New AmeriCorps joins the team

Name:  Maggie Smith

Hometown: Long Lake, NY in the central Adirondacks

Role at GardenShare: AmeriCorps VISTA member

How long? August 2017 – August 2018

Why I do what I do at GardenShare: I grew up between the Adirondacks and the North Country. I will always call the Adirondacks home, but I think the North Country might be my future home. I started to appreciate local farmers in high school while attending the annual Adirondack Youth Climate Summit, where regional food systems and organic-style growing was framed as more sustainable in the face of the global climate crisis. In college (and during a summer spent apprenticing at littleGrasse Foodworks in Canton), I learned to see food and farming from other perspectives – including culture, socioeconomics, and practicality. St. Lawrence County has such a rich farming history, and the potential is there for that small-scale agriculture industry to revitalize. The North Country community has got to come together to focus on getting the good food of local growers into the mouths of the people who live here – both those who can easily afford it and those who can’t. In the short term, I believe we must address hunger. In the long term, I believe GardenShare’s many initiatives are addressing poverty itself.

Role outside of GardenShare: I’m a daughter, sister, partner, and friend! I also worked as a Summer Naturalist at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake this summer, work as a part-time farm or garden hand, and help out in my dad’s boatbuilding shop.

Hobbies: Exploring in the woods, travelling whenever I get the chance, climbing trees, gardening, doing arts and crafts, sailing trailer-sailboats with my dad, paddling canoes, knitting, biking, hiking, going to museums, and cooking or preserving food – especially fermentation!

Most recent accomplishment: Graduating from Hamilton College with a B.A. in Geosciences.

Favorite book? That’s a tough one. But Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck, is definitely one of my favorites. It’s short and memorable.

Last read? I’ve been re-reading the Harry Potter series, and am halfway through The Prisoner of Azkaban.

What one word would you use to describe yourself? Adventurous.

What are you most proud of? The wonderful friends I’ve made over the years, the love and support I’ve been able to offer them, and learning how to ask them for the same support when I need it.

What would I find in your refrigerator right now? Veggies, cheese, my mom’s cranberry-apple chutney, eggs, and venison (thanks to my brother). And everything must be labeled!

A Summer with GardenShare

I love to eat and I love to learn about what I am eating. Knowing where my food came from, and what my food is made out of, gives me a sense of agency over my health. Although I have never refused to eat a piece of fruit because it has traveled all the way from Mexico to reach me, nor have I denied a piece of candy because of it's high sugar content, I still like to read every label to understand what it is I am putting into my body- the good and the bad.

This interest in food ignited my interest in GardenShare. I was instantly absorbed by the motto, "Healthy Food. Healthy Farms. Everybody Eats". Sounds simple enough, but it's not. Accessibility to healthy, nutritious, and local fresh food is a convoluted issue. Putting food on the table isn't always easy. GardenShare believes that it should be.

I applied to intern with GardenShare for a multitude of reasons. The two main ones were that this internship would allow me to obtain a deeper understanding of the complexities of food insecurity and local food economies, while also allowing to prolong my unwillingness to leave Canton for another ten weeks.

This summer, everything I thought I knew about the north country has been challenged. The most rewarding aspect that has come out of this internship have been the people.  I have had the unique opportunity to engage in stimulating conversations with local farmers about bees, mushrooms, goats, sustainability, etc. I have visited the markets around the county and have seen such a diverse community of farmers and artists that I never would have come into contact with had I not been involved with GardenShare. Similarly, I spent nights volunteering at Campus Kitchens, talking with families who rely on the nutrition and accessibility of community free meals.

Ten weeks goes by fast. The weather has finally decided to act like summer and I feel like I have just started to really understand my role as an intern, yet I am leaving. I can only hope that I can help GardenShare by continuing to share what it is we do here, and how important it is for this community and many like it.

Jenna

New refrigerator for the team at GardenShare

The team at GardenShare is really thrilled with the donation of a new refrigerator, microwave, and water filter through the St. Lawrence Health Initative's healthy workplaces program.  This equipment lets our employees and volunteers pack healthy lunches from home and drink more water.  Thanks to everyone at the Health Initiative for making this possible!

New intern joins the GardenShare team

Our new summer intern joined us this week.  Here's a littlle about her.

