Well, here I am. Seven days of packing, six hours of driving down I-20, and three days of work later bring me to the cozy armchair and view of Birmingham's infamously huge statue of Vulcan from which I write. There's so much to think and ponder and process and balance about my new life, and I'm not even a week in yet. Given that this is my ninth move in less than three years, I'm trying to be proactive about doing this one right - which requires a mature balance I haven't been forced to muster before.
Work so far has been ... good. It's not at all what I expected in a very fundamental way: though the farm is located outside of Birmingham, my job - and life - are very much so urban. Come to think of it, Birmingham is the biggest city to which I've ever moved - not counting my stint in Somerville, of course. Day one was spent on the farm, pulling up fall crops; that night my boss took me first to the brewery where we pick up spent grain, then to a restaurant to whom we sell produce, where we met three chefs I will be working with. I won't lie - at the time it was fun and exciting and city-glamorous and comfortable. My boss says so himself - he doesn't know how on earth he can get paid to play in/create dirt and have cool friends.
And this is where that mature balance comes in. I woke up on Tuesday and KNEW - I just knew it - that I don't fit into this place as I've seen it thus far. The same issues reared their ugly little heads: wow, all these really cool people and this interesting movement as it happens here has nothing to do with anyone not traditionally of privilege. Where is the history in Birmingham's sustainable ag? Given that I'm in Alabama of all places I know that there has GOT to be an old farmer or two in these parts - but from that point of intuition onwards I am lost. For as much as folks like to throw out the farmer age stat - that the average American farmer is 57 and aging - I'm not seeing him. Don't get me wrong - the young energy is exciting, but it does seem disconnected from the knowledge that heritage and history bring to the table. Where is that gap originating?
As it stands now, my job and my farm are entirely devoted to the market of Birmingham (the place that speaks most to my boss) - and entirely absent from their actual origins in Bessemer (the place that speaks most to me). However, my boss is not at all opposed to being more grounded in his father's hometown. I think making those connections will require my being proactive since John already has his plate full, and I look forward to picking his dad's brain on his legacy in Bessemer. Again the balance; I am trying to not jump away just because this place does not immediately click perfectly. Instead, I hope to try harder to make it fit - after all, all the pieces are here. I only hope I can learn how to put them together.
I'm going to the SSAWG conference this weekend - very exciting! - but I'm nervous. In looking at the program today I noticed that time is set aside to network within one's own state, and given my almost three years of transience, I'm not sure where I have a right to claim. While I am excited to be integrated and to meet the folks who represent Alabama in this place, I also can't help but wonder: what's happening in the NC room? Is Shorlette cracking a joke, and is Tes making everyone's heart melt? Is there anyone at all in the SC room to begin with? Having multiple homes is really the smallest of problems to have, but it does make being genuine and place-driven a bit more confusing.
That sums up my past few days pretty well. Surrounded and facing a great deal of opportunity, but also hoping to tap into less obvious and more humbling opportunities on my own. I'll keep you posted on the next steps in this latest adventure. In the meantime, happy end-of-winter! The green will be out again soon.
Work so far has been ... good. It's not at all what I expected in a very fundamental way: though the farm is located outside of Birmingham, my job - and life - are very much so urban. Come to think of it, Birmingham is the biggest city to which I've ever moved - not counting my stint in Somerville, of course. Day one was spent on the farm, pulling up fall crops; that night my boss took me first to the brewery where we pick up spent grain, then to a restaurant to whom we sell produce, where we met three chefs I will be working with. I won't lie - at the time it was fun and exciting and city-glamorous and comfortable. My boss says so himself - he doesn't know how on earth he can get paid to play in/create dirt and have cool friends.
And this is where that mature balance comes in. I woke up on Tuesday and KNEW - I just knew it - that I don't fit into this place as I've seen it thus far. The same issues reared their ugly little heads: wow, all these really cool people and this interesting movement as it happens here has nothing to do with anyone not traditionally of privilege. Where is the history in Birmingham's sustainable ag? Given that I'm in Alabama of all places I know that there has GOT to be an old farmer or two in these parts - but from that point of intuition onwards I am lost. For as much as folks like to throw out the farmer age stat - that the average American farmer is 57 and aging - I'm not seeing him. Don't get me wrong - the young energy is exciting, but it does seem disconnected from the knowledge that heritage and history bring to the table. Where is that gap originating?
As it stands now, my job and my farm are entirely devoted to the market of Birmingham (the place that speaks most to my boss) - and entirely absent from their actual origins in Bessemer (the place that speaks most to me). However, my boss is not at all opposed to being more grounded in his father's hometown. I think making those connections will require my being proactive since John already has his plate full, and I look forward to picking his dad's brain on his legacy in Bessemer. Again the balance; I am trying to not jump away just because this place does not immediately click perfectly. Instead, I hope to try harder to make it fit - after all, all the pieces are here. I only hope I can learn how to put them together.
I'm going to the SSAWG conference this weekend - very exciting! - but I'm nervous. In looking at the program today I noticed that time is set aside to network within one's own state, and given my almost three years of transience, I'm not sure where I have a right to claim. While I am excited to be integrated and to meet the folks who represent Alabama in this place, I also can't help but wonder: what's happening in the NC room? Is Shorlette cracking a joke, and is Tes making everyone's heart melt? Is there anyone at all in the SC room to begin with? Having multiple homes is really the smallest of problems to have, but it does make being genuine and place-driven a bit more confusing.
That sums up my past few days pretty well. Surrounded and facing a great deal of opportunity, but also hoping to tap into less obvious and more humbling opportunities on my own. I'll keep you posted on the next steps in this latest adventure. In the meantime, happy end-of-winter! The green will be out again soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment