list of locations

Whole Foods: (look for the LOCAL tags on products)

923 Houston Northcutt Boulevard
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 971-7240

Earthfare

74 Folly Road Blvd
Charleston, SC 29407-7551
(843) 769-4800

Playing with your food:
Now that you have your food, what is next? There are two options: cook it or store it. If you are going to cook your vegetables but feel uninspired, consider purchasing a cookbook that lists recipes based on the produce or season rather than categorically so you can figure out what to do when tomato season leaves you overflowing with salsa. In addition, you can sign up for classes from Charleston Cooks that focus on local ingredients and even on what to cook with your CSA share.

If you want to extend the life of your produce or you have over-abundance, consider “putting-up” your food by freezing, pickling, preserving, or canning it. Local preserver and author Stephen Dowdney wrote the book “Putting up: A year round guide to canning in the Southern tradition” as well as “Putting up More” to help teach the Lowcountry how to make everything from chutney to pickled shrimp. If you are seeking a hands-on approach, Fields to Families has developed a Charleston CANs program to teach proper food handling, preparation and preservation that includes canning classes and private canning parties.

If you have read all this and it just sounds a little overwhelming, there is always the option of supporting restaurants and food vendors that use local ingredients instead. There are actually more than you would think in Charleston and it is not only high dollar restaurants downtown. Check out the SC Certified Grown Fresh on the Menu Members website to see a list of all of the registered restaurants purchasing SC grown produce: http://www.certifiedscgrown.com/FreshOnTheMenu/Members. Just know that there will be many restaurants that may not be registered and do not appear on the list.

As for my personal favorite producers and restaurants, here are a few to get you started: Med Bistro, Granville’s, Al Di La, Closed for Business, FIG, Husk, Taco Boy, Swamp Fox, Roti Rolls, Holy City Brewing, Hello My Name is BBQ, Roots Ice Cream, Diggity Doughnuts, Boulevard Diner, Savory, McCrady’s, Okra Grill, 17 North, Coast Brewery, and Queen Street Grocery.

Although it may take a little extra time and research at first, eating locally pays off in so many ways. Learning about the local vegetable, seafood, and meat seasons will help you to appreciate the basic systems that support our everyday life. Getting to know your farmer and local providers will help you to find food that healthier, fresher, tastier, and more socially responsible. And in the end, the money that is spent on local products goes directly back to the producers, helping to support a healthy local economy and ensuring that farmers can actually make a living providing for the community.

After you have enjoyed your first locavore meal, you will discover that going green has never tasted so good!

Ratatouille.

2010-12-19T17:33:00.000-08:00

Thursday night was one of those evenings where it seems that everything is going comically wrong and you have absolutely no choice but to embrace it. Dan went out of town for two days, which was just long enough for insanity to ensue. I returned home exhausted from my holiday shopping only to find a little gift on the rug from one of the dogs, which was my first clue that something had gone wrong. After letting the dogs back in from their walk, foxy denied my treat, which was the next red flag. Then I noticed that her stomach was HUGE. I am talking pregnant-with-ten-puppies-and-due-tomorrow huge.

(This is the aerial view of the pear shaped fox)

I immediately investigated the dog food and discovered that the lid had come off the Sadie's food container. Ut-oh. Inside I found a large crater where foxy had helped herself to at least 10 cups of food. With-in minutes of this discovery, she threw up about 2 cups of food that looked like it never even made it down, which meant she still had about 8 cups in her belly. After consulting with my dog expert (Jenn Scales), I confirmed that she would survive the event but that it would result in on very upset tummy.

I decided to stay up late watching a movie so I could keep an eye on her, which was a good thing because she needed lots of walks. By the time we got to the second movie, it was already 2am. As I was loading a new movie, I heard something moving around in our utility closet area. Having been silently at war with a small furry home intruder for weeks, I knew that my time had come to spot the suspect. I grabbed both dogs by the collar and slowly led them towards the sound. When I turned the corner, I was face to face with a large rat! He had brazenly come out, thinking that the coast was clear but to his disappointment, I was ready for action. I immediately yelled for the dogs to get him and the chase began! The rat ran so fast it didn't seem like it even had feet and before we knew it, it had found a temporarily safe haven. I soon realized that this was going to be a hands-on endeavor, so I put on my rain boots (I didn't want him touching my toes!) and grabbed a broom. Before I knew it I was moving furniture, screaming in a giddy voice for the dogs to "GET IT!!" while pointing to his new escape route, throwing pillows, lifting up couches/beds, and running from room to room like a lunatic (I can only imagine what my upstairs neighbors thought). At one point, the rat panicked at with no other choice but the dog's mouths, he threw himself onto the top of my boot which resulting in me screaming like a kid on a roller coaster and running for my life. In my panic, I hit foxy in the face with the broom and she immediately hid from me. In the commotion, he made a v-line for the kitchen and to our great disappointment, he disappeared into a hole in the wall behind the oven. I stuffed the hole with tin foil (its all I could find in a pinch) and decided to call it a night.

I put foxy's collar and leash on and attached her to me so I could get some sleep without worrying about her having an accident. I awoke an hour later to the sound of her whining, so I threw my legs over the bed, took a step and whoooooops, I slipped in her mess, almost went down but thankfully managed to land back on the bed. Ick. So much for not going in the house. I washed myself, her, and the floor. I felt that I had earned another cup of tea, so I walked into the kitchen but when I turned on the light, a kamikaze rat flew threw the air and dove under the table. Cue boxing ring bell.

ROUND 2! My boots went back on, I shook Sadie out of her slumber, coaxed Foxy to trust me with the broom and we were off again. This time the dogs went bananas! Sadie's jaw was shaking with excitement as I pointed at the Rat's every move and she dove for him. He tried the chimney, the filing cabinet, laundry piles, and dressers but the dogs were on his tail. I thought for sure we had him but he pulled a Houdini in the closet and was no where to be found (trust me, I took everything out.) My best guess is the slight gap between the flooring, the wall, and the baseboard in the back corner, but I will never know.

By the time we finished it was well after 4 am and I took the dogs out for a last walk. We were all high on rat-chase adrenaline and the air was crisp, so it was a nice outing. When we got home, we piled back into warm cozy bed and all fell asleep immediately. The next morning I awoke to find no more accidents in the house and two very tired dogs. While I went around the house fortifying all of the rat escape/entrance routes with wood, the dogs slept without stirring.

So now foxy is back to her original size, the dogs think I am a golden god for providing them a live chase, and hopefully the rat has given up living with a crazy person with rat obsessed dogs that will stop at nothing to catch him in the middle of the night.

Sustainable Agriculture Conference

2010-12-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

This is a picture college from the Sustainable Agriculture Conference I attended in Winston Salem, NC courtesty of Lowcountry Local First's Growing New Farmers program. It was fantastic! I went on two tours, took several classes, ate tons of fresh local veggies, met great people, played in the snow, hung out with my grandma, and helped plant a tree!

Thankful.

2010-11-26T17:39:00.000-08:00

Although many people have begun associating Thanksgiving with extra vacation days, excessive eating and discounted consumerism, I still like to focus on the thankful aspect.

