Good News!

This fall, I took a class on social media and creating a personal brand online. It was a wonderful class, I learned a lot about using social media and the internet in a professional way, but it also took a lot of my online focus away from this page.

As a result of the class, I’ve started another blog on my personal website (which we created as a final project. Please also follow that one, as I put a LOT of effort into it and am using it to “communicate my personal-professional image.” That site is MarySomersMitchell.com, and the blog is linked to the page but can also be accessed HERE.

I do plan to update this page with more personal stories and thoughts, but wanted to keep you in the loop about the new page! If you have any questions PLEASE email me, comment, call, text, ask in person, etc. I would love to share my experiences and little knowledge of the internet! 🙂

Xoxo, Mary

From the Notes of Mary

Thank goodness for the most primitive app available on my iPhone: Notes. I have drafts and drafts of quickly scribbled thoughts from the subway: potential blogs, shopping lists, speeches, letters, knitting patterns/ideas, recipes, song lists, etc stored away from anyone in my Notes app. Maybe it’s the fact that I can’t accidentally hit send and have it show up in a professor’s inbox or a friend’s text thread that makes it feel like such a free-form thought closet, but I love it… almost as much as I love actually writing notes on paper.

In an effort to organize the chaos, I’ve included a few excerpts here. Happy Wednesday. 🙂

Sept 30, 2015:

Little known fact: on my first day of high school, I was terrified. I’ve always been more academic than social, to put it nicely, and was terrified of fitting in with my new classmates. My mom, also nervous for me blasted Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” on the drive and we sang along. She looked at me sideways from the drivers seat, sympathetic smile and patted me knee, she said, “You’re going to be great, baby. Don’t worry.” It was still a pretty miserable day, but I will never forget that moment of encouragement my mom and I shared, that glimmer of hope she ignited before releasing me to the hell of high school… And to this day, whenever I’m starting something new, I think of that moment and the way I felt in that car ride. I even listen to the song on the way to the event… including this morning, my first day as a production intern at Heritage Radio Network. “Put up your dukes, let’s get down to it!” Major cheese factor? Absolutely. But we all need a little cheese to keep us in check!

October 8, 2015:

The tunnel for the L train at 14th Street reminds me of freshman year of college… It smells like a mix of BO, axe spray, cheap alcohol, and patchouli, there’s always a musician trying to start a party, but ultimately people are just relieved when it’s over.

October 26, 2015:

Nothing is that serious. Remind yourself that time keeps ticking, even in those moments that seem to be defining your life, the horrible moments that feel like they last eternity… They each only last sixty seconds. So endurance and strength of character are really the only two qualities you HAVE to have to pull through. Even if you’re presenting research in a class completely unprepared because you bit off more than you can chew and are barely treading water through November, that presentation will only last 5 mins. 300 seconds. And then it will be over! Push through, always do the best you can in the moment and be honest. There are few people who can pull those off, so life will reward those who do.

An Argentinian Pontiff in Central Park

On September 24-25, Pope Francis visited New York City and organized chaos (above the usual standard) ensued. In the week leading up to his appearance, vendors traded their usual “I heart NY” memorabilia for “I heart Pope” t-shirts, hats, and flags. There were bobble heads, masks of his face, snow globes, and other ridiculous knick-knacks sold on the streets in honor of Pope Francis’ visit. I found this all hilarious, especially for a Pope that has been so vocally against consumerism, but also a little dangerous for the rest of the world’s perception of Catholicism. Coming from the South in particular, I’m hyper-aware of how other Christian denominations falsely perceive of the Catholic church, and have been in many conversations attempting to deter the unfair and sorely incorrect ideas about the church’s origins and core beliefs.

I’m not a strong practicing Catholic, I do not attend mass regularly or routinely pay tithes, but I do love the security of having a religion. I was raised in a Catholic home, attended Catholic schools, and believe in the faith through the atria of my heart. There is something so beautiful about someone who is unapologetically spiritual, and makes it evident through their actions and approaches to life rather than their constant judgment or preaching. Beliefs are personal; actions toward others are anything but.

