This week has been joyful, affirming, sad, maddening, frustrating, rewarding, and very, very full. It reminded me of my favorite quote by Frederick Buechner: “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Do not be afraid.” If you know me, I say this often and try to remind myself of it as much as possible because it is so true. Just this week I had a beloved friend and neighbor pass away and an elimination of a work partnership with no notice that ultimately impacts 5 schools and thousands of children we work with at Jones Valley Teaching Farm. In the same week, we held incredible joy — engaging with national and local leadership initiatives, interacting with students attending field trips and…
a food journey
Posts from the “Work” Category
Anyone who knows me knows that the job I am doing right now at Jones Valley Teaching Farm is the job that will be the best job I will ever have. I know every single day that the work I am doing is important and I don’t take one minute of it for granted. I live and breathe it (for better or for worse) and I honestly think it is the answer to so many of the questions we are all asking of this world and of ourselves. At Jones Valley Teaching Farm, we use the powerful and thoughtful act of growing, cooking, and sharing food as a foundation for young people to learn and grow. We are also learning that it is an…
Tagged: Dolly, Dolly Parton
High-res version
Last night I was on my porch scrolling through my feeds, reading articles, and attempting to finish some of the NYT games I didn’t get a chance to complete that morning. My week was long and hard and complex and inspiring and exciting and I’m not going to lie — all of those feelings were overwhelming to this leo-and-only-child empath (who also happens to be an external processor). Not in a depleting way, but in a curious-and-tired kind of way. So as I was winding down, I heard an owl. Now, I don’t normally hear owls from my porch, so I perked up a bit. Then out of nowhere a few folks started posting photos of pink and purple skies. I really perked up. Northern Lights! In Alabama? No way.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I am obsessed with two things: Svalbard and Northern Lights. Okay, I’m also obsessed with Dolly Parton, Jones Valley Teaching Farm, things my kids say, and many, many, many things, but Svalbard and Northern Lights are a different kind of obsession.
My work and life and friendships and relationships and connections have evolved over the last couple of years. And I guess that’s been the case because my relationship with myself (along with some lifestyle choices) has evolved.
In my youth-and-food-focused non-profit work, I have been talking a lot about holding the “both/and.” How it is important to acknowledge the broken systems while also creating space for joy, wonder, and awe in the work we do. Especially if we are focusing on youth. This week was a personal test to practice all of that “both/and” stuff.
You see, I am excitedly dreaming of building new systems to expand our work in Birmingham AND at the same time I’ve had to confront existing systems head-on. I’ve had to dig deep to understand different points of view while holding my own lived experiences front and center. I’ve celebrated and been inspired by personal and organizational change. I’ve been dreaming about the future while troubleshooting daily challenges that honestly shouldn’t be challenges at all. I’ve also had meaningful, delightful, and unexpected conversations with very diverse communities. And I’ve juggled all of this while being present and not-so-present with my children each night.
Anyway — as I started seeing photos of the northern (southern?) lights from friends in Alabama, I ran outside. I couldn’t see anything. But then the sky started to look strange in one teeny tiny portion of my backyard. The trees were in the way! I held on to hope (like I hold on to hope for snow in Alabama) that I would get to see something. ANYTHING. A friend encouraged me to take a photo because it was harder to see with the naked eye (probably true about most things if we really want to analyze that advice).
I grabbed my 12 and 8-year-old and we looked to the sky. And as the 12-year-old snapped the photos — the pink and purple appeared. We jumped in the car to try to chase them to find a space where we could see them a little better, but we didn’t have much luck.
And so, we found our way back to our backyard. With that owl and the sliver of pink and purple with trees that I briefly wished were not there, but now realized how much they played a role in the experience. It was a gift after a long week to remember that joy, wonder, and awe can be found. The road to it isn’t always easy, but maybe that’s part of the journey.
This life and work is complex and complicated and hard. But it is also incredibly surprising, invigorating, mysterious, and inspiring. So I’m holding the “both/and” this morning and sending all of you love and light (especially the flickering pink and purple kind of light).