So perhaps my year was full of twists and turns down roads I never expected but along the journey there have been delights, silver linings, and so much love. While it is easier to wallow in the disappointments and what-ifs, I think it is far more productive to embrace the hard lessons I have learned and focus on wrapping myself up in the warm fuzzies that I have experienced.

I am thankful for all of the people in my life. For their willingness to love me unconditionally, to accept me for who I am and who I want to be, and all of the support they provide. The fact that my friends are all ages and from all different backgrounds speaks volumes about the ability of others to accept me into their world. On top of having great friends, I also have the kind of family that will come into town and spend the whole time helping me with my job and actually enjoying it. And even more, my boyfriend was willing to add 3 hours of driving time to our trip to help me rescue an injured owl because he knew how much it matters to me. It is these people that make it worth it and their presence in my life that makes every day possible.

I am thankful for having a sound mind and body. So what if I am allergic to everything and have the stomach of a 60 year old... I am healthy enough to pursue my passions and live the active lifestyle that I love. Whether it is genetic, spiritual, or a result of my unique upbringing, I am lucky to have a mix of book and street smarts that has gotten me far.

I am thankful for all of the opportunities that I have been given. Construction Worker, Graduate student, College Recycling Coordinator, Student activist, Program Manager, Cyclist, Case worker, Farmer, Executive Director...just in the last four years. If I keep this up, I will be able to host my own career day expo and a never ending stream of stories to entertain with!

I am thankful for all of the small things. My dog making me laugh out loud, living near the water, sunsets, the smell of tea olive trees, singing out loud to a good song, hot tea, slow-dancing, discovering the broccoli is ready to harvest, learning random facts, and falling asleep on a full sized bed with Dan and both dogs.

I am thankful to live in a place that allows me to post my feelings on a public blog, where I can vote, protest, live on my own, practice any religion I chose, and live without fear of guerilla warfare in my backyard but instead, raise chickens!

There is so much more than I am thankful for... it would take a lifetime to list it all. I hope everyone takes time, if only a moment, to think of how much they have to be thankful for and maybe, just maybe, tell someone else.

2010-11-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

Today I had two chefs order 10 pounds of rutabaga.... but I assumed that perhaps they would like more than one. So I went back in the field and harvested more reasonably sized roots. But alas, I did not want this glorious specimen to go to waste.

So I cleaned up my new friend along with the others and then I introduced him to the rest of the farm.

But just when I thought I had a farming ally, my new rooted friend takes my job as the tractor driver! I guess in this economy, its hard for everyone to find jobs... even rutabagas.

2010-11-21T05:57:00.001-08:00

Made to Order.

2010-11-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

Standing in his field full of crops that he intends solely for donation, Charleston's most generous man shows off his beautiful purple top turnips.

I have had the pleasure of spending the last few weeks out on Wadmalaw Island on the property of a man I shall call Farmer John. We connected through an organized gleaning but he is becoming a regular fixture in my life. He is so genuine, giving, and funny that its hard to stay away! Today I brought one of my friends out with me to visit the property and we were treated to a tour of a number of other farm properties. For anyone that does not have a lot of farm experience, it might seem if all farms are probably pretty similar. The reality is, that every farmer has their own style and every property has its own unique features. I could visit every farm in SC and probably never get bored. One may have a three acre long irrigation pond, the other relies only on rain. Some have animals, others are strictly vegetables. One farmer only grows tomatoes, another every vegetable possible. Organic, conventional, or a mix of both. Most of them will tell you that they way they farm is "the right way"- convinced that they have perfected the exact seed source, planting time, irrigation schedule, pest control, harvesting technique, and packing material. At any given time I have been told it is not possible to grow corn, citrus, pumpkins, bananas, or peaches in Charleston but I have seen them all here. I was told it is not possible to grow organically here but I have worked on two successful organic farms AND those farms are nothing a like. Clearly what works and possible for one person on their land can be drastically different with a different farmer on another property. That is one thing I am really starting to love about farming- that it is a custom operation. You can grow what you want, how you want, and give it to whoever you want.

If I had a farm, it would be designed using the principles of permaculture, with a little bit of everything, and animals galore. I would do it out of love and just like Farmer John, I would give what I could to those in need. Until then, I will continue to learn from the genius, creativity, and ingenuity of the farmers that have spent their life finding their own way.

2010-10-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

Chasing Arrows.

2010-10-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

A mentor once told me that the choices I am making today should be aligned like the stem of an arrow that points toward its eventual target, my long-term goals. This appealed to me because it implied an element of control. Control...that is something I often find myself clutching to with white knuckles. All I have to do is plot out short, medium, and long range goals, shoot my arrow and then start making decisions that will help me to connect the dots until, voila! I am on target!!

I strung my bow when I was young.... I was going to be a marine biologist. Then I spent time training, studying, and getting to know those in the field. Nope. Not for me. It was a young arrow, so I was not worried. I restrung my bow with the hopes of being an Environmental Educator and shot my arrow into the world with three years of interning and a degree. Who doesn't want to play outside for a living? I did... but my job was more politics and paperwork than anything. So I decided to set my bow down and picked up a hammer to build Habitat homes and reflect on what "more" I needed. I let this experience shift my direction into that of a working academic.

This time, I triple strung my bow with classes, construction, and activism. I was going to cast out multiple arrows, just to be safe. Ahh, but the winds of change blew hard during that round. My body let me know that something was wrong- no more wheat, dairy, or alcohol. Meanwhile, a friendship of ten years crumbled and a relationship of three years followed shortly after. Then my advisor left... taking my motivation to continue the pursuit of a published thesis with her. One arrow seemed strong and I threw my hopes into continuing in the sustainable building field. But alas, I had already given away the milk for free and that arrow too fell short of the enviable goal as I was put out to pasture. Quite literally.

So here I stand, my arm sore and my bow worn, but with no other choice, I string another arrow. I want to put hope into the life of farming. Oh, to be able to combine my love of helping people with my passion for cultivation! But this time I am jaded and wary. All I can see is the financial insecurity: working dozens of side jobs, having to re-fill my ulcer medication with my credit card, and continuing to live on food stamps. I am an expert archer but I cannot seem to hit my target.

In the last few months I have had so many of my friends and family say things like "I just can't keep up with you!" "What are you doing these days anyway?" "I've given up trying to figure out what you want to do." I am sure most people think I am just loving every second of my wild adventures, especially because it seems as though I am actively choosing to restring my bow. I love the experiences that I have had, the people that I have met, and the opportunities put before me. If I could go back, I don't think I would change anything. Yet as much as I love a good adventure, I have been stringing my bow to find stability and full-fulfillment, not excitement. I did not plan on living this dizzying lifestyle. I feel like I planned to go on a three month road trip that turned into a five year pilgrimage.

I just want to stop moving so I can appreciate the things around me. Imagine being a person that is constantly changing direction; with every new change, you must put forth more effort, heart, and hopes. In the end, I feel like I never have time or energy for the little things in my life that I cherish so much. I want to spend time with my friends and family. I want to make a quilt, ride my bike for pleasure, write letters, cook injera, learn bonsai, have my own chickens, learn how to play the bones, study Spanish, use my kayak, go diving, or maybe even just take an unnecessary nap.