To get back to my original focus, a common criticism I’ve heard from other Christians- mainly Baptists- is that Catholics idolize other “gods” besides Jesus and the Father. This is very very very FALSE. Mary is not a god, saints are not gods, and the Pope certainly is not a god. However, this religion has been practiced for roughly 2015 years (if I’m feeling snarky in a conversation and I take this moment to point out that Catholicism is the foundation of all other Christian religions). There are a lot of influences. Just like any other people, Jesus Christ didn’t work his wonders alone. He had the support of his human mother Mary, he had his “ride or die” homies (the Apostles), and he has his representatives and voices on Earth to continue spreading his message. Tell my why acknowledging and celebrating any of this in the Church is bad. We believe in the first commandment, “I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods besides me.” So while I giggle at the ridiculous paraphernalia that people can invent with a papal face, I cringe at the potential for misinterpretation as idolization.

The Pope is not God, but he is the 266th Bishop of Rome, successor to the title Jesus gave to Simon Peter (The rock on which the church was to be built). Pope is the highest order of the Catholic Church, he is the unifying leader of Catholics worldwide. I personal find it comforting that the basic principles of Catholicism are the same throughout the world.  The Pope lives in the Vatican City, Italy, and does not visit the United States very often. I am honored to have been a part of this visit.

As a disclaimer, I have a lot of respect for all religions. I do not believe that Catholicism is right for everyone, or that mine is the only denomination going to Heaven. For that matter, I don’t even believe that you must belong to a defined religious sect to get into Heaven/Hell/Limbo. I think everyone needs something to believe in, and however you define the force greater than all of us on Earth, whatever it is that inspires you to wake up and make the world a better place is OK by me. Again, I feel that belief systems are highly personal, so you respect mine and I promise I respect yours. Also, my views are only mine, so the opinions/ideas I presented are not necessarily those of the Catholic Church.

My friend Ash won two tickets (they were distributed via lottery) to Pope Francis’ procession through Central Park on Friday evening (Sept 25), but soon realized he wouldn’t be able to go because of work. He gave them to his girlfriend Jackie, who invited me to go! We had to get in line for security checks between 61st-63rd street on Broadway (near Columbus Circle). We met at 11am, when the security checks were scheduled to open, and there were already easily 5,000 people in line. We grabbed a coffee and jumped in line. I have never been a part of a crowd this large before in my life! Broadway was shut down to accommodate the line. We made it through security around 3pm and quickly learned that because the park had been completely closed for the Pope’s visit, that meant there were absolutely no vendors. No food, no water, nothing. Parched and tired, Jackie and I continued discussing our lives, our goals, dreams of where to eat that evening, and potential conversation starters in case Francis singled us out (I’m not joking). As the crowd piled in, we found out through those around us that the Pope was scheduled to drive through between 5-6pm. More waiting, a little impatient pushing, a lot of eavesdropping the people around us (a short woman directly behind us called us both ‘safety tackles’ because we are “so” tall, ugh!) and finally the security detail procession began. After about an hour of that, the Pope-mobile turned the corner. All of the smartphones and digital cameras went up, children mounted their parents’ shoulders, and for ~10 seconds I saw Pope Francis in Central Park.

The End of Summer Blur

WHERE DID THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER GO?! I feel like everyone says this every month, but really. Time is FLYING.

I spent much of August teaching with City Growers, cooking at home, stressing about money, and writing a speech for the SFA conference. Jon spent the first two weeks of August training with his new job in San Francisco, which he loves! He is the New York City Partnerships Coordinator for GoalBook, an educational resource for teachers. He loves the challenge of the job, loves the team of people he works with, and really believes in the website’s mission. It is an amazing program, from what little I understand of teaching resources, and I’m excited he’s doing something so inspiring.

On August 8 Jon and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary! He was in San Fran, I was in NYC eating a ramen burger (yep, not a typo, ramen burgers are a foodie thing here), but it is amazing to look back on all we’ve been through together. I won’t get into all the mushiness, but I just love that guy so much. 🙂

September 10&11 Jon and I were on campus at the University of Mississippi, Ole Miss, for the Southern Foodways Alliance Annual Graduate Conference. I presented my research on Durham’s transitioning identity through food after the collapse of the local tobacco industry. It was a terrifying experience, but I had such a great time meeting all of the SFA members, founders, professors, authors, and other students. I’m new to this academic networking world, but it was a blast.

The weekend of September 12, Jon and I met up with my large extended family for a highly anticipated cousin wedding in Birmingham, Alabama. It was an overwhelming celebration of love, as these events usually are; both love for the bride and groom, and also for the widespread family all coming together in one place and catching up. Meghan was STUNNING, Alex was supremely dapper, and being able to see all of our family (even if only for a few moments each) was priceless. It was a gorgeous weekend.

My summer internship with City Growers has been an amazing experience. Field trips of up to 30 kids anywhere between 4-17 years old come and we lead a 90 minute educational program. Depending on the age and type of program booked, we focus on the food system, bees, seed saving/matching activities, growing food, making compost, observing chickens… the list goes on. It is so rewarding to watch children try a new fruit or leafy green for the first time, or to listen as they make observations about the current dominant food system (positive and negative). I am continuing the internship through the season, which ends the first week of November. I teach on Mondays and Tuesdays at the LIC Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm location. If anyone wants more information, PLEASE let me know. I love to talk about it.

On September 30 I officially started a second Fall/Winter internship with Heritage Radio Network. I am a Research and Radio intern, (read all about ME and the network HERE) which is going to do so much for my writing and confidence. It’s a really great group of people, such diverse topics and deep involvement in the food scene (the station is behind Roberta’s pizza, a local favorite and nationally known destination). I’m working with HRN on Wednesdays and Thursdays through March.

This is essentially my last semester of content; next semester I’m solely working on my thesis project and then graduating in May! So I am taking 5 classes right now: Food Policy & Politics (which is taught by Marion Nestle; if you don’t know who she is, you should.), Food Systems Planning, Digital Skills in Food Media, Social Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Food Businesses, and Food Photography. You may notice an increase in my social media posts/activity, Digital Skills is all about building a personal brand online and I’m eager to establish a focused tone.

In my very little free time, I’m sleeping, eating, and celebrating the fact that we now have two very close friends living in the city! YAY Jackie and Ash for moving here!! 🙂 I’ve also been stepping up my knitting game, stay tuned for future posts on my dorky but exciting projects…

The Big Two-Eight!

On July 13, I turned twenty-eight! I have never really cared about age, it doesn’t stress me out that I’m getting close to thirty or anything like that, but I absolutely LOVE birthdays. I love celebrating birthdays, I love having a whole day dedicated to a person’s existence. One of my close friends (Kristi) also has a July birthday, so she and her boyfriend flew to NYC for an ultimate birthday weekend throwdown! It meant so much to have someone here to celebrate. I selfishly enjoy surrounding myself with close friends every year on my birthday, but being so far away made the anticipation of this year difficult. Kristi and Jarrod coming to NYC made it all better! 🙂

The weekend was a constant celebration: by day we toured around (Jarrod’s first time in the city- I LOVE showing newbies around NYC!) all the sights and all the food, and by night we found some truly unique ways to enjoy the city.

Friday night we took a dinner cruise around the harbor. It was AMAZING. The views were breathtaking, and the four of us had an absolute blast. We circled the Statue of Liberty, coasted up the Hudson river side, we danced, laughed, cried… a wonderful way to celebrate birthdays!

Saturday night we went to a silent disco, which some of you have probably heard me raving about- it’s my new favorite (but completely dorky) activity. In random areas around the city, 3 DJs come together and play to a crowd of guests wearing headphones. The headphones have 3 channels, allowing you to flip between DJs as often as you’d like. People dance around, we did the cupid shuffle, we shouted lyrics, but the outside world (those without headphones) can’t hear the music. It sounds weird, I know, but it is SO. FUN. They held one in South St. Seaport that weekend, I can only assume it was because they knew it was my birthday. 🙂

On Sunday, our group crossed the Brooklyn Bridge to the Brooklyn Bridge Park, rode Jane’s carousel, ate Shake Shack, and pretended we weren’t miserable in the heat (not too convincingly). We took a train to Bryant Park and played board games under the trees while eating lemon ice, and then sauntered through Times Square looking for unusually dressed (or undressed) people… successfully. That night we ventured to McSorley’s Irish Pub, the oldest bar in NYC, and had a few pints around a table. It feels so great to have close friends nearby; we enjoyed every minute of the trip, and cannot wait for them to come back!

Independence Day in New York City

Jon and I decided to trek out to Coney Island (~1 hour train ride) and watch the annual hot dog eating contest. While competitive eating is a pretty gross sport, I’m fascinated by the history of this particular event. Nathan’s is the location where hot dogs were invented in 1916 by Nathan Handwerker, a Polish immigrant. He originally worked for a deli across the street selling bratwurst but quit to open his own location with his wife. Hearty competition in the neighborhood led to many unique publicity stunts, which brings us to the 1972 International Hot Dog Eating Contest. The contestants have always been encouraged to wear costumes and pride themselves on the physical capability of consumption. It is an archaic but heartwarming display of patriotism, and I have a soft spot for food traditions! (…or really any traditions, let’s be real).

Against the warning of many classmates and professors, we grabbed the N train going south around 9am Saturday and waited for the last stop. The air at the Stillwell Ave station was thick with grilling smoke and smelled like hot dogs. There was a brass band on stage and after navigating a maze of police barricades we made our way to Nathan’s. There was plenty of time for meandering and eating; I even scored a free hot dog hat by taking a selfie with a pack of franks!

Miki Sudo won the women’s competition for the second year in a row, and Matt Stonie ended Joey Chestnut’s eight year winning streak. We saw two community choirs, “skyriding” trampoliners, a proper Brooklyn memorial and Ave Maria for “Little Jimmy,” a former host of the event, a charity fundraising rap battle, and countless bad jokes by the host. It was a BLAST. I cannot wait for next year!

Joey Chestnut and Matt Stonie after eating 60 and 62 hot dogs… talk about a food baby.

The countdown restarted!

In the evening, Jon and I decided to keep it low-key and stay around the neighborhood. Luckily, our neighborhood happens to be right along the East River and directly in front of where the Macy’s firework barge was situated. There were NYPD officers EVERYWHERE, and we felt like VIPs because viewers were not allowed on our streets unless they were residents. All of the viewers were along the river, but we were able to meander as we pleased. We finally ate at El Luchador, a literal hole in the wall Mexican restaurant with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Seaport. Their seating is all outdoors, including a gutted airstream that acts as a booth. Delicious quesadilla, but their salsa is overwhelmingly minted. Regardless, I will be back. We watched the amazing fireworks show in front of our building, walked through the Seaport, and then ended the evening with a few drinks and a MarioKart competition. Another successful holiday in the books. 🙂

Eating Mexican in an airstream = thumbs up!

Southern Foodways Alliance Abstract

I’ve copy and pasted the abstract for my Southern Foodways Alliance research presentation below, in case anyone is interested. Feel free to ask me about it, it’s a subject near to my heart and I love discussing it.

*     *     *

In an area once economically dependent on tobacco, there is a storm of large conceptual changes evolving. The country is experiencing a “Southern food renaissance,” as shrimp and grits, barbecue, and other traditional Southern dishes are showing up in large cities and national, upscale dining scenes. At the same time, the South is experiencing a revitalizing transition and refocus on local food production and cuisine. This paper looks at Durham, North Carolina as an example of the economic focus on transitioning agricultural capital, the changing culinary scene, and the effects these changes have on the Southern United States’ regional identity.

Durham, NC is flourishing and attracting an array of transplants and returning natives to its local food scene. The city serves as a microcosm of the larger transition stirring throughout the Southern states. Through interviews with North Carolina’s local farmers and restaurateurs, analysis of the local food supply chain, and light comparison to other Southern cities with burgeoning food systems, this paper seeks to highlight the evolving regional cuisine and its relationship with the Southern identity.