Name:  Jenna Levandowski

Town of residence: Southborough, MA

Role at GardenShare: St. Lawrence Public Interest Corps Intern

How long? June to August 2017

Why I do what I do at GardenShare: I grew up in and out of the North Country which lead me to develop a deep love and connection to this landscape and the people that encompass it. The issues of food justice and hunger are extremely convoluted problems that lack simple solutions.  My time at GardenShare allows me to assist in combating these matters while also helping the families of a community I care for.

Role outside of GardenShare: I am a recent graduate of St. Lawrence University where my favorite role was as a member of the Java Barn. Currently I am trying to figure out what type of role I want to take on once I finish my time at GardenShare.

Hobbies: I love to explore, whether it is discovering a new running trail or walking the streets of a different country. I love to put myself into unknown places, it allows me to constantly learn and challenge my way of thinking.

Most recent accomplishment: Graduating!

Favorite book?: I still reread the Roald Dahl books I adored as a child. The BFG has remained my favorite over the past ten years.

Last read? Oil and Honey by Bill McKibben

What one word would you use to describe yourself? Jovial

What are you most proud of? The amazing and eclectic group of friends I have developed over the years.

What would I find in your refrigerator right now? You would see lots of veggies (mostly broccoli and carrots), a big tub of hummus, containers of leftover burrito supplies, and jams made by my grandmother.

An intern reflects on her experience

As our interns wrap up their semester with us, Eliza Gillilan reflects on her time with us...

Although my time was limited here at GardenShare, I came away with a deeper insight into food insecurity in the North Country and the creative programs that this great organization utilizes to try and eliminate it. Something I learned in a sociology course this semester is that poverty and hunger systemic problems and utilizing psychological reductionism, which is to blame the victim, is as useless as it is absurd in fixing the problem. Instead, programs like GardenShare are taking initiative in promoting their belief that everyone deserves access to healthy food. 

Something really important that GardenShare does to put hunger issues in perspective is Hunger 101. This is a role-playing activity that allows participants to see the challenge faced by many people to provide healthy food for their families and can help dispel some of the stereotypes and assumptions that some people harbor when it comes to hunger. In addition to this, I learned through GardenShare how many government organizations provide some sort of food benefits for eligible citizens such as Farmers' Market Nutrition Program and SNAP. As important as it is for GardenShare to spread the word about these, they go a step further to provide their own programs such as bonus bucks through the ongoing support of donors and grants that help to supplement government aid and encourage local eating. 

The fact that the programs encourage people to eat locally is equally as important to me. It is one thing to be able to afford the fruits and vegetables available in the grocery store, but local produce can sometimes come with a much steeper price tag. Helping make the farmers market accessible to everyone is a key step in helping local farmers continue their work of providing communities with the freshest food possible. This local food movement is just a byproduct of the mission of tackling hunger that GardenShare harbors, but it can also have positive impacts on the environment because the food does not have to travel as far, and helps keep money in the local economy. What GardenShare is doing is a win for everybody, the citizens of St. Lawrence County, the local economy, and the environment and I hope to see organizations that follow GardenShare’s example become a more widespread presence across the country in the future.

-Eliza

Position Available: Americorps VISTA

GardenShare is seeking a full-time person for an Americorps VISTA position.  This position will work with the five farmers markets in St. Lawrence County to promote the use of SNAP benefits at the markets and to engage more volunteers and build the sustainability of the markets.  The VISTA will also work to strengthen GardenShare and build the organization's capacity through volunteer recruitment and support.

What is the Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps Program?

The Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps (AHOC) is a nationwide AmeriCorps VISTA program, funded by the USDA with matching support from the Walmart Foundation, sponsored by the Hunger Free America (HFA). The AHOC program partners with some of the nation’s most innovative anti-hunger nonprofit organizations which support HFA’s mission of “moving families beyond the soup kitchen.”  AHOC engages those who commit a year of their life as community change agents in this best practices originating and highly commended program by way of new project implementation, capacity building, volunteer management and community support building while simultaneously breaking down barriers and providing improved access to nutritious foods via nutrition education and benefits utilization, including SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) and the Summer Food Service Program.

 Program Benefits:

  Professional work experience with some of the nation’s  most respected anti-hunger organizations

  Living allowance, paid biweekly 

  Segal Education Award ($5,775) or End-of-Service Stipend ($1,500)

  Opportunity to forbear student loans while in service

  Relocation Assistance (if applicable)

  Childcare Assistance (if applicable)

  Optional Life Insurance

  One year non-competitive status for US federal government positions

 A network of over 180,000 AmeriCorps VISTA  volunteers and alums

 How to Apply:

GardenShare is seeking one person to join the program in June 2017.  Apply with a cover letter and resume to gloria@gardenshare.org by March 31, 2017.