Soon I will be down to one low-wage part-time job that I want so desperately to become a full-time position than does more than just make ends meet. Although I am tired of chasing arrows, I am hedging my bets on this one little arrow- my hopes riding on the tips of its feathers.

As I watch it fly, I will do what I always do, which is try to delight in the journey. I am so thankful I have such supportive and loving people around me to ease the falls and join in on the adventures that inevitably ensue. As always, I know it will be interesting to say the least.

Jumping in Feet First.

2010-09-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

Things are rolling right along with the new job, new farm, new house, and new roomate. My Director position with Fields to Families has been keeping me happily busy but most of all, it has been great practice in the art of letting go. Since I can only work 20 hours a week, I have to simply embrace that I cannot finish it all and know that it will be waiting for me the following week. Yet even with the time contraints, I am already feeling pretty productive. Beyond the general office work, email checking, and call returning, I have also helped with the Day of Caring event (click the pic below to see all the action)...

as well as working the Farmer's Market pick-ups...

and attended the volunteer appreciation party...

On the days that I am not working with F2F, I am back on the farm... working in McClellandville, SC on Thornhill farms. It is a beautiful organic farm that also serves as a host site for Adaptive Gardens and McCrady's Garden. As part of the Growing New Farmers "Grower's Group" program, we actually ended up on the farm for a lesson and some dinner.

Matt Frye picking some Red Russian Kale

McCrady's Sean Brock working the filets. If only I ate fish. Damn.

In addition to all of this, I spend my nights slowly unpacking boxes and moving myself in. Daniel and I found a place together by Hampton Park that is perfect for us... the apartment is spacious and bright but most importantly it has an epic backyard. I just borrowed a tiller from Lowcountry Community Gardens and in the next week we will have the beginnings our own urban farm! What can I say... I love playing in the dirt :-)

Hurricane of Spice.

2010-09-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

“Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor”- William Cowper

The winds of change are so strong these days it is starting to feel like a hurricane (Luckily, not a real one like Earl).

(Winds of Change at Thackery Farm)

The last month I have been juggling so many random jobs and trying to plan for the next few months of my life, that I have a hard time knowing what is next in my world, so I am sure that those of you around me are equally as baffled as to what direction I am heading next.

Here is a picture summary of the last few weeks:

Foxy chillin at the Farmers Market

Sarah and Beach Watering the Bogarden (I was their nanny).

Cloud watching on my way to a gardening job.

Admiring good stickers while walking the doggles.

Chicken coop I built for Joseph Fields, complete with
Kilwins Ice Cream bucket nesting boxes.

Here is the latest and greatest.

As of yesterday, I am now the Director of Fields to Families. What is that? Nikki got a job... in her field... in Charleston?!? Yes, yes I did. But reign in that excitement. While it is uber exciting and full of potential, I will still only be working 20 hours to start off until I can raise some funds for a full-time salary. Bring on the grants. So yes, I will still be working at least two jobs.

What does this mean for my Apprenticeship? Well, I will be shifting to 20 hours a week but still working up in Thornhill Farms in McClellandville. My main role will be harvesting and selling produce for the farm but I will also be working with LLF closely on partnerships between our organizations.

Since most of my time will be spent in Mt. Pleasant and downtown, it doesn't really make sense for me to live on the farm, so Dan and I just got a place on the peninsula. We will be close to Hampton Park and according to Dan, we can try to score a tandem bike so we can bike the bridge together (since he knows that I cannot make it over without walking my bike). I can see it now.

Ahhh... the spice of life.

Stay tuned...

Highs and Lows.

2010-07-26T15:17:00.001-07:00

I have had this quote on my facebook for a while and it is more true now than ever. "I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center." -Kurt Vonnegut

Although I am a little exhausted from the extreme shift in highs and lows, I am not sure if I would be any happier in the middle.

High: House sitting job that comes with this view...

Low: Billy-the-goat died Friday. Cleveland let me cry on his shoulder and then helped me bury my little friend in true farm style, with a backhoe. I had to leave work early and I couldn't bring myself to come back until Monday. He will be missed. I am thankful for him teaching me so much about goats, I just wish I had learned it all before it was too late.

High: A whole weekend off (this is a rarity for me)...starting with a house-cooling party... I somehow managed to have zero pics of this fantastical day but close your eyes and imagine a steady flow of friends, dogs, and children... swimming, playing lawn games, sharing food, and laughing. Then Dan and I spent Sunday making food, sharing drinks, swimming, playing video games, and napping.

Low: Medical Bills.

High: Storm-clouds heavy with much needed rain.

Low: Temperatures up to 100 degrees with 100% humidity and heat index up to 120 degrees.

High: Dan got free tickets to see Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes...

And why not one more High: Best email subject line ever... thanks to my awesome Mom...

Freeeeedom!

2010-07-22T09:08:00.001-07:00

http://www2.scnow.com/scp/news/local/grand_strand/article/wild_chickens_roam_georgetown_streets/228853/#comments

Goat Update

2010-07-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

Some of you are wondering how Mr. Billy is doing... and I am still not really sure. He has been hiding out in the chicken A-frame shelter, hiding underneath the roosting bars for the past two days, as seen above. Twice a day, every day, I force him to get out and walk around, drink water, and try to eat. Yesterday, Kipp from Burden Creek Dairy came over and gave him once over. His rectal area is extremely inflamed which is clearly making him uncomfortable but he does not have a fever or diarrhea, so there is a little hope. His stomach area is also still swollen but I realized that he might have a urine blockage. Since I needed feed and supplies anyway, I headed out to Tractor Supply where the manager Durwood showed me some basic vitamin "drenches" to give the goats as well as a great website: www.tennesseemeatgoats.com. After talking to a few locals, I found a woman named Casey Price that is with Jeremiah Goat and Dairy on Johns Island. What a wonderful, intelligent, goat loving woman!! She was extremely helpful in talking me through the symptoms and invited me right out to her farm to give me some tools to help the goat. After a lot of discussion, we decided that the most likely problem is Urinary Calculi which is basically a blockage in the urethra. Unfortunately, it is a little late in the game to be diagnosing this and ammonium chloride can help in the early stages but he may already have a severe blockage and need veterinarian assistance. He is still eating and drinking which is good, except if he has a blockage and continues to drink, his bladder could explode! I cannot handle this helplessness! Here is a diagram of the male system:

The crazy part about goats is that they were one of the first domesticated animals and are currently raised for milk, meat, and skin in almost every country but there are few people in the United States that are professionally trained in medically treating goats. In Charleston County there is only one vet that handles goats and most people do not use him because of the costs. Everyone I have talked to has taught themselves and learned from experience which is crazy considering the goats often suffer. There is a 90% chance that my goats illness is due to uninformed care taking... just today I learned that I should not be giving them corn, too much (if any) feed with molasses, peaches (or any pit fruit), and that they need baking soda/salt mixtures out in their pen. Apparently branches, leaves, and bark are suppose to be their main food (of which I have been given them zero) and they are forages partially to regulate their stomach. They don't even have teeth on the top of their mouths since they are not grazers! Goats are susceptible to so many kinds of diseases, I don't know why people would ever keep them as pets unless they had some kind of training or experience handling them first. This is definitely becoming one hell of a learning experience.

Goats with bloat.

2010-07-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

Billy, Peanut and Bob (Black, Tan, White).

