GardenShare is a locally led, nonprofit organization with a mission 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.
GardenShare's vision for our community:
Healthy Food – Healthy Farms – Everybody Eats
Why I do what I do: I’m working with GardenShare as an additional learning
experience with my class on societal change. I love GardenShare’s mission of
strengthening the region’s food system to help both the farmers and those who
need food assistance, with healthy food at the center. I look forward to
helping this mission however I can in the four months I’m here.
Role outside of
GardenShare: I’m a student at St. Lawrence University.
Hobbies: I love
to travel, discuss current events, learn new things, and go on adventures.
What one word would
you use to describe yourself? Inquisitive.
Favorite book: Margaret
Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
Role at GardenShare: As an intern, my primary responsibility is to reach out to
youth in the St. Lawrence County community and spread the mission of
GardenShare through education. I am creating another lesson plan for
GardenShare’s repertoire on youth education and will be assessing the
effectiveness of this new plan through survey.
How long? I am interning at GardenShare from the month of September
through December of 2017.
Why I do what I do: I applied to be an intern at GardenShare because as an
environmental studies major, I believe that one of the major ways we can
mitigate climate change is by being mindful consumers and supporting local, small
businesses rather than large franchises. GardenShare promotes local agriculture
and emphasizes the importance nutritionally, economically, and environmentally
of buying and eating local.
Role outside of
GardenShare: Outside of GardenShare, I am a full-time student at St.
Lawrence University and will be graduating with a Bachelor’s in Environmental
Studies with a French Minor in the spring of 2018. At St. Lawrence, I work for
the Calling All Saints team as a student-caller and am a member of the
Laurentian Singers.
Hobbies: Singing, dancing, drawing and writing.
Most recent
accomplishment: I have just recently returned from studying abroad in
Australia where I learned about the environmental management of the Great
Barrier Reef and the marine park in which it lies. I hope to work in
environmental management and in educating others on how their choices and
actions impact their environment. Through GardenShare, I hope to develop my
communication and organizational skills so that I can learn more about the food
system within St. Lawrence County and educate its youth about GardenShare’s
mission of eating locally and mindfully.
Favorite song, book,
or movie? My favorite song is Green Eyes by Coldplay.
Why I do what I do: I am at GardenShare to
help those who are in need and to help make sure everyone has access to healthy
locally grown food.
I am a freshman at St. Lawrence University, currently
pursuing a degree in Business, but I am ultimately undecided. My favorite movie
is Just Go With it, starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. If I could be a
superhero, my power would to be have super speed, so I can get things done
faster. For example, homework, helping people, and just everyday tasks. One
word I would use to describe myself is fun and funny. I like to make the most
of every moment and use humor in my everyday life. What not many people know
about me is that I have five siblings, one older sister, one older brother, and
three younger sisters.
Why I do what I do at GardenShare: Food insecurity has always been an issue that I have been passionate about, when I saw the opportunity to volunteer at an organization like this I jumped at the opportunity because I believe that it will not only allow me to make a small difference in the wider community but I can also get a better sense of the area itself and the people who live and work here.
Role outside of GardenShare: I am a full time student majoring in sociology and minoring in Chinese studies at St. Lawrence University!
Hobbies: Spending time outdoors (hiking, biking, swimming, paddling, backpacking, rock climbing, etc...), climbing trees, reading, spending time with friends, sketching
Most recent accomplishment: Being awarded the IB Diploma after 2 years of hard work.
Favorite book? Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Last read? Plato's Republic, for a Philosophy class
What one word would you use to describe yourself? Fun-loving
What are you most proud of? My commitment to the Chinese language, (this is my 7th year taking it.)
What would I find in your refrigerator right now? Apple cider, cupcakes, cheese and lemonade.
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.
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.
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.
Recently, the team at GardenShare has been helping with the Ag Literacy Week at schools across the County.
It made our day today to get an envelope full of thank you letters from a second grade classroom in Ogdensburg where AmeriCorps volunteer Brianna and student intern Jamie made a presentation.
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.
New student intern, Eliza Gillilan contributes today's blog entry...