About GardenShare:

GardenShare has worked to end hunger and strengthen our local food system since 1996.  Originally formed as a network of gardeners sharing their extra harvest with local food pantries, GardenShare has since embraced a larger vision and adopted this refreshed mission statement in March 2015:  GardenShare's mission is to solve the problem of hunger in St. Lawrence County through policy advocacy work and by strengthening the food system to benefit all County residents.

For more information about GardenShare:  www.gardenshare.org  or contact info@gardenshare.org

Americorps Week

This week celebrates Americorps and all of the volunteer currently serving, as well as those who have served in the past.

GardenShare is thrilled to have an Amercorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) working with us this year.  Brianna Blackburn started in November and will serve a full year, working on farmers markets, SNAP (formerly called food stamps), and volunteer recruitment.

Brianna comes to GardenShare through the Anti-Hunger Opportunity Corps, which is a program of Hunger Free America and the USDA, and is supported by WalMart and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

GardenShare will soon be recruiting for a second Americorps VISTA position, to start in June.  Watch this space and gardenshare.org for more details.

Third intern for spring semester

New intern Eliza introduces herself...

Hi! My name is Eliza Gillilan I am one of the new student interns this spring. I am currently a sophomore at St. Lawrence majoring in environmental studies and sociology, but I am originally from a mountain town in Montana. Agriculture is Montana’s largest industry and even growing up in a relatively large town, I’ve always held an interest in the farming taking place across the state. My parents’ were key in helping me foster a connection to local food through involvement with our community food co-op and CSA programs. Some of my fondest memories are school trips to local goat farms and learning how to milk a cow on the playground. When I arrived in Canton for school I expected the local food climate to be similar to that I had grown up with because of the sheer amount of farmland I was seeing; however, what I didn’t realize was the privilege associated with being able to make more ecologically and healthful decisions when it comes to buying food.

My first semester at St. Lawrence I took a class called “The Secret Life of Food” in which we discussed everything from the natural history of staple crops to sustainability and food insecurity and injustice. It was in the class where I was exposed to the fact that St. Lawrence county, despite its agricultural outputs, is considered a food desert because so many of its residents live out of reasonable range of a grocery store. We also discussed the fact that buying healthy foods is most often much more expensive option than processed foods, despite the trade off in health benefits. Ideally, everyone would love to feed their family in the healthiest way, and ideally with food that is grown nearby; however, in reality, this food has become a privilege to those who can afford to pay for it. This injustice is what drew me to choose GardenShare as my CBL placement. I think that the organization’s programs in the community to make access to healthy, local food a right rather than a privilege are so important especially in a rural community like Canton because there is the ability to grow food here. I am excited to see and contribute to the great work being done here at Gardenshare in my time here and to further the progress towards the vision of a community where everyone eats in a way that is good themselves and for farmers. 

Meet another new intern joining GardenShare for spring semester

Name: Haley Bolton

Home base: Washington DC

Role at GardenShare: SLU Student Intern

How long? Only 2 weeks thus far, will be here for 2 months

Why I do what I do at GardenShare:  My work at GardenShare is for my Community Based Learning course at St. Lawrence University.  I am a current senior who has spent the last four years living and learning in the North Country.  Throughout my time here a few of my courses have been centered around identifying issues within the larger community, understanding the root of the problem, and developing tactical processes by which to aid or solve the issue through research methods in the Communications field.  I have gained knowledge from my classwork of some of the critical areas for improvement, one of them being food and nutrition assistance.  I chose to Intern here because I saw the overarching benefits that GardenShare has on the health and well being of an entire community.  Bringing people and successful programs together supports local business, but also creates interconnected, educated citizens that are willing to instill healthy values towards food and consumerism to the next generation.  Although I only play a small part in the greater structure, the work that GardenShare does is going above and beyond to help the North Country better itself. 

Role outside of GardenShare:  I am a senior at St. Lawrence University, majoring in Performance and Communication Studies and Business.  Additionally I am a member of the Tri Delta Sorority, Beta Chapter. 

Hobbies:  I enjoy reading for pleasure and skiing.

Last read?  East of Eden, John Steinbeck

If you were a superhero, what would your power be?  Teleportation

What one word would you use to describe yourself?  Personable

What are you most proud of?  Probably my resume, I’ve worked very hard year round for the past 5 years both in school and outside of my education with jobs, internships, and positions.  My resume showcases my investments, care, and time I have put in to develop my skills and experience to be best prepared for the future.  