Every morning I spend an hour or more playing with my three darling goats at Josephs. I never have quite enough time to build them the palace they deserve but I try to spoil them with greens and horse feed. Sadly, my little guy Billy hasn't been feeling so good. When I came in on Saturday he didn't come running with the other two and just stood wobbling looking a little drunk. By the time I got into the pen, he had laid down and was coughing. His little tummy is so bloated I feel like he might pop! I have spent the last three days trying to figure out what is wrong and what I can do to help him. The kind folks at Burden Creek Dairy have been helping diagnose and treat the little guy...but its still a mystery. Taking care of goats is so intimidating because there is so much that can go wrong. I have to admit I considered taking him home so I could check on him during the night so I won't stay up thinking about him. Hopefully he will pull through, so keep your fingers crossed for my little darling goat friend!

Articles to Share.

2010-07-18T04:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a little ditty about women in farming:

http://www.rodale.com/women-farming?page=0%2C0

Where are all the farmers?

My new favorite magazine:

http://www.urbanfarmonline.com/

City Farms in Detroit

And finally, if you are in the south and looking for a great Newsletter... check out this one.

Playing catch-up

2010-07-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

Sadie, the goat whisperer.

Obviously I do not have a lot of time these days to sit down and write, which is unfortunate, because I have so much to share. The past few months have been a time of change, adventure, learning, and the occasional hurdle. Alas, I am forced to try and fit many weeks of stories into a handful of entries :-) In an attempt to get things rolling I will start with a little bullet point action.

Things I have learned, in no particular order:
- radish seed pods are tasty when they are fresh
- it is next to impossible to get a student loan forbearance without excessive amounts of paperwork, some determination, and A LOT of patience. This also applies for food stamps (now called SNAP benefits). In the end, I got them both. YEAHYA.
- rutabaga and turnips look almost identical to the untrained eye (and yes, I sold "baby turnips" to some chefs without any of us knowing any better.)
- chickens LOVE melons
- sharp knives ARE more dangerous than dull ones when applied to your finger. So, when you are hosting a baby shower and the mother-to-be is taking a pre-party nap, do not try to cut tomatoes with freshly sharpened knives, because you will cut your finger to the bone and end up at an urgent care. See picture from last post.
-my dog will fetch random over-sized vegetables and toss them into the air and sometimes hitting herself, which in turn makes the field workers laugh
- tomatoes exposed to irregular watering will lose calcium and develop blossom end rot.
- the Girl with a Dragon Tattoo books are addictive. I am on the last one and I would read it while driving, showering, eating, and working if possible.
- the amount of edible flowers and "weeds" is unreal
- part of my endless stomach problems have been caused by stomach ulcers (after an endoscopy and colonscopy).
- anesthesia from said procedure made me laugh uncontrollably as I was going under and apparently I grabbed a nurses arm while he was trying to put the oxygen tube in my nose and said " Isn't this HILARIOUS?". I mean, why are there not more comedies centered around colonoscopy and endoscopy? Apparently they are a hoot :-)
- cutting a goat's hoof is not as scary as I thought, but still very intimidating
- there is a dwarf pig that is not potbelly but something with a mohawk (they have them at Legare Farm... and I want one
- no one works harder than a farmer. Seriously. My boss is up at dawn and awake till midnight. He drives to Columbia, Asheville, and Savannah every week to sell his produce while also working six local markets. Pick, prep, pack, load, unload, sell, re-load, unload, maintenance, planting, and repeat. Six days a week.

So thats is just a brief list to cover a few points. A lot of people have been checking in with me lately because I have once again started to disappear. The reality is, the program I am in only pays me enough to cover a minimal part of my bills, so I spend a lot of my time working other jobs. I garden, I babysit, and I build things. The program also has me in a class called FastTrack for first time entrepreneurs, which is phenomenal, but the homework is yet another responsibility that I find myself juggling. While I am learning something new almost everyday, I feel like I have learned very little about actual plants and farm animals, so moving forward I am going to actively seek resources to learn about cultivation. I have been making contact with a number of people that I want to learn from and so far, so good. Hopefully in the near future I will be learning more about chicken manure, propagation, grafting, soil treatment, pest control, indicators, and even sheering sheep.

As far as my "plan for the future", well, that is a work in progress. The other day, I sat at lunch with two of my favorite ladies, as we discussed the complexities of life in your late twenties. All three of us are hard working, driven, well educated women with the ambition to take over world, but all of us find that we are simply lacking the opportunity. The same conversation has taken place amongst a few of my other friends that also find themselves working themselves to the bone for meager wages and no job security. Are we all victim to a bad economy? Is it self inflicted? Is our inability to settle causing us more harm than good? What is the "right" choice, job, or city? And in the end... who the hell keeps getting the jobs I want?

When faced with growing debt, I ultimately have to make decisions that are financially sound but I know myself well enough to know that I will never settle for a well paying job I hate. My currently temporary solutions for the near future include being a nanny, building farm buildings, and working farmers markets. So these are not exactly resume goldmines but for my personal health, sanity, and bank account, they are the best options at this point. In the meantime I will celebrate the wealth that I have in my family, boyfriend, and friends while enjoying the ride :-)

Photo journal

2010-06-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Sadie and Peanut about to knock me over...

Joseph and I

Jill and I building a shed.

My finger all wrapped up for work... I tried to cut it off while dicing tomatoes.

Squash field.

Dr. Seuss Turnip.

a whole new world.

2010-04-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

What the? Where did the last month go? Its all a blur of strawberries, beans, onions, and dirt. Needless to say, we are not growing computers with wireless internet, so I have not exactly had a lot of access to upload my thoughts and pics.

So what the heck have I been doing?

Every day I step into my new office...aka...Joseph Fields Farm on River Rd (much roomier than the cubicles and shared office spaces I had gotten used to). My co-workers are all splitting up into their individual tasks for the morning: picking, packing, planting, weeding, watering and well... the list could go on infinitely. The staff is a mix of local Johns Islanders, Mexicans, and Guatemalans plus myself and two others that are directly involved in selling to chefs. Most people have a pretty regular schedule and know their jobs when they arrive, with the biggest factor being what to harvest, which field, and with whom.

Joseph Fields, my new boss.

At some point I get been pulled into one of the above listed jobs...

When I work with the field workers, I pick first thing in the morning then wash and pack the produce for one of seven markets and dozens of clients. Half of my thoughts are lost on how to translate my conversation into Spanish and the other half are focused on mastering the art of quick picking. What exactly am I picking, you wonder? Well, what is in season of course :-) Right now that is peas, strawberries, all kinds of greens, turnips, carrots, onions, and broccoli.

As the weeks progress I find myself harvesting specialty items on my own...quietly working my way down the field listening to the sounds of the farm. Last week I found myself surrounded with rows of English peas, cheering on ladybugs as they hunted aphids...the glory of organic farming!

When I am not picking, I am shadowing the rest of the crew in various jobs. So far I have: planted potatoes, weeded, helped lay plastic and irrigation line (tractor attachment to the right), shelled peas, learned a little arc welding, built a play table for the goats, painted some signs, worked the farmers markets, gone on deliveries, and given quick tutorials on the farming equipment. Everyday is different from the previous, which makes my weeks pass quickly.

