Community Garden Scholar

February activities: Co-presented Feeding Monadnock: Gardening as Learning, Conservation, and Partnership at the   Campus Farmer Summit hosted by Farm to Institution New England (FINE)  Discussed community gardens and sustainable agriculture with Community Garden Connections (CGC) colleagues and National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) colleagues on the ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture podcast Developed an "Autoethnography Dissertation Peer Power" group discussion using Google Classroom ( contact me for an invitation!) Completed a second month teaching Food & Environment in the Food Studies program at University of Southern Maine and Food, Wellness & Social Environment in the Dietetic Intern program at Keene State College Planted basil in the kitchen and ordered bare-root blueberry stock through Cheshire County Conservation District Launched a gofundme campaign for summer semester tuition ( Please donate or share! ) Coming up in March: Doctoral...

With about twelve hours of driving each week this semester, I've committed to making the best use of commute time. If you've ever looked for podcasts or audio books on dissertation research, you'll know there's not much out there; even less so for autoethnography. There's a lot on writing generally, but the topic is so broad, it can be overwhelming. Same for gardening and food systems, which is where my personal and research/writing goals intersect. And, it's important for educators, researchers, and likewise busy people to be able to draw on resources that support mindfulness and such. So, here is what I've selected (of what's available through Spotify) to focus and motivate me this spring: The Dissertation Podcast Dining Room Dissertation Dissertating Academic Woman Amplified (Cathy Mazak) Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach Tricycle Talks The One You Feed The joe gardener Show Food Sleuth Radio Know of other podcasts or audio books for dissertation...

I am excited to be teaching two courses this semester: Food and the Environment , in the Food Studies Program at University of Southern Maine, and a new course,  Food, Wellness, and Social Environment , in the Dietetic Intern Program at Keene State College. I co-presented a session, Feed and Empower: A Network-Based Approach to Regional  Food Security and Justice,  at the Universities Fighting World Hunger   (UFWH) Summit at USM last March, and have hosted KSC students at workplace and community gardens during my doctoral fellowship. It's a pleasure to be active in my educator role again, and I'm looking forward to a great journey with my fellow learners. Join me for side-by-side writing, research, and related work this spring: Tuesdays, 6:00 - 8:00 PM in Antrim Wednesdays, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM in Keene Fridays, time & place TBD Let's connect.

Join me at the 2020 NH Food System Statewide Gathering hosted by NH Food Alliance on March 10, 2020 ​at Plymouth State University. This year's theme is Climate and Community Resilience. Register here .

As of this month, I've officially joined the  NH Food Alliance  (NHFA) Network Leadership Team and  The Community Kitchen  (TCK) Board of Directors. I was honored to be invited to serve by both fantastic groups, which are doing excellent work across New Hampshire and the Monadnock Region, respectively. I look forward to using our collective capacity to build more thriving, community-based food systems and aligning efforts between higher education and neighboring partners. On a related note, dissertation research is now in full swing as I round out the last phase of my doctoral program and welcome teaching and research opportunities in 2020.  Connect with me  any time!

Sharing this article from the Yarden of Eatin' blog ( Eat Local Monadnock ) which is an excellent  resource for all things food, farming, and community in the Monadnock Region.  Community Garden Connections was grateful to the Monadnock Food Co-op and the patrons who rounded up their change to support community gardening efforts in Keene. Thank you!

This month I was invited to the US Food Sovereignty Alliance 's Northeast Assembly, where courageous and thoughtful people from several different tribes and countries organized around the deep work of reclaiming the rights of workers, women, migrants, and poor people to land access, fair labor, and traditional food ways. I learned about connections between food sovereignty, agroecology, and food-as-medicine, and between current agricultural movements and and their historical framing in the context of colonization and white supremacy. This is heavy and important work that requires open-mindedness, vulnerability, and willingness to speak and listen to personal truth; I was fortunate to be in the company of such an inclusive and dedicated group to engage in this experience. In small groups, assembly participants conducted a conjunctural analysis of food sovereignty in the Northeast region. This is a new process for me that involves dialogue to identify: structure (economic, poli...

I have been learning a lot about autoethnographic research over the last month. While methodological openness is a key virtue of autoethnography, “venturing into the unknown of self-study can be intimidating, especially when no guide provides an overview of how the methodological processes interrelate” (Struthers, 2014, p. 83). My current proposal is guided by scholarly advice not to “fall into presenting an overly intellectualized and reified map” (Anderson & Glass-Coffin, 2013, p. 58) but to remain open to adaptation, innovation, and learning as I go. Here's to the scholars who are forging and foraging our way through the tangled fields of knowledge! P.S. I am offering "Focus Fridays" for anyone doing research, writing, or creative work and could use a dedicated space in which to immerse.  Remaining dates in Antrim, NH: June 28; July 12, 26; August 2, 9, 16, 30; September 6, 20, 27  Additional dates at Antioch University New England: July 19; August 23; S...

On March 15-16 I will co-present "Feed & Empower: A Network-Based Approach to Regional Food Security & Justice" with Sarah Harpster, the (Keene, NH) Community Kitchen's Gleaning Coordinator and Rachel Brice, Community Garden Connections (CGC)'s Westmoreland Garden Project Manager (by remote). The presentation is part of the Universities Fighting World Hunger Summit presented by the University of Southern Maine's Food Studies Program, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and Campus Compact Maine. The Summit program and USM website have details.  The Summit's theme, "Fighting Hunger in a World of Plenty: Shifting Power and Taking Action," is related to my dissertation proposal, which looks at the experiences of various stakeholders in community-based food systems (CBFS) (specifically involving higher education institutions) through the lens of community empowerment. I'm honored to be co-presenting with two women who embody the...

Here are some of the places you'll find me through the next two months. I hope to see you there! Friday, February 8: Soup Day presented by Community Garden Connections at Antioch University New England. 11 am until soup runs out. Ingredients grown in the campus garden. $3 donation suggested, not required. Monday, February 11: Community Food Assessment planning meeting at Antioch University New England Wednesday, February 13: Community Table , presented by Windham County Grows Thursday, February 14: Visit to the campus garden and cafeteria at Franklin Pierce University Friday, March 1: First Friday Free Co-working at Hannah Grimes Center Monday, March 11: Soil Health for Vegetable Producers at Stonewall Farm, presented by Cheshire County Conservation District Tuesday, March 12: The NH Food Alliance and NH Farm to School present the 2019 NH Food System Statewide Gathering : Cultivating Our Collective Voice, at University of New Hampshire Friday, March 15 & Saturd...