New interns at GardenShare

A new group of interns has joined GardenShare in recent weeks.  Here are some thoughts from one of them...

"One of the biggest reasons I joined GardenShare is because of the work this organization do for people in communities. GardenShare is monumental because they cater to the village of Canton in the St. Lawrence County. St Lawrence County is an area where people have to sacrifice many factors in their life to have proper food. At times some people here don't know what is offers in a town like this in terms of food such as farmers markets for healthier options. This is where GardenShare comes in and educates the community on how to shop and eat better to live a longer fulfilling life. Besides spending my time at GardenShare, I love reading, writing, and researching community issues."

Fanta Conde

St. Lawrence University

Interning for 10 weeks 

GardenShare Growing Community Award

Congratulations to the Local Living Venture, the recipient of GardenShare's 2016 Growing Community Award.  Each year GardenShare recognizes an individual or organization whose efforts strengthen food security in northern New York State with the Growing Community Award.  Past recipients have included farmers, food service staff, a food bank, community groups, and others.  Individuals, families, or organizations who are making progress in solving the problem of hunger through policy and advocacy work or by building a stronger food system to better serve all North Country residents may be nominated for this recognition. 

Local Living Venture is a non-profit responsible for spreading knowledge throughout the community regarding affordable and sustainable solutions that local people can implement in their daily lives. They are especially concerned with local food, clean energy, northern forest, green building, simple living and homesteading skills. Through hands-on, learning workshops LLV implements healthy and low-cost living styles for community members as well as strengthening local community ties.  

Jan /Dewaters, left, presents to award to the Local Living Venture team.

In nominating Local Living Venture for this award, GardenShare Board member Jan DeWaters wrote, "Since they first formed out of the North Country Sustainable Energy Fair in 2009, this group has emerged as a leading authority in all-things-back-to-basics. By offering a wide array of educational programming, as well as a number of community gathering events, they are filling a need here for teaching people important, often-forgotten skills our ancestors practiced on a daily basis, and are also bringing people together to join in community as they venture forth with putting their newly-learned skills into practice. To me, this group is a unique and valuable piece of our north country community building effort." 

At the same event, GardenShare honored the St. Lawrence University Environmental Studies Department, who hosted GardenShare's offices from 2009 until 2016.  Without their support, with facilities, services, and many talented interns over the years, GardenShare would not begin to have accomplished all we have in our history.

Gloria McAdam, far right, along with Aviva Gold and Carlene Doane, left,
present a recognition to Carrie Johns, Environmental Studies Department Chair.
Professors David Murphy and Glenn Harris are in the back row.

Than you to everyone who attended and was part of the this event in any way.  More photos can be found here.

Campus Kitchens volunteers

Last night, a crew of friends of GardenShare volunteered to help cook, serve, and clean up for the weekly meal served by St. Lawrence University's Campus Kitchens program.

Kate and Margaret Harloe help load the
van with supplies to transport to the church.

 While this program is operated by students, they are committed to serving every Monday evening, so community volunteers are needed at times when the students are on break, like now for the winter break.

Campus Kitchens started at St. Lawrence in 2010 when one of its students applied for a grant as a Senior project. It has since become a vitally important service that community members-at-large depend on for shared meals and fellowship.

Through this project St. Lawrence students and community volunteers turn food that would otherwise be wasted from campus dining halls and local farms into delicious, nutritionally balanced, three-course meals.  The meals, prepared at St. Lawrence and served at the Canton Unitarian Church, are open to anyone free of charge.   It takes many volunteers to procure food, and prepare and serve these meals. If you'd like to help, please contact SLU Volunteer Services at 229-5135.

GardenShare recently received a grant from the State of New York to increase the number of volunteers engaged in fighting hunger in the North Country.  Last night's efforts was one of our first attempts.  Thank you to these friends who volunteered to help last night:  Mark Berninghausen; Gwen Cunninghan; Margaret, Bart, Ben, and Kate Harloe; Anneke Larrance; Gloria McAdam; Carol and Tom Pynchon; Carol Strome; Jennifer Whittaker; and Theresa Witmer.

12 days - 12 ways GardenShare is making a difference - day 6

We continue our 12 day review of some of GardenShare's highlights of 2016...