It
may seem odd that February would be the month of National Strawberry Day, but
with their red color and heart-like shape it may be appropriate that they share
the month with Valentine’s Day. Although not in season here in Northern New
York, strawberries are an ever-present fixture in grocery stores in the area
courtesy of Florida farmers and can be found locally starting in June through July. One of
my favorite ways to eat strawberries is in strawberry shortcake, a classic dessert
that, in my opinion, is appropriate in any season. Here is a recipe by Mary
Nolan over at foodnetwork.com that received some especially good reviews.
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.
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."
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
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.
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!
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
One of GardenShare's interns from last year stopped by for a visit this morning. She brought some wonderful blueberry bread to share with us, but also this lovely hand-drawn card she had made for us!
Anna graduated from St. Lawrence University in May and has accepted a position with FoodCorps in Waterbury, CT.
We are so excited for her!
Are you a student or do you know a student who is interested in food system issues? With the semester starting, we are definitely looking for new interns to join our team.
Who knows, you might just find your passion, like Anna did!
A final message from our summer intern, Amanda... Mid-July, I lined up behind Kent Family Growers tent at the Canton Farmers Market to pick up a CSA share, excited to assorted vegetables waiting to be prepared for next week’s meals.
Next to the sugar snap peas was a bin of pulses I did not recognize—a bean of some sort. I took a bite, but the starchy shell was rather chewy. The experience wasn’t unpleasant; in fact, I didn’t spit the green out. Actually, I ate the entire pod. The sign read “Fava Beans,” but my tongue read, “Do not eat raw.” Weighing my allotted pound and a half, I assumed I simply lacked the knowledge to make this produce desirably edible uncooked.
This experience made me wonder: How many people have encountered a strange vegetable and not known how to cook its earthy flesh? Many people I talked to at the market had no clue what to do with a Fava bean. In fact, my parents had never even heard of the bland legume until I attempted grilling them a handful based on a Google search. I then speculate, how many people wouldn’t have even bothered with cooking advice?
As humans, our lives are pivotally centered on food because energy acquisition is literally a matter of either life or death. Consequently, we spend the majority of our lives growing, procuring, cooking and ingesting food. The Bureau of Labor Statistics claims an average American spends 90 minutes a day eating. This statistic fails to include the process - like working a 40-hour week to pay the grocery bill.
This summer I’ve learned eating fresh produce isa privilege. I can afford to not only eat food from the Farmers Market, but also to take the time to prepare a meal. The time and money food consumes in our daily life is one reason processed (and often cheaper) food is so popular. Cooking means I at least have fresh produce possibilities and different culinary choices for my meal tonight. This same opportunity is what GardenShare wishes to give everyone across St. Lawrence County.
September is Hunger Action Month, a national call for people to take initiative to fight hunger in their community. At GardenShare, we believe everyone has a right to healthy and affordable food as we promote the local food system.
Join us in our various activities that help directly impact friends, families and neighbors who are food insecure.
This week, intern Amanda visits Circle G Farm. Located in Hammond, the farm sells at both the Hammond and the Canton Farmers Markets. This time she shot some video to accompany her report.
To say I feel nervous every time I step out of my car onto a
new farm is an understatement. Here I am, a college intern, being nosey about a
person’s livelihood. Not just any person, but a farmer whose occupation
revolves around the very precious daylight hours that I am taking. Raised on a
farm myself, I understand what that is like. I’m honestly surprised I haven’t been
declined yet!
Nerves aside, when I got out of my car at Circle G Farm in Hammond,
I had the same feeling of comfort that I experience when I return home from
college. Mary-Ellen Blatchley, co-owner, brushed dirt off her hands from
weeding her aesthetically pleasing rows of greens, greeted me, and then
introduced me to her husband, George. Together, they grow about thirty
different vegetables, and they do so because they simply love to garden. George
exclaimed, “Sometimes I like to grow them [the vegetables] more than I like to
eat them!”