Mary Somers Mitchell is a master’s candidate in the NYU Food Studies program and a lover all things delicious. A Puerto-Rican-Hungarian born and raised in the South to native New Yorkers, Mary’s life has been both inundated with and lacking a cultural identity. She is passionate about food access and education, but had to move all the way to New York City in order to realize her heart is nestled in the tasty Southern town of Durham, NC.

10 Reasons I Haven’t Blogged in Two and a Half Months

Jon has been doing a lot of research recently about marketing professional skills online… and whatever that entails. He informed me that when writing blogs, I should include more “lists.” I’m not writing this to get a high number of followers, etc, but to playfully tip my hat to his idea, I’ve compiled a relevant list for today’s blog…

10 Reasons I Haven’t Blogged in Two and a Half Months!

(Look Jon, I even BOLDED each reason! Be proud.)

10. Duke won the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship!  Jon is such an avid fan, March Madness doesn’t begin to cover the amount of time and energy he puts into the tournament season. Making brackets, analyzing statistics, watching as many of the games as possible… it’s exhausting! Thankfully, the boys pulled through this year, and we couldn’t be happier. The games gave me something to look forward to during the harsh cold that stubbornly hung around in March and April. The big win also meant we had to make the drive to Durham for the annual, end of season team banquet to hear Quinn Cook speak and personally congratulate the team. I mean, doesn’t everyone do that? Haha.

9. End of the semester schoolwork was rough. My classes this semester were very practical- particularly Food Legislation and Food Finance- but the reading was dry and the projects were detailed. I had creative license with the topics, and learned a lot about sourcing food in food deserts, the legalities of seafood labeling, how to build and analyze profit/loss statements for new businesses, and identified many of the cultural and structural barriers to street food (one of my personal interests). It was an exhausting, eye-opening, practical, and ultimately successful semester.

8. Visitors! Mid April we welcomed the first glimpse of Spring weather with a visit from my lovely friend, Rossie. I try to do something new/unique with each guest, and that weekend we experimented with the Citi Bike system throughout the city. It was so lovely to have a beautiful, relaxing weekend of exploring lower Manhattan/Brooklyn with such lovely company.

We also hosted Dawn and Rena (Jon’s Aunt) in mid-May for 8 days. This was the longest period of time we’ve had that may people in this apartment, and I would say it was a success! While they arrived at the beginning of a whirlwind (more on that later), we had a great time exploring and So. Many. Laughs!  On their last day, Jon and Dawn’s Aunt Diane arrived in NYC for a serendipitous work trip, so we also had a chance to show her around midtown.

7. I’ve been participating in a book club since January, and have been really trying to keep up with the readings on top of my schoolwork. The book club meets in Durham, and it’s more about the sentimental group and staying connected with the people than the actual books (though each choice has been so unique and interesting). In March/April we read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami and in May we read Awake in the Dark by Shira Nayman. Intriguing for such different reasons, but I highly recommend both books. Let me know if you want more details or to borrow either book!

6.  Jon’s job; this is a difficult one for me to write because I’m very protective of my husband, but he approved this so I’m going for it. Jon was surprisingly let go from his Wowzers job on May 11. We did not see it coming, and his boss told him it had nothing to do with his performance but the company was not financially able to support him and two other employees any longer. To put this into perspective, he received this news at the end of a workday, the day of two of my final presentations, the day we arrived back in NYC from a busy weekend in NC with Dawn and Rena visiting. I think we were in shock for a few weeks afterward, and I’m not sure if we have let it sink in yet. Jon has been very proactive about applying and pursuing other opportunities, so fingers crossed because there are some exciting changes on the horizon. Every day brings news that feels like it is rearranging the puzzle of the next week, month, year of our life.

5. Internship searching! On top of everything else! In my graduate program, having as many varied experiences as possible is a high priority. In the first few weeks of the program, the faculty and professors were constantly telling us that we should get internships (several, if possible) during our time at NYU because that is how we figure out what our interests are and how to make money with this quirky (but completely important!) degree. In my opinion, the program does a decent job of connecting us with opportunities in the community. I receive an average of 10 emails a day from NYU with internship and job opportunities in the food studies realm, which is both overwhelming and encouraging. I’m also learning what my niche is in the subject area, and this whole experience in graduate school is teaching me that it is completely OK (and even occasionally celebrated) that my interests and thoughts and ideas are different from my peers and professors.