Some great new people joined the team at GardenShare, including:

• New members of the Board of Directors, Tamera Rizk and Philip Paige

• Several interns who did great work over the course of the year

• A full-time Amercorps VISTA volunteer

• Many volunteers helping out at the farmers markets and in other ways

• And a Volunteer Coordinator who will be working to engage more volunteers

People who make GardenShare's work possible!  Thank you, each and every one!


Read our earlier posts:

Day 5 - Summer intern and "Farmer Friday"

Day 4 - New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy

Day 3 - Local Food Guide

Day 2 - Making CSA's affordable

Day 1 - Growing Community Award

Reflections from a GardenShare intern

Intern Camille Duquet reflects on her experience at GardenShare:

Before my senior year in college at St Lawrence University, I had never thought of food and food issues in a critical way. It was not until I enrolled in my capstone thesis class ‘You Are What You Eat’ that I began to understand the implications of being food insecure and the many difficulties that millions of Americans in that position face every day. Food insecurity refers to the state of not having consistent or reliable access to nutritious food due to lack of resources, most predominantly caused by low-income and poverty.  Unfortunately, this state leads to hunger, malnutrition, and other weight related illness such as overweight and obesity.

It then occurred to me that St Lawrence County being one of the poorest counties in New York State, there were hundreds of people in my community suffering from food insecurity and I had never stopped once to think about it. It suddenly became a more personal issue that I wanted to learn more about and find ways to help fellow community members in need.

As I was looking through the placement options as part of my Community Based Learning class, listed was GardenShare. I had never heard about the nonprofit organization before, but I thought this would be the perfect way to volunteer in the community as well as gain knowledge on various projects being implemented to help fight hunger in the North Country.

For twenty years now, GardenShare has been responsible for providing healthy, wholesome foods from local farms to community members in need at an affordable price. GardenShare supports both the local farming economy and the health of other community members by offering the choice of obtaining fresh produce to people who may not otherwise have been able to afford it.

Throughout my time as a volunteer intern, I have been able to experience first hand at the Farmers Market the work done by GardenShare. On Tuesday mornings, along side Jennifer Whittaker, under the Farmers Market Manager's tent I am responsible for handing out the tokens redeemable in exchange for market goods from all participating Farmers Market vendors. Through donations and grants, GardenShare has made it possible for individuals on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, to not only purchase farmers market produce using their EBT card but also double the desired amount completely free of charge. This allows individuals on a SNAP budget to have access to more abundant healthy and nutritious foods while also helping the local farming economy.

Beyond the Farmers Market, GardenShare is also involved in many policy advocacy works to end hunger issues in the North Country. I have been a part of one these projects led by executive director Gloria McAdam, called Hunger 101. Through mock situations, yet using real life scenarios, participants are taught the difficulties of being on a tight food budget.

Through GardenShare I have gained a deeper understanding of the implications of food insecurity in the North Country. It has provided a learning platform to be implemented in my final thesis paper, but most importantly it has opened my eyes on the issue of hunger and provided feasible solutions in order for everybody to have access to healthy, wholesome foods.

-Camille Duquet

Americorps volunteer joins GardenShare

All of us at GardenShare are thrilled that we've been approved to add an Americorps volunteer to our team!  And very happy to welcome Brianna Blackburn who just started her year of service this week.

Hi, my name is Brianna Blackburn, I am GardenShare’s first ever AmeriCorps VISTA member serving this upcoming year in the neighborhood! I spent majority of my life growing up in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona and moved to Western New York just in time for high school. I am presently finishing up my degree in Political Science with minors in Law and Business at Clarkson University this December.

Why AmeriCorps you ask? Social and environmental justice have become issues that I am extremely passionate about and AmeriCorps was a great way to start a life of advocacy and activism. I am so excited to be welcomed into the GardenShare team and am especially excited to become a member of the local community! 

One of my favorite activities to do is experiment with new recipes while jamming out to Van Morrison. I also love reading the works of Kurt Vonnegut on my free time. I am also an avid road tripper and back packer, I mostly prefer to rough it and camp out in the elements. I have been to 30 states and my goal is to travel to all 50! My favorite place I have traveled to is the Northwest region of the US, most particularly Mt. Rainier in Washington. I spent last spring on a semester exchange in Hong Kong and back packed through Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines. My most recent trip was a solo road trip from NY to Southwest Colorado to see Pearl Jam play! I have been saving up diligently to back pack through Iceland as my next adventure after my year of service!

I am very excited for what the next year has in store for me, and thank you for welcoming me into the community!

