At the same time, I am very much loving my current program, the Nisqually River, and would be disappointed to leave my faculty, Jeff Antonelis-Lapp. Luckily, I don’t have to! Jeff will be leading an SOS in the spring. SOS stands for “Student-Originated Studies.” These are somewhat of a cross between Academic Programs, in which academic work is structured by faculty, and Independent Learning Contracts (ILC’s), in which students entirely design their own learning projects. Basically, SOS’s involve a lot of individual work with a little bit of group time to check in with faculty and classmates about the progress we’ve made on our own. I’ll be able to take on this internship as my independent work for Jeff’s SOS, and I’m happy to have the extra support. Looks like spring has sprung a little early for me…

One of the great things about the structure of programs at Evergreen, in which we generally take only one at a time, is that students can build skills in divergent disciplines, which, taught together, cohere into a unified study of a complex subject. Our work with the Nisqually necessarily includes information on the region’s natural history along with an examination of up-to-the-minute conservation efforts in the watershed. Jeff has arranged the program in such a way that we get to know the area organically: We birdwatch extensively at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, where the river drains into Puget Sound; we raft-floated an eight-mile section of the river; and, soon, we’ll be working with local middle-school students to perform water quality tests at sites throughout the watershed.

As you can probably imagine, such a varied examination of a hyperlocal subject has made for an exciting winter quarter! In getting to know the birds and fish and plants of the area, I have developed quite a personal connection to this place, far from my place of birth. I think is what Jeff had in mind from the start – If we develop love and respect for the river, each of us will work all the harder to protect it and educate others on why they should care too. Now that’s what Evergreen’s all about!

Aaron Dixon, activist, author, and former Black Panther Party captain, was on campus last week to speak about his new book. After his lecture, he signed students’ books and talked with them one-on-one.

Lucky for me, I’ve already taken off for winter break, but I still wanted to post about an event that I went to last week on campus. It happened in the middle of week nine, when students are usually scrambling to finish up final projects and study for final exams. The lecture hall was still packed, though, a measure of the excitement and interest generated by speaker Aaron Dixon, an activist and former captain of the Black Panther Party’s Seattle chapter.

Aaron was visiting Evergreen to promote his new book, My People Are Rising, which several academic programs had read in order to prepare for his visit (one of which was Freedom Dreams: The Cultural Revolutions of the 1960s). The book was also available in the campus bookstore, and several email announcements were made prior to his arrival to inform and involve the entire campus community. According to Aaron, the book is full of great stories. It chronicles not only his early life but also his involvement with the Black Panther Party throughout the tumultuous years of the Civil Rights Movement.

In his talk, Aaron summarized the work of the Party and the extreme, violent opposition they faced as a radical African American group. Aaron described how the Panthers networked with other activist organizations, attending their public protests in order to garner collective support for social change. He also touched on the good community work performed by the Party as they established programs such as Free Breakfast for Children and free healthcare clinics.

I was extremely motivated by Aaron’s story. I have never really considered myself a political person, but hearing Aaron speak helped me to understand that we are all political people. It is up to each and every one of us to stand up against the injustices perpetrated against the disenfranchised. The Civil Rights Movement, after all, is not so far back in our collective American history. I feel incredibly thankful that, as an Evergreen student, I am exposed to a culture that seeks to question the status quo of historical knowledge and challenges social injustice the world over. There is so much work to be done, but I am inspired, and I believe in us!

My program, the Practice of Sustainable Agriculture, toured Osborne Seed Company’s operations on a recent field trip. The monster squash I’m standing on was grown by them in a variety trial for the Pacific Northwest.

Field trips are an integral part of the Evergreen academic experience. At least once every quarter, all forty of us students in the Practice of Sustainable Agriculture program have loaded into Evergreen’s infamous ten-person vans and hit the road to check out the operations of different organic and sustainable producers in the area. Field trips are always great bonding experiences for programs. Not only do we share close quarters while traveling, we also cook all of our meals together outside by the campfire. As we adapt to challenging conditions, we learn first-hand how to develop a supportive community around food.