So, with that, I applied to several different opportunities in both NYC and NC for the summer and went through several different interview processes. I had to turn down two different offers but I have landed what I think will be the COOLEST summer internship of all. I am a Farm Educator Intern with City Growers, a nonprofit program for teaching city kids about where their food comes from. We work at the Brooklyn Grange, which is the largest rooftop farm in the world. It is comprised of two roofs, one in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and one in Long Island City, totally 2.5 acres. Each location has chickens, beehives, event space… it’s amazing. I’m sure I’ll have tons of funny stories about the kids and the farms as the summer progresses, but for now I’m practicing my seedling dances and compost chants!

4. It’s no secret that I’m recently (last 2-3 years) extremely proud of my hometown. Durham, NC has flourished in the last 10ish years, and moving away only highlighted all of the progress and unique attributes of the city I miss. For a class last fall, I wrote my final paper on the local food movement throughout the South, particularly in North Carolina. I’m really intrigued by the way Durham was literally built by tobacco companies, but has transformed into this local food hub with so many entrepreneurial ventures and community programs popping up every day. Using the research from my original paper, I proposed a more specific angle to the Southern Foodways Alliance Graduate Conference, and they accepted it! Last week I got the unexpected news that the Alliance would like me to present my topic at their annual conference in Oxford Mississippi in September. I’ll include the proposal in another blog, but I’m ecstatic and extremely nervous! For more info on the Southern Foodways Alliance, Click Here.

3. Wedding season is upon us! Jon and I have collectively attended 3 weddings already this year, and we have one more this summer. Jon’s close childhood friend Brandon and his amazing wife Cameron Link were married May 9 in Henderson NC. Jon and his sister attended while I was at my cousin’s graduation. What I’ve heard is they decorated with fire helmets (Brandon is a fireman), their daughter stole the show with her adorableness, and Jon did his first keg stand. Sounds like it was a blast, and I am so happy for them!

My close college friend Katie and her husband Derrick Calloway were wed this past weekend (June 13) in Roan Mountain, TN. This gave Jon and I a chance to spend some time with his sister in Boone, see our friends Josh, Callie, Lauren and Brian, as well as attend the beautiful mountain wedding. It was so great to catch up with Katie’s family, and to see her so glowingly happy.

… and just for giggles, here’s a flashback photo of the three of us in 2009…

2. Two Graduations also occupied my time this past month; my cousin Alex graduated with a degree in Psychology from UNC Wilmington in May, and my teeny tiny baby brother graduated from high school on June 10! Jon and I drove to NC with my cousin Joey, who was surprising Alex on graduation day. Juli met me in Durham and we carpooled to Wilmington together. It was so nice to be there for Alex on his day, and to spend some time with family. Congrats Alex/Steak Sauce!

Peter’s graduation this week was unfortunately marked with a broken down vehicle (poetically, the car all three of us drove throughout high school died in the parking lot at graduation!), but I hope that’s not what he remembers the most. I hope that feeling of having your name called, of the sweaty hugs in the courtyard afterward and the friendships he was lucky enough to sustain from kindergarten are more memorable than silly car trouble. And Juli and I’s pranks. He looked like a such a grown up in his graduation gown! SO WEIRD!

1. The #1 reason why I haven’t blogged in a while, bigger than all of the other reasons above, is I’ve been feeling extremely homesick. Weird, right? I’m doing well, but with everything going on it’s difficult being away from my closest friends and family. April and May were particularly tough, as all of the school work was piling on and the summer was so up in the air (NC or NY?) that any moment I paused to think and feel and analyze my emotions would end in tears. There are so many amazing things happening, and quickly, so I’m hoping that once things settle down and are more solid I will not feel so needy and melancholy. Or I’ll continue going at lightning speed and it will all be great! 🙂

The Peach Wedding!