Brianna 

NYS Council on Hunger and Food Policy announced

ALBANY — State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today announced the members of the New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy, which has been created to establish a permanent focus on fighting hunger in the state. Chaired by Commissioner Ball, the Council will advise the state on strategies to address hunger needs and expand the availability of fresh, locally grown foods for New Yorkers living in communities with limited access. 

See more here


All of us at GardenShare are happy to announce that our Executive Director is a member of this Council, representing the North Country's interests on these important issues!

Meet GardenShare's new Volunteer Coordinator

GardenShare welcomes a new member of our team this week.  Here's a little more about her!

Name:  Rhonda Rodriguez

Town of residence:  Massena

Role at GardenShare:  Part-time employee (Volunteer Coordinator)

How long? I just joined the organization in November 2016 and am happy to be a part of it!

Why I do what I do:  I was born and raised in the North Country and spent about 10 years away (in Boston and New York City) and then came back North in 1999, so I've had plenty of opportunity to see how poverty and hunger impact not only our area but America as a whole. Something needs to be done to get things in balance, and we can only solve the problem one person at a time. I admire GardenShare's efforts to help people in need access healthy food, fruits and vegetables, while bringing attention to local growers in the process. I am glad to do what I can do help spread that good message.

Role outside of GardenShare:  I am the proud (and often tired!) mom of a very active 9-year-old and I volunteer for community organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of Massena and a local Girl Scout troop.

Hobbies:  I am a certified teacher and I tutor students in my spare time. I enjoy music - when time allows, I sing in a local choir and play flute in a local community band. I am also a hockey fan and probably spend too much time on Facebook than I should!

Most recent accomplishment:  This summer in Albany, I served on a committee established by the New York State Commissioner of Education to help revise the high school Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts

What's the hardest thing you've done or had to learn? That as much as I want to, I am not going to save the world. However, there is profound value in helping one person one day at a time.

Favorite book? My favorite author is a childhood classic - Laura Ingalls Wilder. I've read not only her books but biographies and academic works about her, and it's a goal of mine to see the museum in Mansfield, Missouri that is dedicated to her life and career.

Last read? Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey. It's a family custom to read out loud in the car whenever we're going somewhere, and we are currently working our way through Lackey's multi-volume Valdemar series.

What one word would you use to describe yourself? Brainstormer

Share something about yourself that few people know. I appeared on Jeopardy! many years ago, in one of their college tournaments. My performance was quite dismal, but it was still a lot of fun.

What are you most proud of?  My daughter and her adventurous spirit

If you could trade places with anyone for a week, who would it be?  Why?  Sometimes I wish I could trade places with my daughter, so that I could see and experience the world as she does. Viewing the world with fresh, young eyes, with no understanding of cynicism and sarcasm, would be a really powerful thing.

If you were a superhero, what would your power be?  I have always wished that I could read people's thoughts. I am not terribly adept at interpreting body language and prefer to know directly what's on someone's mind. But the books I am reading with the family right now (the Valdemar series) feature a character who has the psychic ability to read, manipulate, and project EMOTIONS. That ability (used with the appropriate ethics, of course) would be amazing, I think.

What would I find in your refrigerator right now? Not too much, as we're almost due for a trip to the market! Mostly deli meat and cheese, milk and juice and creamer for coffee. Assorted fruits and veggies - usually peppers, cukes, grapes, apples and peaches. We tend to plan out our meals for a week and then buy just enough at the store, rather than having a lot of extra food around.

Anne Frank once said that in spite of everything, she believed people were basically good.  Do you agree or disagree?  Why?  I think that people WANT to be good, but that they fool themselves into allowing behaviors that are not good and rationalize them as good and come up with justifications to absolve themselves of guilt. The  mind is a powerful thing. And what's good for some people is not necessarily good for others.

Fall intern joins the team

My name is Jamie Oriol and I am one of GardenShare’s fall interns! Growing up in the suburban town of West Hartford, Connecticut, my interest in food systems really began when I signed up for the Sustainability Semester my freshman year at St. Lawrence. Through this experience, I began to learn about the large disconnect between so many Americans and their food source. Now a senior, I have become aware of the struggle people in poverty face trying to purchase healthy food, the lack of education of many Americans in how to prepare healthy food and where food comes from, and the many roadblocks created through policy that make it difficult to change the system. I believe that the food system in America, as well as people’s relationship with their food, needs to change, and I believe that organizations such as GardenShare are the way to help bring that change. For this reason, I am extremely excited to join the GardenShare team this fall.