Shortly after retiring in 2012, George and Mary-Ellen built
a sugar house where they invite local community groups, like the 4-H club, to
help with the sugaring of 35-40 gallons of syrup a year. George is an active
member of the St. Lawrence County Maple Producers Association. Outside of the
sticky saccharine season, the sugar house is a hub for garden activity.
Their garden began one-eighth of the current size above
their house. As with the Fuller Farm, somehow gardens began sprouting up
wherever there was room. The gardens used to be NOFA Certified Organic;
however, the extensive paperwork, time and cost made the legal process no longer
feasible. After both touring the land and listening to the couple talk, I am
certain George and Mary-Ellen are firm activists in organic practices. They are
against the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and are committed to the NOFA
Farmer’s Pledge. 2016 marks the fourth year marketing their surplus garden at
the farmers markets. I say surplus because George and Mary-Ellen’s bottom line
isn’t profit; rather, the couple promotes the dogma of healthy affordable food.
George and Mary-Ellen, after giving a tour of their land,
invited me into their home. Again, I felt like I knew them both for years by
the way they put me at ease. George mentioned how over coffee that morning he
disturbingly discovered “40% of food is wasted in America alone, yet 35% of
Americans are considered obese.” Mary-Ellen was equally troubled: “One-third of
children [in the US] are hungry, and I find that appalling. We find programs
like WIC and SNAP help alleviate this.” Both George and Mary-Ellen have
undergone WIC training. What is more, they accept SNAP/EBT at their farmers
market stand. Yet, George and Mary-Ellen take the issue of hunger in the North
Country one step closer.
Often “organic” translates in the consumer’s mind (and
wallet) not to the farming practices involved, but rather to a higher price.
Mary-Ellen and George recognize many consumers opt for the cheaper conventional
head of lettuce instead of their six-ounce spring mix as an upshot. To bridge
this gap, Mary-Ellen regularly visits grocery stores like Wal-Mart to match her
prices with shelf prices. Doing so encourages all shoppers to purchase from the market instead of from the
corporate counterpart.
Jeff Bridge, head of Food for Children, recently stated how
people are choosing, “easy food instead of smart food.” Offering organic food at commodity prices is
another way Circle G Farm attempts to alter that mindset, similar to
GardenShare’s mission. Families aside, George said the elderly are too often forgotten
about when discussing food security. Using nutrition assistance programs at
markets is often difficult for the elderly; not many markets sell small
quantities of fresh produce- an important factor when one lives alone, has a
small appetite, or doesn’t want to eat an ear of corn every night for dinner.
Mary and George understand many markets sell items like sweet corn either by
the half or full dozen. “If they want one ear of corn, we sell them one ear. Our
WIC/SNAP people get their money’s worth in checks and tokens, but we always
slip in a little more.”
The side comments like that last line above were what drew
me to Circle G Farm. The humble honesty and willingness to help the community
stuck out as mains principals. Before I left (with three jars of Mary-Ellen’s
famous jam no less), George looked me in the eyes and said, “We are lucky to be
educated. We aren’t struggling. We do this because we like to garden, we like
to grow [our food]. We are fortunate to not be hand to mouth. Growing food is
the right thing to do, but you can only can/freeze so
much.” And thus their surplus is sold to the market with their beliefs and care
in tow.
Hogan helps out at a soup kitchen in Philadelphia on a spring break trip.
A second summer intern joined the team at GardenShare this week - a little about him:
Name: Hogan Dwyer
Town of residence: South Orange, New Jersey
Role at GardenShare: Part-time summer intern
How long: 6 weeks
Why I do what I do: I will be working primarily on promoting local Farmers Markets, but I help out with anything I can. I’m currently doing extensive research on recipes for in-season vegetables.
Role outside of GardenShare: I’m a rising sophomore at St. Lawrence University and planning to major in Environmental Studies. I am a member of the XC and track and field teams and the student group DivestSLU.
Hobbies: Hiking, Reading, Eating good food
Most recent accomplishment: Did some really great bargaining at the downtown market in Nairobi, Kenya
Last read: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Share something about yourself that few people know: I used to take piano lessons and can still play some songs by memory