On March 28, David Peach and Amanda Williams got married! David is Jon’s cousin, they are close in age and spent a lot of time together growing up. David and Jon shared an interest in playing guitar, and kept that bond throughout the years. Amanda is a very talented singer/songwriter/guitarist, as well as a beautifully friendly and soulful woman we’ve grown to love over the past several years. When living in NC, Jon and I did our best to follow them around the triangle and attended many of their music performances.

(Thank you Dawn, for a few of the older photos! hehe)

Jon and I road-tripped to NC for the wedding, but also had a chance to catch up with family and feed my burning homesickness. This lonely, cold, grey winter in NYC has been emotionally difficult on me; I needed to make at least a few social connections. The week ended up being far too short, as always.

The wedding was on a beautiful and sunny Saturday in Garner, NC. The couple incorporated the family name (Peach) into the décor in a cute and not cheesy way; the centerpieces had peaches in the vases and the favors were jars of “Jammin’ Peach Jam!” Their “guestbook” was an old guitar everyone was made to sign, which is perfect for this couple.

 

The ceremony was so beautiful; the quintessential springtime wedding. The couple wrote their own vows, and Amanda even played a song for David. Jon was a groomsman, so I sat with Dawn and family. It was so nice to see some family members we haven’t seen in almost a year! It made for wonderful photo opportunities.

 

Me, Dawn, Jennifer

Dawn and Teresa

Dawn, David, and Jon

Chris and Jon

Dawn and John

Diane and Dawn

Me, Jon, Dawn

Jon also gave a toast! Here it is:

Overall, it was a truly beautiful day reflective of the beautiful love between such a happy couple!

Just Food Conference 2015

Just Food is a nonprofit organization in New York City committed to increasing local and sustainable food access, particularly to low income neighborhoods and food deserts. They develop and/or work with community gardens, farmer’s markets, and educational programs in the five boroughs to further their initiatives.

Basically, they are really awesome and you should know all about them. If you want to, Click here.

On March 14, Just Food hosted their annual conference at the Teacher’s College of Columbia University and I was lucky enough to snag a ticket to the sold-out event. I made the uptown trek on a Sunday morning at 7am to Harlem, walked through the Columbia campus to the beautiful Teacher;s College. Columbia is so different from NYU; the buildings embrace their antiquity, halls lined in dark wood and gathering rooms featuring the old, large-piped organs and stained glass windows. NYU is in lower Manhattan, which is an older part of the city, but the building interiors are so modernized and sterile (except for the classroom chalkboards, which is hilarious). There were so many workshops it was difficult to choose only a handful to attend. The conference was also a public opportunity for the organization to welcome their new director, Jasmin Nielson, who is currently a student in the NYU Food Studies program!

I heard about a chef and local restaurant owner who, with no experience in the sport at all, biked across the US last summer, visiting an array of food producers. His pictures were beautiful, but the message of community and food was inspirational. I love when people have really crazy ideas and then they just… execute them. That is how the world moves forward, I’m slowing learning that and developing the confidence in my own crazy ideas.

I listened to leaders of food hubs around New York talk about challenges they face in engaging both sides- the business and the communities. I learned about beekeeping, which I am SO intrigued by! Bees and beehives are so sophisticated, everything about the way they operate is so calculated, systematic and efficient. The rows of combs inside a beehive are exactly 5/8” apart, in EVERY beehive! If they are closer, the bees will fuse the combs into one, further and they will add wax until the distance is correct. Amazing.  I would love to have my own hive one day but Jon is allergic so it would have to be located on a LARGE lot for him to tolerate it. I learned about farmworkers rights, saw a new documentary “Food Chains” and met the producer, and I learned about a few other nonprofits in the area doing cool food things. I also ate a delicious, locally source lunch. I took meticulous notes and returned home with a headache from so much information.

Going to conferences and getting involved is really important, because I am constantly stressing out about how to find my “niche” in this food world post-graduation. It is one of the most important fields of study, but there isn’t a direct career path like so many others. “Professional foodies” are still carving their way in society, which is equal parts amazing and terrifying. Community is key, connecting the dots of producers and consumers, and I am gathering strands of inspiration in hopes of creating something wonderful.