Recent Inspiration

Sorry I'm going to do it again. I'm going to copy my blog from the AMI one.

In my defense, I was really moved by all three of these places I visited and people I met and wanted to share it with you all here.

But first, check out the sunrise here. 

One of my favorite parts of being at AMI is the amazing people we meet and the stories we hear. In just the past week, I met Joy at the Heritage Harvest Festival, Michael and George from Edible Landscaping, and Norm at Geezer Farm. They have inspired me to believe that any foodie can create success for themselves, their land, and their communities through dreaming, creativity, and hard work.

I'll start with Heritage Harvest Festival. Upon arriving at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's estate, I see thousands of people all coming together to savor the history and culture of food. Since AMI cherishes everything from the seeds we plant, to the people that harvest and cook them, it was a perfect place to advertise AMI's mission at a booth and to learn more by exploring the exhibits and lectures. In one of the lectures I attended, I was honored to meet the presenter, Joy Crump. After starting out as an English major with Hollywood dreams, Joy explained her journey to where she is now, an owner of a franchise of three award-winning restaurants in Fredericksburg, VA. She did so by finding a gap in the market. Joy buys the secondhand food with holes or brown spots, the kind of thing that other chefs won't dare get near, from local farms. She then uses the whole ingredient, from carrot top to peel. This allows her to bring affordable, farm-to-table food into the city.

I started this Fellowship, in part, because I struggle with the fact that about 50% of American food is wasted. Therefore, to see someone who is also actively making a difference and making money on solving this problem was amazing.

The week's inspiration did not stop there. We next ventured to Afton, Virginia and found Edible Landscaping, a little piece of heaven. As we pull in, we notice we are surrounded by fruit trees galore: muscadine grapes, hardy kiwis, fuzzy kiwis, blueberries, jujubes, juneberries, persimmons, elderberries, pawpaws, flying dragon trifoliate, beach plums, sweet scarlet goumi, hardy pomegranates, and che fruit--just to name a few. Michael, the man behind the fruit, led us through the greenhouse where they seed and graft new fruit trees. The way Edible Landscaping makes a difference, is by exposing people to the little fruit tree heaven as a tasting ground. This inspires people from across Virginia to heed their advice, buy their baby fruit trees, and erect their own Edible Landscapes to beautify and grow the local foods movement of Virginia.

The next role model of the week was Norm at Geezer Farm. Now, don't let the name Geezer Farm fool you. Norm was able to transform his backyard into beautiful, almost weed-less rows of fruits and vegetables with the help of interns and previous AMI fellows. After the tour, Norm cut his favorite crop up for us, a watermelon, and shared his fruit and his stories.  We learned that he used to take photographs for the local paper, and at 55 decided he would rather be a farmer. He moved out to Staunton with his wife and taught himself enough to tinker sustainably with the land. And he would continue to get advice by trading his photography skills for plant skills. Now, he has a CSA, gorgeous crops, and sells to local restaurants. I respect Norm not only for his success on the farm, but because he has such a genuine love for food production, his land, and for treating people with respect and funny stories.

While last week was definitely special, I feel so lucky to have be inspired by the AMI community and the land we live on each and every day. As Phase II is approaching, I hope to be able to use these passions and lessons to help make a difference in my community too.