The one constant in my days is the animals. Since I was gravitating towards them every morning anyways, I have inherited critter duty. I could spend all day feeding peas to the chicks, scratching behind the ears of my favorite three-legged goat(left), and trying to convince the lone friendly rooster "Roy" to let me pick him up.

The hardest part would be getting into the laying coop...oh how those roosters (fighting cocks, really) protect their ladies. Sweet jesus, they are mean. Joseph said he picked two varieties that are known to fearlessly fight to the death against ANY predator. We are talking lethal, bloody thirsty, fighting machines. Okay, so maybe I am over exaggerating, but they are nasty little birds. Regardless, just imagine stepping into a five by ten room and having two 5 pound flying, spur happy, pecking birds coming at your legs and head simultaneously. Meanwhile, you are simply trying to provide them food and water (how predatory of me). Joseph confidently strides in with a one by one tomato stake and pushes these birds around with finesse. Meanwhile, if they see me coming near the door, they will rush it, ready to attack.

Doesn't he just look mean?

Last week, I opened the door only to have one fly straight at my head and escape. I slammed the coop door before the rest followed and with no defense, I had no choice but to run. Yes, I ran...all the way to the house. And that little punk chased me (they are really fast by the way) all the while I was screaming for Joseph like a five year old yells for her father. I stopped running when I heard the sound of chickens fighting and turned to see Roy, my friendly rooster, defending my honor! I was so proud of my little voice-cracking, outcast, little bird friend. He continued to protect me while Joseph and his wife corralled the nasty one back into the coop. Since then, I have not attempted to re-enter the coop... I will leave that to Joseph. Instead I spoil Roy, the chicks, and my lovely goats.

Roy, my hero, stands guard in front of the coop.
(I think he is quite handsome.)

Farming Apprentice: Week One

2010-04-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

Moving forward, there is a good chance that I will also be doing a blog for Lowcountry Local First that is exclusively on the farming program, at which point I will continue with this blog while also linking to the farming one. In the meantime, I am simply going to share it all here as I have been :-)

Today marks the first week of my working in the program and so far we have focused on paperwork, getting to know each other, and figuring out the program. Here is the daily breakdown for the past few days:

Monday: Johns Island for Field's Farm tour in the AM and Rosebank Farm tour in the PM
Tuesday: Beaufort for Habbersham's Community Farm tour
Wednesday: Mcclellandville for Our Local Foods/Thornhill farm tour
Thursday: West Ashley and Charleston to meet with all seven restaurants including: Med Bistro, Al Di La, Glass Onion, McGrady's, Fig, Monza, and Fish.

Here are some pics from Wednesday at Our Local Foods:

Everyday we also take time to talk about logistics, funding, and schedules since this truly is a pilot program. It is really interesting coming into a new program in which you are able and expected to be a part of the decision making and development team. I am one of three apprentices- all of which have very different backgrounds. My last few months has been spent running a program, case working, and starting a garden. Matt graduated from CofC last spring with an English degree, decided to stay around and work in restaurants while working in his garden. Josh had been working as an Engineer in Orlando, FL but wanted an opportunity to get into organic farming, so he quit his job and moved here. Needless to say, we all have something different to the table.

We will all live with each other at some point in the house on Johns Island but there is always one apprentice living on the farm in McClellandville. Regardless, we will see each other every Thursday when we bring all of our produce together to sort and deliver. In addition to the apprentices, there is also Elizabeth who is running the Sustainable Ag program and Julie who is helping her specifically with the pilot. We have been spending our days squished together in cars at at tables for the last week and it seems as though our personalities weave together quite nicely.

From this point, we still have one site visit to do tomorrow at the Limehouse distribution facility to see how a program like ours operates on a large scale, which should be facinating. Then Monday, we all go to our farms! I start at Fields Farms for the first two months, transition to Rosebanks for two more, take classes during August, and then head to McClellandville for three months. Let the farming begin!

Celebration!

2010-04-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

Although I did not get a vacation in between my job transition, I did however get to go up to my hometown in NC to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. My friend Sarah Whitmeyer is a professional photographer that was there for the weekend to capture a few shots of the family. Check out the photos on her blog HERE and HERE.

Greener Pastures...

2010-03-31T07:39:00.000-07:00

"Green acres is the place for me. Farm livin' is the life for me.
Land spreadin' out so far and wide. Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside. " My friend said that when he thinks of me as a farmer, the Green Acres theme song pops in his head. :-)

Change=Good

2010-03-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

The winds of change are blowing full force this week, as all of my planned and unplanned changes begin to take motion. My apartment is filled with boxes, mostly crammed full of books (I heart books, big time.) that are all ready to make the move to Johns Island. I have spent the last few weeks purging stuff out of my life that has become dead weight… VHS tapes, clothes, gifts I never wanted, and things that could be better used by someone else. Once again, I find myself going back to a communal setting, living on an extreme budget, and dedicating my time to working outdoors building. My last service year was spent building homes and now I will spend my time building up farms and the community surrounding them. People keep asking me if I am excited and I keep telling them, not quite yet. The whole process is too surreal for me to truly grasp the changes coming my way. There are still so many changes taking place that it is hard to even forecast what life will be like a week from now.

Since my green building job did not accept my proposal to become permanent contractor, I will have to seek out other employment to fill the gaps between the specialty projects I plan to continue doing for them. Although I am disappointed in their decision to not keep me on staff, I think it will probably be the best for everyone, as it will give the affiliate the push it needs to learn to live without having access to me daily while also allowing me to get paid fairly based on my final products and not office hours.

My case working job is voluntarily coming to an end but this was inevitable because the nature of the position and the bureaucracy that surrounded it was slowly wearing me down. I will however miss the interesting and candid conversations with my co-workers about parenting, relationships, and race. Not to mention how nice it felt to be constantly thanked for my work and complimented on my efforts… if only it could have been an environmental agency!

Looking ahead to the next few days, I will be leaving my case working (sigh of relief), ending a four year process of building a green building program (sigh of disappointment/relief), moving to John’s Island, and becoming a farmer. Change, change, change… I really do love change in its entirely intense, sometimes uncomfortable, but always life sculpting nature. It will be glorious to finally embrace my love of growing things and be able to spend my days doing nothing but learning every aspect of the food production world! Just imagine me breaking out of my office cubicle with pitchfork in hand, leaving behind a trail of paperwork and “while you were out” messages, and diving into a pile of compost while screaming out my xena call in glee.

The burden of a car.

2010-03-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

After having spent almost two years recovering from my last car ownership experience (nightmare) I had no doubt that the transition back was going to be rough. Obviously, when you are buying a used car, the car has been USED. No big shock there. The hope is that the car has been used gently and there are minimal problems with it. Mechanic or not, there is just no way to predict the future of the vehicle, as much as I wish it was possible.

So, after taking out a loan and paying the upfront cost of purchasing the actual vehicle (which cost more than I had really hoped to spend). I then had to dive straight into insurance, tags, and taxes. A note on the taxes. Why did I have to pay over $200 in sales tax on a used car? Does that make sense to anyone? Note to self... it does not help anyone to claim the actual price paid.