On Thursday, we set off for the Washington Tilth Producers Conference in Port Townsend. En route, we visited Osborne Seed Company, an independent seed distributor; Alpenfire Orchards, the only organic hard cidery west of the Mississippi; and Dungeness Creamery, a producer and bottler of raw cow milk. We toured each of their facilities, questioning the owners about their operations as we went. These visits not only served as inspiration for each of our own business plans, they were also a great opportunity to connect with local producers about potential future employment and internships.

Tilth is an annual tradition for PSA. In between workshops about genetically modified organisms, traditional charcuterie, seed-saving, growing mushrooms, marketing, running a CSA, farm implements, and many other topics, we networked with sustainable growers, processors, and marketers in the area during meals and coffee breaks. In the evenings, we relaxed after our hard work during intergenerational farm trivia and, later, a square dance. We had a great time on our last outing together as a program. Now that we’re back, we have a lot of final project work to complete in the last few class days of our three quarters together. I’m definitely feeling sentimental about the coming end of this life-altering program…

A few weeks ago, I house sat for Lynn and Ken, a local couple. This is the view from their front lawn. Can you believe it?!

Recently I had the chance to house sit for a friendly couple that I met through the Community Opportunities Database, an online service for students and alumni who are looking for work. On CODA, as it’s known for short, students can search through posted jobs and internships, most of which take place on campus or relate to education somehow. Occasionally, community members will also post when they’re looking for house sitters, nannies, or yard workers. In the past, I’ve gotten a one-time job as a party server through CODA, uploading my resume and cover letter right onto the website in order to apply.

Lynn and Ken, the couple whose house I looked after for a few days, have a beautiful home right on Mud Bay, near Evergreen’s farm. Mud Bay gets its name from the sticky muck that’s exposed when the tide goes out. Lynn even told me a story about some unassuming Greeners who once got stuck in the mud and had to be rescued! Lynn and Ken do all their landscaping themselves and even have a greenhouse.

I had a great time looking after their place. It felt like a “staycation,” a relaxing time I could have without going anywhere. Before they left, they stocked the fridge and freezer with my favorite goodies – yogurt, eggs, and fresh fruits and veggies. I enjoyed looking out on their beautiful view of the water as I made smoothies in their Vitamix blender. I also had a ball looking after their two dogs, who I took on walks on the trails around campus. The only pets I have are two laying chickens, so it was nice to cuddle with the dogs while watching movies on their Netflix, another luxury I don’t have at home.

I watched the sunset from their front lawn everyday while I was house sitting.

We started out by introducing ourselves and describing our backgrounds in conservation. I mentioned that I don’t have that much experience as an activist, but that I’m hoping the group can be a place to share knowledge of local and global conservation issues. As a sustainable agriculture student, I’m particularly interested in learning more about sustainable forestry and agroforestry plans for farmers. Before our next meeting, I’m going to research and prepare a short presentation about this issue to share with the group, and we’re going to take turns doing so for each meeting.

It’s incredibly easy to start up a student group at Evergreen. You need, at minimum, one coordinator and three other interested students. The Student Activities Office‘s advisors help you register your organization, which involves crafting a mission statement and writing a budget. Throughout the next few weeks, Student Activities will be hosting several workshops in Getting Started, Event Planning, and Finance. I am going to try and attend these on Wednesday afternoon if they don’t conflict with my Geoduck Guide (orientation staff) schedule. Working with a club seems like a great way to gain real world experience with community organizing, financial planning, and event hosting.

Most of the time Paul doesn’t buy anything he doesn’t need, and usually I don’t either. This week, though, we set a goal together: We will only buy food and goods from Washington. So it’s Washington Week! Since it’s summertime, it should be pretty easy to get local produce from any of the many farmers markets in town or the Olympia Food Co-op, where you’ll generally find me at least once a day.

So far for my two meals today, I’ve just been eating up my leftovers. Washington Week might get a little interesting later on in the week when I run out of groceries. Check back, and I’ll update about some of the meals I’ve been making.

Let me back up. I’m lucky enough to have two jobs I love, one of which is working for Evergreen’s Office of Admissions. The other I just started. Back in July, when I was looking for a second job to supplement my summer work for Evergreen, Melissa, the farm manager at school, suggested that I call the farms on the Thurston County Direct Sales Farm Map. This brochure is a resource for customers seeking local produce, milk, and meat fresh from the farm. As I’ve come to realize, Olympia is a Mecca for those interested in sustainable agriculture. So far, I’ve made a lot of connections through the PSA program, which has been a means of navigating the ocean of small-scale, alternative producers and marketers in the area.