                For a little information about myself, I am a huge fan of anything outdoors. In my free time you can often find me hiking, running, or swimming. I absolutely LOVE eating so I spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen attempting to cook. Although I’m not a great baker and do not like to follow instructions, I make up for it with my determination and am always up to make a fresh batch of cookies (as long as I can eat some). 

            If I were a superhero, I would without a doubt want to have the power to fly. This is because of the feeling of freedom that comes with this and the chance to see the world from a new angle. 

            I’d say my most recent accomplishment is becoming captain of the St. Lawrence field hockey team this year and I cannot wait to see how the season turns out!

If I could do anything, I would want to own a blueberry farm. Not only are blueberries the most delicious berry out there, in my opinion of course, but they also have so many uses! I would love to sell fresh blueberries, frozen blueberries, blueberry jams, blueberry deserts, and anything else that could possibly be made with blueberries. Blueberries make me happy and I’d love to help other people experience the same joy.  Other than blueberries, I also like to read. 

My favorite book for the last 3 years has been Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. I do not want to give anything away, but this book really helped opened my mind to the inequalities experienced by millions of people around the world as a result of globalization. It has a beautiful message and is an extremely worthy read. This book makes you think about how privileged Americans are just to be born into a developed country that has a system in place to protect its people with clean drinking water, welfare, and other government aid.

If anyone would like to learn any more fun facts about myself, talk about blueberries, or talk about issues surrounding America’s food system, I would love to hear from you! Looking forward to a great semester!

-Jamie

New intern joins the team at GardenShare

Hello From GardenShare!

My Name is Julia Callahan and I am happy to be wrapping up my St. Lawrence career as an intern at GardenShare. In December I will graduate with a Degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Outdoor Studies.

When I arrived in Canton as freshman hailing from good ole’ suburbia Connecticut, I was unaware and unexposed to the infectious spirit of the rural North Country and it’s strong ability to spread localized impact. I was lucky enough to experience a dose of North Country Farm Culture, with Ann and Brian at Bittersweet Farm in the fall of 2014, and with Flip and Bob at littleGrasse Foodworks in the summer of 2015. Both of these farm-stays enlightened my understanding of the interconnection of land, community, and sustainability the North Country fosters. It was here, in Canton, that I fell in love with food (really, ask my mom). Access to and knowledge of local, nurturing food should be a right to all people. I admire the work of GardenShare to tackle the food system in a localized area, in order to conceptualize the broader global food system.

When I am not eating cabbage, I can be seen running around the streets of Canton, sipping coffee on the porch, exploring the Adirondack lakes in a canoe, picking veggies and flowers, planning the next time I will eat cabbage, and hanging out with my lovely friends, who inspire me every day.

-Julia

Farmer Friday - Sweetcore Farm

It's Farmer Friday again and this time, intern Amanda profiled Dave Rice of Sweetcore Farm.  Dave has a long association with Garden Share, having served three years on the Board of Directors, and still serving on our Fund Development Committee.

As a young adult, I am told the world is at my feet. My career options are endless; I need only to pick a direction of and interest and pursue the path. At times the possibilities are overwhelming, but I find comfort in the garden.  One garden I particularly found solace was on a visit to David and Kathy Rice who live what I aspire to one day do. Stories like David’s, however, are what reassures me when I wonder how I will achieve the same end result.

Dave and Kathy working in the field

David Rice grew up on an eight-acre orchard in New Hampshire with a family vegetable garden and pigs. David’s first job was at Friendly’s, although he helped press cider, work retail, and pack as well as deliver orders on the farm. Because there wasn’t much to learn, David distinguished himself by attending New Hampshire University to major in horticulture with a focus on fruit science. In 1989, David began work-study where he met Kathy. When Dave decided there wasn’t room for expanding, he moved with Kathy to work on a 100-acre farm. Dave was the supervisor to the farm, which profited $24,000 in sales and employed nine full-time employees.

Moving on to the next stage in their life, Dave and Kathy relocated to Madbury, New Hampshire after Dave boldly sent a letter asking for paid employment and housing. The farm had 30 tilled acres: 1,200 apple trees, 2000 blueberry bushes, 1 acre of peaches, 1 acre of pears - for a fruit lover like David this place was a sticky sweet deal. Dave had been offered to pay the farm owner for lease at a percent of the sales and equipment after two years. Meanwhile, Kathy worked in childcare to help make ends meet. As farmers, we know farming is a seasonal job in terms of income; like Dave, most farmers work July-Sept seven days a week. Kathy’s income supplemented the small family during the winter/spring months.