Anyway, these are all expected expenses. So, moving along. As mentioned, I had to buy a battery. Once the battery was purchased, it became clear that I also needed new contacts, so lets throw that in too. Lucky for me, I have mastered the art of "help me I am a female" with "I am not a complete idiot but you are smarter than me", in order to get my battery installed, old contacts taken off, and new contacts put on (free of charge, obviously).

During this changing of the battery, it becomes apparent that my radiator fluid is looking low. Since I just dropped over $100, I saved that for later. Later arrived the following day when my car started acting funny and I discovered that my radiator fluid was now empty. Dan came to the rescue and we filled it up. Easy enough?

Well... a week later, my car would not start. Alas, I check the radiator fluid and its empty again. Red flag. I immediately fill it back up and call my mechanic aka James Dean of Charleston (his name is Jerry but I swear he is an older Dean). Co-workers and family are forecasting the worst with scary predictions of head gaskets and new engines. After dropping off the Magic Carpet I feel myself panicking from flash backs of my Altima and the thousands of dollars sunk into that piece of evil machinery. With $250 in my bank account, I was really hoping for a simple fix. Jerry calls me at lunch to tell me that I have a crack in my radiator and that I have to replace it. Simultaneous sigh of relief and distress. I literally do not have the money to pay for it. So what do the adults of my generation do in this situation? Charge it!

When I arrive at the shop, Jerry consoles me with kind words and his daughter tries to distract me with funny stories as she swipes my credit card and takes the rest of payment via check. Ugh, being poor is the worst. As I am leaving, I realize that my gas tank is empty. Nice touch. At least I still have money left on my credit card.

As if the car gods were determined to keep me down, my poor boyfriend cannot get his car to start either. (Am I bad luck?) We give it a jump and it seems to be able to make it to a parts store for a new battery and alternator test, so I follow behind him in my newly fixed truck. Alas, this fix was not in the cards. The truck died in Mt. Pleasant on Hwy 17 and luckily for us, some random guy pops out of his truck (trucks unite!) and pushes Dan into the safe have of a collision repair store (how appropriate).

The tow truck arrived in record time and scooped up the little truck for a ride to visit Mr. Popular, Jerry the mechanic.

The Monday after this insane weekend, I stopped into Jerrys to give him the low-down on the truck and when I walked in he asked me if I was collecting broken trucks. :-)

So here is the comic relief to the whole thing. Read an email I got from Dan below:

Dan: In my call earlier, I neglected to mention the funny slip-up from Jerry who I quote/paraphrase:

Jerry: "My girlfriend told...your girlfriend told me a little about your Ford Ranger over here. Well, she's my girl too. So when your shifting gears what exactly is the trouble?..."

I need a personal lobbyist.

2010-03-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

As referenced in my previous post, I am working hard to convince my green building employer to take me on at a contract rate so that I will not longer have to maintain office hours. This process has been a true test of my patience because I have worked for the affiliate for four years, investing my blood, sweat and tears into the creation of my program. Over the these last four years I have won the organization several awards, absurd amounts of press, over $200,000 in funding, and put them on the map in the “green world”. All of this has been on a part-time basis, with little pay, no benefits, no office computer, and for the first three years, no office space. So… when I have to lobby to be kept on staff for only 30% of the market rate pay and a decrease in my current part-time salary so that I can transition out of the office (where I started in the first place), I find myself a bit unmotivated.

Why even try? Well…my program is like my baby and I want to make sure it can survive without me. It has so much potential to grow up and be something I can truly be proud of and I just cannot handle letting it go without a fight. Plus, I love my co-workers and genuinely believe that if given the right tools, Habitat for Humanity could lead the way on transitioning affordable housing to a sustainable product. For example… there is a Net Zero Habitat house in the works with the East Cooper affiliate and if I am able to secure funding, I can hop on board to make it happen! There are so many affiliates out there right now that are already doing great things like Net Zero… I just read about one today about high density Habitat, check it out HERE.

I know what some of you are thinking… And NO, I do not want to become a consultant in the for-profit world. My specialty is in the affordable housing world, specifically with Habitat. Having spent the last 7 months working as a Case Worker for families facing eviction and foreclosure, I have had a bitter taste of how UNaffordable housing really is (and how little most people get paid). The reality is that the Habitat for Humanity model provides the highest quality housing ownership possibilities in the $500-$700 a month mortgage price range. These are the homes that we need to be focusing on transitioning to green because they have such a high impact on the homeowners and pose the type of challenge builders need to overcome: keeping green affordable.

This is a picture of our 2008 Greenbuild Blitz homeowner with her oldest son.

So, with high hopes and all of my documents submitted, I await the decision from my Board of Directors. Wish me luck.

Future Farmer.

2010-03-03T13:33:00.000-08:00

As I have alluded to in other posts, I am starting a new job on April 1st as a Farming Apprentice. So what does this mean? Well, I honestly am so overwhelmed with work (especially since I am lobbying for Habitat to allow me transition to a consultant position) that I don't have time to write it up myself, so here is all the information from the website.

Growing New Farmers Incubator Pilot

(April - Nov 2010)

Goal: to begin growing the next generation of farmers in the Lowcountry. These new community food system leaders and entrepreneurs will use this experience to: improve the health of our community, preserve and steward our land, and strengthen our local food economy.

The Partners - LLF, three local experienced farmers, three apprentices, seven area restaurants, and one non-profit working with an underserved population will participate.

Year 1:

1) New Farmer Training: (April 2010)

* Four days a week the apprentices will learn/ practice Sustainable Agriculture techniques on local farms. Rosebank Farm, Fields Farm, Our Local Food.

* Monthly classes in agriculture: (Organic Growing School Model). This program is open to old and young farmers in the Lowcountry.

* LLF will pay for apprentices to take a business planning class, summer of 2010, and link apprentices with business mentors in our local community.

* Apprentices complete a business plan and crop plan for their own farm enterprise for Nov 2010 Graduation.

2) Marketing/Online Market: (Mid April 2010)

* One day a week apprentices will focus on marketing of farmers produce to restaurants, farm stand/ CSA.

* Apprentices will upload pictures of ripe produce weekly online. They will also train their farm instructor.

* Chefs will place orders: Glass Onion, Al Di La, Med Bistro, Fish, Monza, Fig, McCradys * Apprentices will deliver to restaurants weekly.

* Local farmers increase sales, restaurants increased supply of local food; farmers trained in new system; apprentices practice direct marketing.

3) Community Development/ Food Access: (Fall 2010)

* Apprentices partner with a local community organization to promote healthy fresh fruits and vegetables.

* Apprentices develop direct marketing experience through Farm Stand project, or low income CSA. This is an intensive training and education program and only those dedicated to learning the skill of farming should apply. Conditions are hot and days are long but this is a wonderful opportunity for those with a passion for the land!

Lowcountry Local First will provide:

* Opportunity for hands-on experience farming

* Opportunity to learn direct sales marketing

* $500 month taxable stipend (April - July & Sept-Nov 2010)

* Housing Option

* Fresh Veggies

* Tuition for Entrepreneurship class in July/August

Contact Elizabeth Beak, Program Director of Sustainable Agriculture at Elizabeth@lowcountrylocalfirst.org or 843-740-5444

What THE TRUCK?

