We are thrilled to feature the charismatic Sydney Blume as our member spotlight for August. Sydney is a recent graduate of Appalachian State’s Sustainable Development department who now works as the ASU garden manager. 她 helps to apply the principles of Sustainable Development into all 3 sustainable gardens the university has to offer.
Sydney has been “impressed and excited with things happening through BRWIA since [her] first year at App.” 她 first became aware of the organization when she joined the “Farmers at the Round Table” club her freshman year because she was interested in connecting with local Watauga and Ashe County farms. As a graduate now interested in creating food security in the High Country, becoming a member of BRWIA seemed like the natural choice. 作为BRWIA成员, she now has free access to connecting with farms and learning from experienced growers through the CRAFT network. This month's member spotlight is the extraordinary 所有ison Jennings, development Director for Watauga Habitat for Humanity and advisory board member for the Western Watauga Food Outreach 项目. At Habitat for Humanity 所有ison brings people together to build homes, community, and hope. 她 was naturally drawn to organizations that create community, which is why she loves BRWIA. 所有ison also has a background in food-service, having degrees in Culinary Arts and Hotel Restaurant Management.
Many people may not know this about her, but her family has lived in these mountains for more than eight generations. 埃里森的祖父母, 克拉伦斯·贝瑞和弗吉尼亚·马斯特, 他们是在Cove Creek的高中认识的, 并结婚, eventually settling in the Grandfather/Foscoe Community in the 1940s. 她 spent her childhood visiting her great Grandpa, 哈代·贝里, and her summers were filled with the abundance and gifts these mountains offer. When asked about her childhood time spent 在这里 所有ison says, "Summers in Watauga County are the greatest memories of my childhood. 我的妹妹, 贝琪, and I along with the Townsend children would spend days roaming the mountains, picking plump blackberries that my grandmother would use to make the best blackberry jelly that would last all year. We would go across the holler and visit the Townsends, who would send freshly churned butter back to my grandmother. I remember vividly as Larkin Townsend made sweet sorghum molasses in the early fall and all the neighbors gat在这里d to help, 在凉爽的地方, 漆黑的秋夜. It was extraordinary food, and we were ordinary people." This month’s member spotlight gives honor to the talented and magnetic Susan Owen. Susan has been a farmer in Watauga County for 34 years. 她 became a member with 韦德app because she believes in giving people in rural communities the opportunities to grow food and become farmers through grants and programs, 这帮助她开始了自己的农场.
Susan believes in helping out small farms and providing opportunities to the underprivileged, which she does through her membership with BRWIA and her breadth of volunteerism. 她 wants to help give people a leg-up, and she enjoys being as involved as possible. Susan is highly involved in the community, serving on a number of boards in the area, 来自山桂园俱乐部, 北卡罗来纳药草协会, 和 Watauga County Beekeepers’ Association; she also helped to establish New River Organic Growers and helped to design the FARM Cafe herb garden. 她 learned volunteerism from her mother, and she makes an effort to be as involved as possible. “I believe so much in volunteering because I feel like we need to make our world the best we can, and to volunteer on boards makes me feel more connected - I meet a lot of cool people. I like to try and make a difference in the world,” Susan says. 黛比·鲍尔是 the Bethel School Garden coordinator with the Lettuce Program under BRWIA's Community of Gardens. As the former Garden Coordinator of the ASU Sustainable Development Edible Schoolyard, she has been teaching children of all ages how to tend a garden and w在这里 their food comes for over a decade. 她对自己的时间很慷慨, putting long volunteer hours and a good amount of sweat equity to keep the school garden productive and thriving. One of the most rewarding aspects of her work with the students is cooking what has been grown in the garden. To see a child who says they dislike kale or spinach then "gobble up a kale salad or spinach smoothie really makes my work worthwhile!" Debbie was also an integral part of getting the seed library in Watauga and Ashe Counties. "I am so proud of the phenomenal success of the library, including the huge turnout at the grand opening 和 amount of seeds that were checked out,她说. Debbie is also a dedicated seed saver personally, and is now creating a seed saver garden at the school. 对黛比来说。”BRWIA is a community organization that not only helps farmers but brings the whole community together. The staff and board are comprised of the most dedicated and diverse group of people that center their energy on the sustainability of the community by creating ways to support local food community, 学校的花园, 种子库等等. I am truly honored and proud to be a part of this organization."
朱迪思•凤凰城 served as BRWIA 董事会 Chair from 2014 - 2018 and continues to be an outstanding advocate for 韦德app. 在她任职期间, BRWIA experienced tremendous growth and grew in recognition, with great thanks to Judith's arrangement of numerous speaking engagements and her dedication to the organization. Judith understands the important role that consumers play in ensuring a healthy and vibrant local food system. 她 believes that consumers have a responsibility to the growers to ensure that they are able to keep producing high quality food grown from our community's soil. While she doesn't plan on growing food for herself, her commitment to supporting local producers is an integral piece to the health of our local food economy. As a farewell, Judith shared the following: “在过去的十年里, I have had many roles with BRWIA from Farm Tour volunteer, participant in the many of the Home Grown workshops, 董事会成员, 最近担任董事会主席.
Each role has given me the opportunity to support what I believe in and what I want to have access to: local vegetables, 鸡蛋, 肉类和其他增值产品. I love knowing w在这里 my food REALLY comes from and connecting with the individual farmer. As 董事会 Chair I felt empowered to “shamelessly” promote BRWIA 和 高地食品中心 to friends, strangers and civic organizations because I know that supporting BRWIA helps our community thrive. I know my membership dues go beyond my immediate needs to help ensure food justice by underwriting programs such as the Double Bucks initiative that gives SNAP users easier access to fresh food grown by our local producers. Ultimately it always comes down to the people. The BRWIA women and men are hardworking visionaries who are helping make Boone 和 High Country a strong and resilient community. It is with great confidence that I turn the reins over to the new board chair, Julia Showalter." 朱迪思•凤凰城
韦德app is currently seeking three qualified candidates to fill our AmeriCorps VISTA openings.
BRWIA & Department of Sustainable Development welcome founder of National Black Farmer Association2/13/2018
Special Event: Tuesday, February 27th | 9:30-11am in the Blue Ridge Ballroom (room 201), Plemmons Student Union @ ASU
Dr. 小约翰·博伊德. and Kara Boyd will share their experiences during an informal community conversation titled, “保持数控 & VA农民种植.” |