One of the farms that returned my call was Pigman’s Organic Produce Patch. So I’ve been working there for the past two Saturdays, and it’s great so far. Much of what I do is harvesting and bunching produce, which I learned how to do while in class on the Evergreen farm. Since I already have the experience of prepping for market, I’m generally pretty confident that I’m performing these tasks correctly, and if I’m not, I know the right questions to ask. I’m so happy to be doing what I love, working close to the land to nourish and sustain people, not to mention to be getting paid to do what I’ve been studying for the past few years!

So, anyway, to get back to the onions, this past Saturday I was out in the field at Pigman’s knocking over onion tops with my feet. While I could have used a rake, using my feet was more effective and satisfying. (Good tip for gardeners: This helps the tops to die back and also protects the bulb from soaking up water in the case of a late-season rain.) Balancing on one foot and then hopping onto the other, it really felt like I was doing some kind of onion jig. I had a good time, and lucky I did the jig because it rained here last night.

The business plan is distinct from the farm plan, which incorporates an annual production plan for a CSA, markets, or wholesale; nutrient management for the crops we intend to grow, a wish list of farm resources (like greenhouses), management of water resources, weed and pest control strategies, and perennial planning. For this assignment, we have a great opportunity to communicate to faculty and classmates a clear set of goals for our future farm. Personally, I’ve decided that after I graduate from Evergreen, I intend to start a nonprofit in my hometown of Buffalo, New York. This organization will serve as a community wellness and education center promoting organic gardening methods, traditional skills, and food preservation. I would also like to establish ties with local schools to set up a program in which students can work on community and garden projects for school credit. When I’m finished with these assignments, I’ll post my final farm and business plans on here for you all to read.

I also have to work on my portfolio, which is a standard component of most Evergreen programs. At the end of every quarter, students compile all of the assignments they’ve completed, along with a work log, so that faculty have a chance to look back at students’ work when writing their individual evaluations. Though tests are rare at Evergreen, PSA is also going to be having a final exam. We’ll be able to use our lecture notes and field notebooks, though, as rote memorization is not such an important part of the learning that takes place here.

Lise Hubbe demonstrates a walk-behind plow to students in The Practice of Sustainable Agriculture and community members. (Photo taken by Karissa Carlson for The Evergreen State College.)

(Photo taken by Karissa Carlson for The Evergreen State College.)

It has been an exciting few weeks down on the Evergreen Organic Farm! The plants are growing like crazy, and our CSA is in full swing. On July 31st and August 1st, we were especially lucky to have teamster Lise Hubbe of Sweet Mill Farm with us. Our program first met Lise on our field trip to the Small Farmer’s Journal Horsedrawn Auction and Swap Meet in Madras, Oregon, way back in spring quarter. This time Lise visited us to demonstrate animal draft power on small farms, bringing along her two work horses, Grace and June.

Lise was such an inspirational speaker. She discussed all of the practical topics related to driving a team of horses, from the process of trimming their feet to what equipment and clothing is necessary for a teamster. More than that though, she also explained the spiritual aspects of working with horses. To be a good teamster requires patience, confidence, and groundedness. Lise does not simply tell her horses what to do, she asks them to work, and they cooperate gladly. The relationship is mutually beneficial; Lise cares for them and oversees their wellbeing, while the horses help to prepare and cultivate fields for growing. It is trust more than anything that bolsters their working relationship. Like a good coach, Lise draws her horses to the edge of their ability and then pushes them a little further. In this way the horses gain strength and endurance, expanding out from their comfort zone. If we “shoot for really good,” Lise says, we might not get all the way there, but we sure will be delighted with where we do end up.

Grace and June plow away while students watch. That's me in the middle! (Photo taken by Karissa Carlson for The Evergreen State College.)

Students even got to try their hands at directing the plow! (Photo taken by Michael Nolen.)

Joe and Georgia check out the soil structure of the plowed field. (Photo taken by Karissa Carlson for The Evergreen State College.)

June, Grace, and Lise. (Photo taken by Karissa Carlson for The Evergreen State College.)