Fast-forward four years. David (now age 35) and Kathy are ready for a change once more. David didn’t like the quantity of pesticides used; economically, the management practice cost him around $3000 a year. What is more, Dave questioned how healthy personal exposure to pesticides actually was as he pulled on a full-body suit every day to spray the fruits. “It’s more of a risk to the applicator than to the consumer…I was always worried,” he commented to me. For a short while, David and Kathy agreed to help a couple operate an eighty-acre farm. He grew wholesale pumpkins (his favorite vegetable to cultivate). He also ran a CSA program, which grew to support 50 families. Yet, the David and Kathy could not see raising a family or living their life there, despite their success. David’s dream of homesteading could not be squandered.

At this point some may call Dave picky. Why not just pick a strip of land, cultivate the soil and raise a family? Farming is simple, right? He clearly had the experience, knowledge, mindset and work ethic to make his vision reality. I respect David and Kathy for not settling; they were unstoppable in their quest for the right location, home and community.

2005 marked the year Dave and Kathy committed to the North Country. Dave and Kathy Rice had bought twelve aces adjacent to a long-time 200-acre dairy farm. Six acres were open for tillage, the other six deemed as unusable wetlands. Their custom built home was cleverly designed not only to comfortably fit a family of four, but also to efficiently burn only 8 cords of wood a NoCo winter. The former owner, Rich Douglass, used the land for pasture, leaving the area extremely fertile and chemical free with very minimal compaction. “I noticed the silt clay loam makes for better fall crops,” Dave said as he knelt down to give the cracked soil a poke. To boost the fertility of his soil further, Dave relies heavily on cover cropping. While many farmers worry about over-tilling the land, which eventually creates a hardpan, Dave believes his organic practices ensure the health of the soil. In fact, he once had Cornell Cooperative Extension survey the soil for compaction, but they thought the meter was broken because no compaction was measured!

Student interns help Dave get the produce
ready for the farmers market

By July they bought a rototiller and were selling at the farmers market. Kathy worked part-time at Birdsfoot Farm. In 2006, Dave became certified organic and a member of the Finger Lakes Organic Co-Op. One year later, he was the biggest producer for North Country Grown Cooperative and served as the vice president. Marketing wise, Dave sells at the farmers market, the former Blackbird Café, the 1844 House as well as his new farm stand, which had just been delivered when I arrived for a visit.

Basil, thyme, parsley, dill, chives and storage cilantro, cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, spring kale, zucchini, pot turro pie pumpkins, Adirondack red potatoes, blue potatoes, delacotta, squash, cucumbers, and red onions are just a few herbs and vegetables cultivated with a single walking tractor on Sweetcore farm.

Some of the apple trees

These annual crops, however, leave no legacy for future generations save on the land they grow. The average age of a farmer is 65, and that statistic isn’t getting any younger. Recognizing this national problem, David planted apple orchards. "Liberty, Freedoms, Honey crisp, Gala, Crimson Crisp, Duchess Oldenburg, Macintosh, Cortland, Mantet, Nova Spies, Red-fry:”…David rattled off names of apples like mothers do children. His personal relationship with the apples mirrors his connection to the land. I was amazed by how much he knew about each tree.

After giving me a tour, the most extensive one I have been on yet, David invited me into his home for a drink of water. He pays $400 for fuel a year, which accounts for 100 gallons of propane required to heat the water. They use a wood fire oven in winter months. The solar panel, with eight batteries, is their main source of electricity. In hindsight, Dave said he has not saved money using solar energy. In fact, the solar setup was a quarter of the cost to build his house.

Looking at David’s current lifestyle, I was curious. This man has solar energy, a composting toilet system, and minimal waste; He is practically self-sufficient. What does sustainability mean to Sweetcore? David’s answer seemed like not one at all, “We are participating in the food system, we all go to the grocery store.” Even Dave and Kathy, who personify my future goals, admit to feeding into the system of consumerism. I then wanted to know how sustainable he believes GardenShare to be. Is our vision of  “Healthy Food. Healthy Farms. Everybody Eats.” really attainable? In short, yes. David replied, “In order to survive we have to get food to people- healthy and local food.” Dave caters to all customers by “not trying to limit access”. He offers a wide range of products and prices. Growing and selling vegetables is one way he “beats” the food system.