Today is a cloudy, grey day in the 'ham (yeah I used a terrible nickname for my new home), and as such I have been relegated to taking the day off instead of plowing through the muddy, six-inch-deep clay of my employer's land. The past week has provided much food for thought, and only now have I gotten the chance to actually sit and process any of it. (But first ...)
First off, I suppose, it's best to address SSAWG. SSAWG was ... an unpleasant but important experience for me to have, especially as soon as it was after I moved to Birmingham. As much as I thrive in an academic setting, the hype and energy and extreme extroversion required by the conference was a bit too intense for me. Don't get me wrong; it was a privilege and a rare learning opportunity to be surrounded by hundreds (literally) of brilliant minds (and hands and hearts) in agriculture, and I am glad to have had the chance to go. However, it was humbling to remember/realize that I am - in no excess of words - a nobody in those circumstances. As a fresh resident of the state of Alabama I know no one here - as someone who left the Carolinas, I am not much there either. In words and after the fact I relish my smallness and think it is tremendously advantageous, but in the moment I felt invisible and unimportant. Which is hard. But good! I think it's underestimated how important humility is, especially in establishing genuine relationships that are unfettered by labels.
The next experience I have to mull over happened yesterday, actually - John let me ride along for a compost delivery out to rural Shelby county. Other than the relief of getting out of the city (I guess I am more of a country girl than I guessed), the ride gave me a good chance to think about the customer base we reach. We sell vegetables to the fanciest of restaurants in town, and we sell compost to some pretty well-off folks too. It makes sense; money has to come in, and only a certain class of folks can provide that sort of cash flow. I am eager eager eager to understand how the business side of agriculture happens through John's experiences while keeping in mind how the needs of a business can be met with the gaps created through social injustice - which I need to see here outside of my 9-5. (Not sure what I mean? I take some inspiration from this Chicago honey co-op or the Farmer-Veteran Coalition!)
There's one particular phrase from the latter that I take to heart - that is the provision of a "means to heal on America's farms." As cheesy as it is, I do very genuinely believe in what I guess would be called farm therapy - the calming, confidence-boosting, mind-leveling effects of agriculture. I am so grateful for the opportunity my new job is providing me to solidify and practice the skills I've learned in growing while teaching me about management - but I do keep in mind that this is not the end-all, be-all of what I believe about agriculture. Urban ag, as much as it turned me off in Massachusetts, is a viable means of learning for folks like me - i.e. the well-educated, non-rural, non-ag-heritaged youth of America. I struggle with the idea that urban agriculture is the grand solution to urban hunger and sustainable food systems - as great as buying squash from the farmified city block down the street is, there are still hundreds of acres of rural farmland slated for strip mall construction.
And now I'm preaching. Sorry 'bout that.
The point is, winter makes agriculture slow work, and I am eager to learn from this step - which is very much so a step. And I have a secret: I think I like it here. Unlike every other move I've had in the past few years, this one feels softer and more right and better timed. While I know this isn't the final destination of wherever I'm headed, I take a quiet pride in knowing that so many resources are at my disposal here - there's so much to learn, so many pieces to take in individually to better understand how I can fit them all together.
Tomorrow I am headed to a Fish 'n Grits with a local Women in Agriculture group headed by one of the sweetest, busiest, and most motivated women I have met since moving here. I'm excited to meet the other members of the group to understand how they propel their ideas forward in that quiet, sincere way for which I am so desperately searching. More on that soon. For now, it's a nice time to let all these new thoughts and experiences stew :)
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| Good morning, Vulcan! |
The next experience I have to mull over happened yesterday, actually - John let me ride along for a compost delivery out to rural Shelby county. Other than the relief of getting out of the city (I guess I am more of a country girl than I guessed), the ride gave me a good chance to think about the customer base we reach. We sell vegetables to the fanciest of restaurants in town, and we sell compost to some pretty well-off folks too. It makes sense; money has to come in, and only a certain class of folks can provide that sort of cash flow. I am eager eager eager to understand how the business side of agriculture happens through John's experiences while keeping in mind how the needs of a business can be met with the gaps created through social injustice - which I need to see here outside of my 9-5. (Not sure what I mean? I take some inspiration from this Chicago honey co-op or the Farmer-Veteran Coalition!)
There's one particular phrase from the latter that I take to heart - that is the provision of a "means to heal on America's farms." As cheesy as it is, I do very genuinely believe in what I guess would be called farm therapy - the calming, confidence-boosting, mind-leveling effects of agriculture. I am so grateful for the opportunity my new job is providing me to solidify and practice the skills I've learned in growing while teaching me about management - but I do keep in mind that this is not the end-all, be-all of what I believe about agriculture. Urban ag, as much as it turned me off in Massachusetts, is a viable means of learning for folks like me - i.e. the well-educated, non-rural, non-ag-heritaged youth of America. I struggle with the idea that urban agriculture is the grand solution to urban hunger and sustainable food systems - as great as buying squash from the farmified city block down the street is, there are still hundreds of acres of rural farmland slated for strip mall construction.
And now I'm preaching. Sorry 'bout that.
The point is, winter makes agriculture slow work, and I am eager to learn from this step - which is very much so a step. And I have a secret: I think I like it here. Unlike every other move I've had in the past few years, this one feels softer and more right and better timed. While I know this isn't the final destination of wherever I'm headed, I take a quiet pride in knowing that so many resources are at my disposal here - there's so much to learn, so many pieces to take in individually to better understand how I can fit them all together.
Tomorrow I am headed to a Fish 'n Grits with a local Women in Agriculture group headed by one of the sweetest, busiest, and most motivated women I have met since moving here. I'm excited to meet the other members of the group to understand how they propel their ideas forward in that quiet, sincere way for which I am so desperately searching. More on that soon. For now, it's a nice time to let all these new thoughts and experiences stew :)
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