2010-03-02T06:06:00.001-08:00

The end of my car-free journey...
http://livingcar-free.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-truck.html

The world is my oyster.

2010-02-23T17:04:00.000-08:00

Last week brought adventure, change, celebration, and challenge into my world. Monday was... well... Monday. Tuesday was my first interview with Lowcountry Local First for the Farm Incubator Program...very exciting. We had a lunch meeting at Five Loaves (yum) where we discussed all kinds of things from the position to my lifestyle. What was the biggest concern regarding my qualifications? My ability to get a car. How I have managed to live in Charleston and commute to Johns Island this long is beyond me, so I was not surprised when it came up. So, yes, I will be getting a vehicle so that I can participate in the program. I know, I know. I think about half of you are relieved and the other disappointed but I am sure that you all understand. So at the end of the meeting we agreed that I would have a second on site interview with one of the farmers to ensure it was a good fit. Which brings me to Wednesday. The day started off with a little oyster harvesting. Yes, oyster harvesting. Our Habitat Young Professionals group was having its first fundraiser, so we decided to go out on our own and get some "free" food. It was unbelievably cold, fun, and for some, tasty as well. I personally do not eat oysters because I was told to not eat boogers at the age of 3, but clearly that does not apply in this case. Oh yeah, I am allergic, too. So anyways, we harvested enough to fill two large garbage cans full and even found ourselves a quahog clam. After cleaning the gear, oysters, and boats we headed over to Rosebank farms where I met with Sidi, the farmer for Rosebank Farms. In true farm style, he pulled up in a tractor. We toured the stand, met some of the critters (including a duck that thinks its a rabbit), and then saw all of the fields. As I stared across the rows and rows of winter vegetables and listened to him name off the varieties, the whole idea of working on a farm began to sink in. Working the soil, protecting the plants, harvesting the yield, tending the animals, and making the sale. This is exactly what I want to be doing. So when he dropped me off at the front and asked me when I was going to start, my heart sang! (Specifically, Lets Go Crazy by Prince). Thursday I gave my notice to my case working job (it was a stretch anyway but at least I got them to recycle!) and went out that night to celebrate at the aforementioned oyster roast. Friday, I spent most of my day recovering from Thursday and preparing for Saturday, which was the kick-off day for the Bogarden my friends and I have started. The rest of the weekend was spend playing with the dogs, running errands, and planting more seeds.

So what does this mean for me? Well... in the next month I have to tie up loose ends at my case working job, move out of my apartment and onto Johns Island, buy a car, and convince my OTHER current employer to transition my part-time Green Building position into a contract basis one. Change is on the way.

2010-02-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

Happy list: Snow in Charleston, call back from Lowcountry Local First position, seeing Wicked this weekend, and the new community "Bogarden" I am working on.

Not-so-Happy list: Sent in a reply to a follow-up letter for a job and never heard back, still have the same cough I have had for a month, and my health insurance keeps rejecting all of my claims.

Although I am extremely excited about my interview for the farm position, I am trying to keep my expectations realistic and not get too hopeful. For now I am investing my energy into the new garden, trying to beat my cold, and trying to stay positive at my jobs.

Words of wisdom.

2010-02-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

So this was forwarded to me in an email awhile ago and I have had it in my cubicle.

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio:

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words. 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

You are what you read.

2010-02-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

I had to laugh at myself the other day when yet another book arrived for me in the mail... I may have a book addiction to go along with my already out of control plant/seed collecting addiction. Looking over the spines of my library, I had to admit that the titles say a lot about my life and when I added my newest bound friend to my precariously heavy shelf, I realized that the three books I am currently reading probably say the most.

Book One:

Book Two:

Book Three:

They are all fantastic books so far and I recommend them all... especially if you are interested in:

1. Hearing about someones actual experience with transitioning to a simpler, homestead style life.
2. Understanding why we eat what we eat, how US meat is processed, and what it means for our lives.
3. Wondering how our the endearing author of Eat, Pray, Love is overcoming her negative experiences and doubts about the idea of marriage so that she can be with the one she loves.

Clearly, these are all things that I find interesting because I want to homestead, return to my vegetarian ways with a gluten/dairy free twist, and work through my own doubts about people's ability to truly commit. Now if I can just find the time to read them all... I will be in business.

Normalcy

2010-02-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

One of my friends recently referred to me as one of her "non-grown-up friends" which made me laugh and then of course sparked conversation. We started talking about what makes a person a grown-up according to society and how we both feel as though we do not fit into that category. As I steadily approach the ripe age of 30, I am constantly reminded of what I am "supposed" to be doing.. i.e. settling down, making big bucks working an office job, buying a house, getting a rock on my left hand, and making babies. Alas, I find myself far from that scenario... and I am okay with that (to the dismay of many).

It has take me long enough to recover from the socially isolating experience of trying to fit in during my high school years; it is hard to realize that you are most appealing when you just embrace yourself and stop caring so much about other people's opinions. We are a society of people-pleasers ... yet such behavior often leads to unhealthy compromise and self sacrifice. Trust me, I should know, I have spent years playing that role. Not to say that I will stop trying to make people happy but I will no longer do it at my expense.

Many people, especially ones significantly older than myself, are always telling to use my background to get a high paying corporate job or monopolize on the green movement. What they are missing is why I got into this field in the first place... and believe me, it was not for the money. When I chose my major my adviser STRONGLY advised against it because environmentalist were still considered "liberal, tree-hugging, granola eating hippies" at that point (and why is that a bad thing?). This is the pre-al gore time when professors were not allowed to voice their opinions much less teach us about global warming at. Needless to say, I went into the field because I am passionate about it. My goal is to make the greatest positive impact on the largest number of people possible by to shedding light onto the cracks that have formed in our society so that we can work together to fix them.

My passion for making this change far exceeds any desire to hop on the adult train. In fact, I think I am one of many individuals that are redefining what it means to be adult. My adult life means pursuing higher education, doing service work, traveling regularly, living a frugal lifestyle, volunteering in your free time, and saving my compromising for relationships. Most of my close friends live similar lifestyles and those that don't at least understand and respect mine. Some high-school friends, co-workers, and strangers however have a harder time understanding where I am coming from. A selection of my favorite responses and comments:

Question 1: " Do you have kids? " (Of course the answer is no...)
Responses:
" You should have AT LEAST three by now girl, you getting old." (incorrect english intended)
"Are you a lesbian?"
"Yeah, I guess your chest would be bigger if you did." haha. That one still makes me laugh.

Question 2: "What do you do for a living" (I just received my masters and I am working two jobs)
Responses:
"A masters, that's cute."
"Why do women these days think think they need to be so well educated?"
"I guess your degree didn't teach you to master the art of getting a full-time job." This was from a friend, so its allowed.

Interestingly enough, a lot of my friends that are married with houses and kids are always telling me how lucky I am, how jealous they are, and why they should have taken more time to consider what it was they really wanted. The grass is always greener.
(See funny e-card to the left from someecards.com)

This is not to say that I don't to eventually have/do some of the "normal" adult things, just that I want to do them my own terms at at my own pace. And really, lets be honest. I will never be normal. Where is the fun in that?

The writing on the wall.

2010-02-04T15:58:00.000-08:00

With only two posts up I have already been getting some feedback from friends and family, which is very encouraging. As someone that tries very hard to be positive and find the humor in any situation, publishing a blog about some of the darker parts of my life make me feel a little vulnerable and perhaps a bit like I have failed in some way. Yet after hitting the submit button I let go of a piece of my burden and it is very freeing (and apparently comforting to some of you out there facing the same challenges).

While I have been able to deal with the tide of bad events that often comes to shore, I have found that the challenges have started to create a flood that has consumed the horizon. As a very goal oriented person, not knowing what is "coming next" makes me feel like I am losing control, which in turn totally freaks me out. So, maybe I am a little bit of a control freak... but aren't we all? For so many people out there, knowing what they want to do is the problem. I have NEVER had that problem. I have at some point wanted to be a: vet, inventor, scientist, sailor, athlete, marine biologist, artist, actor, writer, politician, activist, professor, reporter/journalist, executive director, farmer, professional tree house builder, entrepreneur, dog trainer, researcher, and photographer. Considering I starting "working" long before legally able , I have actually held or experienced most of these positions. My issue is that my interests are so broad that focusing my energy has always been a challenge. I want to do it all. Did I mention that I am an overachiever? As my dear friend Cedric put in his comment to my blog: "Nikki, you have too many talents to boil them down into a "job"."

The point I am at now is figuring out which path I should take and then figuring out how the hell I plan on getting there... quite literally... since I still only have a bike. At this point I am trying to take my own advice (from the younger, less jaded me), which is found on my bedroom wall:

In the mean time, I will continue to make the best of my current jobs and try to save up some money in case I pull a Jerry McGuire, write a mission statement, and walk out with the office fish. :-)

Looking back...and forward

2010-02-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

Three generations of Perley women helping me install a veggie/herb/flower garden at my Mother's house in Ft. Lauderdale, FL during Christmas 2009.

When I was young I spent a lot of my time outdoors... Playing in the dirt, rerouting ant trails, catching tadpoles, building tree houses and laying in the rain. My parents quickly realized that a.) I was a tomboy and b.) I was a natural science geek. Most of my time was spent either working along side my father in his workshop or tagging along with my mom. When I was out in my mother's garden, we would poke around in the flowers while she told me their names and explained why they chose to live where they did. I found myself at peace laying in our mossy backyard with the jack-in-pulpits, wild columbine, and azaleas. When visiting my grandmother in California, I would climb in the limbs of her avocado tree for hours, only coming down to pick lemons or watch with awe as she tended her bonsai.

I soon began taking part in the maintenance of the garden. At this point, my mother introduced me to her arch-rival, the slug. The seemingly innocent silvery trails of slime always dead ended into mass plant destruction. So what was our strategy for derailing these hungry critters? Well beer, of course. I found this to be hilarious and loved the idea of putting out little watering holes for these gooey little dudes so that they were too drunk to carry on. Yet, we were up against an army of uber slugs that saw through our guise. The next step.... salt. I had seen my mom making lines of it around some of the garden beds but before I could ask her why, my curiosity got the best of me. So there I was, blue Morton salt container in one hand, ginormous slug in the other, when I learned a harsh reality. If you have never seen what happens when these two are combined, you are better off not knowing. Needless to say, I was instantly overwhelmed with the guilt of having tortured this small creature as I desperately tried to wash him/her off. That was definitely the last time I ever tried that "trick". This small childhood experience was one of many catalysts in my search to understand the delicate interaction between humans and the environment. Who knew one little slug could spark so much?

Flash forward two decades and I am still an avid environmentalist, extremely interested in political ecology, and following in my mother's footsteps as a lover of gardening. Unfortunately I found myself working in a cubicle pushing paper (recycled of course) at one job and case managing clients in a tiny shared office at my other job. Click HERE for comic relief thanks to Daniel. Over the last year I have been trying to find the things that relax me, clear my mind, and help me reconnect with the natural world. The one place I am always returning to is my garden. I am constantly amazed at how small seeds can produce so much, how insects and birds can find the flowers I plant for them, and how one small patch of dirt can feed me for a growing season. There is a meditative quality to the dirt caked, sweaty planting, veggie picking, and caterpillar flicking sessions out in my self-produced oasis. Having spent so many years with my hands in the dirt, it is funny to me that it has take me 27 years to realize that it is one of my greatest passions. I have planted and tended all kinds of gardens big and small over the years, always a mix of flowers and food. My current idol is Will Allen with Growing Power. He has taken urban agriculture to a level that combines growing food with community empowerment using a truly sustainable business plan (in the triple bottom line sense).

Although I have no time or funding to get a Growing Power model started here, I am working with several fantastic friends to get a community garden going on a pretty sizable lot located not too far from my house. We have tons of interested volunteers, some potential funding sources, and lots of seeds (I already have enough organic heirloom seeds to feed my entire block and I cannot stop collecting more!) I also currently have my sights set on an apprenticeship opportunity in Charleston through Lowcountry Local First. Here are some details: http://lowcountrylocalfirst.org/programs/Growing_New_Farmers

As with seeds, only time will tell what will come of these ventures!

And so it begins.

2010-02-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

Well hello. As my first entry in this blog, I feel as though I owe any potential readers a little insight into my ramblings. Although I am a long time blogger, this is my first personal blog where I am going to let my hair down and tell you like it really is. Why now? Well... my life is not exactly unfolding as planned and the more I look around, I find that I am not alone. So this is a place for me to vent, laugh, and share the trials and tribulations of being a wandering soul... a young professional with no tangible profession. Hopefully you will pick up on my sarcasm and realize that most of this is supposed to be funny. Here it goes :-)

The rejection letter.

First, I want to thank all of those organizations out there that send rejection letters because as much as they suck, they are a hell of a lot better than wondering if the mail truck got hijacked en route or your email is waiting to be deleted in some HR spam box.

That being said, rejection letters are a bitter pill to swallow. Whether disguised in a thin envelope or a message in your inbox, these bearers of bad news are thoroughly trained for all-out guerrilla warfare on your ego... they have hope-seeking missiles... seriously.

That is why when I get rejection letters, I chose to read through the BS and see the truth. Say what you will, but this is what I ACTUALLY read:

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for applying to this position that you are over qualified & most likely settling for. The selection process is very competitive because the economy is in the shitter and there are PhDs applying for entry level jobs (we have the pick of the litter... it is raining applicants) !! Unfortunately, you were not selected for an interview at this time or any other time for that matter so cut your losses and invest your hope in some other job you didn't go to school for.

We wish you the best of luck in your never ending search for a job that is hiring someone with lots of experience, awards, degrees, and ambition. Next time try and make friends with someone in the organization so your resume will be put on top.

All the best,
One of dozens of organizations you have applied with.

I know, I know. Don't get discouraged, etc, etc... blah blah blah. Its not like I have been applying for hundreds of jobs that I desperately want in dozens of states; I am casting a pretty small net and should not expect to a huge catch. I am pretty determined to stay in the Carolinas at this point because I love it here and there happens to be a pretty swell gentleman in Charleston whose company I would like to keep. It all comes down to which way I turn at this crossroads in my life... either way I go, there will be sacrifices made.

My glass is still half-full but I don't just want half of it full... I want my glass to overflow. With something other than cranberry vodka. ;-)