Everyone is very busy around this time of year so it is hard to get lots of fruitful responses back from the people I have emailed.
Janet, the manager of Joseph's House, talked to Capital Roots and she ended up saying she would be unable to get a garden plot until after my senior year. Obviously this does not work, so I need to find another solution. As far as the idea of cooking classes go, Moira and Amy from Unity House have not been responding to my emails (I have sent two) regarding what Moira and I talked about at the Unity House volunteer orientation, planning to set up cooking classes with Sunhee's workers.
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I talked to Jinah (the owner of Sunhee's) and we discussed the idea of setting up Korean cooking classes- this would be interesting because Jinah doesn't want to just give handouts, and she wants to empower people. I went to the Unity House volunteer orientation and talked to Moira, the volunteer coordinator, and we talked about ways to empower people who come to the shelter as well, through food. She is very open to the idea of doing a collaboration with Sunhee's. I think this would cool because Sunhee's is very much a part of hipster Troy and Unity House a part of underprivileged Troy, so working together would blur the divide, a bit. I like the idea of offering free Korean cooking classes because it offers the people who come to Unity House for meals, a sense of how to make tasteful and good food for themselves.
On Saturday, I also met Janet Douglass (the manager of Joseph's House) and she suggested using one of the plots from Capital Roots to create a food garden. We will grow food here for the residents of Joseph's House and it can be something that residents who have moved out of Joseph's House and live nearby can work on. She also suggested growing flowers and bringing flowers to residents as well as restaurants. I thought this was a neat idea because it would be a theme of Troy, and it would also blur the division a little bit because all parts of Troy would have these flowers. Sounds corny, but it can serve as a symbol of unity and a promise to food security. I'm very idealistic. I still need to design the garden and decide what can be grown. I still have a lot of work to do, but I'm getting started on everything this month. After meeting with Amy Halloran and talking about food security, I'm hoping to go down to Unity House tomorrow to learn more about food security in Troy. I also have met with Jinah who is the owner of Sunhee's farm and kitchen Korean restaurant in Troy. Her restaurant is very permacultural because it is people care (empowering refugees) as well as earth care (lots of composting and recyclable containers). We talked about ideas on getting her restaurant to be more "fair share," which is the third tenant of permaculture. Her food is a little expensive compared to other options and I've noticed most of the people who eat there are pretty privileged, so I want to help come up with ways to make the restaurant more accessible to underprivileged Troy. I have talked to Janet Douglass who is the owner of Joseph's House about getting a food garden down there, and she said it is too small for a good food garden. She says it would be possible to start one at a donated lot which is near Joseph's House, however, so I think that is what I am going to do. I am going to meet with Janet and lot donor next weekend to talk about plans for the garden.
In October, I would like to have the food garden design finished and possibly start planting, if the weather permits. And to talk to maintenance about a grey water filtration system. I would also like to meet with Mr. Slaughter to plan more weekend trips to thrift shops because they are more environmentally friendly.
In November, I would like to have set up compost bins in the dorms to collect food and bring the compost to the dining hall (and/or Joseph's House). I would also like to meet with Ms. Baker about getting in products that substitute in for those brands that use child trafficking (like Coca Cola and Hershey's). In December and January, I would like to intensively learn about Troy's food security/economic division of hipster Troy and underprivileged Troy. I am not sure if there is any work I could really do with that, but I'd still really like to do research on it. In February, I want to work with Funcycled to do upcycling projects at Emma Willard. In March, if possible, start working on the garden at Joseph's House. In April, meet with Ms. Baker about getting recycled stationary for 2017-18 school year. In May, work on garden. Finish up loose ends. Welcome to my Signature blog! I'm Farha and my Signature project is about permaculture. Permaculture is slang for permanent agriculture, and it's goal is to work in a way that encompasses people care, earth care, and fair share. This means people benefit, the environment benefits, and the product/idea is accessible to everyone.
I became interested in permaculture when I went to a one month permaculture intensive design course. I really like permaculture because it combines human social justice work with environmental activism. And everything can be a permaculture project as long as it is not hurting anything or anyone in the process. I would like to make this campus as permacultural as possible which means beneficial and sustainable. I have some gardening/farming experience and a passion for art so I am excited to combine the two. |
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