Here’s some more inspiration I drew from this week:
Speech to the Young, Speech to the Progress-Toward
Say to them,
say to the down-keepers,
the sun-slappers,
the self-spoilers,
the harmony-ushers,
“Even if you are not ready for day it cannot always be night.”
You will be right.
For that is the hard home-run.
Live not for battles on,
Live not for the-end-of-the-song.
Live in the along.
-Gwendolyn Brooks
And Maria Popova always inspiring me:
And Myia inspiring me at the Jones Valley Teaching Farm Celebration Dinner at the Woodlawn High School farm.
And David Whyte…
“Breath is the very first thing we give to this world and the very last thing we are allowed to take from it. Breathing is what we do before we understand a single thing about our world, and the last thing we will do despite all of our hard-earned wisdom.“
And Putnam Middle School and Oliver Elementary’s Farm Stands!
And this gift:
And finally, Kaitlin Curtice:
Don’t forget,
my love,
to live.
Don’t forget
to bury
your toes in sand
and leave the car keys
and laugh at oddities.
Don’t forget to marvel
and feel despair,
to sense danger
and run from it.
Don’t forget
to take chances,
to climb mountains
that no one believed
you could climb.
Don’t forget
to love yourself,
all of you,
from every season
and every place,
because you never know
when they will
come knocking for
a cup of coffee
and an overdue hug.
Don’t forget
that you are alive
right now
until you won’t be,
and even then,
don’t forget
how beautiful
it was to
call yourself Home.
Happy Friday!
Each month, I collect articles that teach me something new, inspire me, challenge me, and everything in between. I then share them with the Jones Valley Teaching Farm staff. I decided in my new attempt to continue writing and sharing on my personal blog, that I’d post them here too!
Three Part Harmony Farm
Community Supported Agriculture – rooted in DC since 2012
http://threepartharmonyfarm.org/
Community Supported Agriculture – rooted in DC since 2012
http://threepartharmonyfarm.org/
The New #TheStew
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/dining/the-new-thestew.html?action=click&module=Features&pgtype=Homepage
Your Questions About Food and Climate Change, Answered
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/30/dining/climate-change-food-eating-habits.html
“Latinx” is growing in popularity. I made a comic to help you understand why.
https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/10/15/20914347/latin-latina-latino-latinx-means?utm_campaign=vox.social&utm_content=voxdotcom&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1pLx0DM7qKEuTUIUbDSodH7hLX6zv33w5EekcQzYsKcB63FTMTYtHX3d0
Toni Morrison on the Power of Language
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/toni-morrison-on-the-power-of-language-her-spectacular-nobel-acceptance-speech-after-becoming-the?utm_source=pocket-newtab
‘Like sending bees to war’: the deadly truth behind your almond-milk obsession
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/07/honeybees-deaths-almonds-hives-aoe?fbclid=IwAR3NxyuMXKcDP3bWVR4IzzhA1-ezFK0Won7Dq4oZuSF7OfAR20-vHeqRLCc
Who Killed the Knapp Family?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/opinion/sunday/deaths-despair-poverty.html?fbclid=IwAR2SbEQKm9EOepJ-Enzmz4N0AALWxqDNg0cyvAFBYwmcVnxBsV8VfW1L_W
UAB bolsters Birmingham Promise: They’ll match $$$
https://www.al.com/news/2020/01/uab-bolsters-birmingham-promise-theyll-match.html
Accountability time.
I’m doing okay. Been walking with the dog. Haven’t stuck to my podcast and book plan. Haven’t really counted my calories…and if we are being honest, I ate the chicken nuggets my kid didn’t finish tonight. I can’t leave a chicken nugget on the table…ever. I also can’t resist ordering fries, but that’s a story for a different time. I have, however, been more intentional and I’m writing this post now, so that is worth celebrating.
Something super cool happened this week. I stopped by Jones Valley Teaching Farm’s downtown farm to say hello to my colleagues. It’s kind of hard to do this as often as I’d like given the EIGHT locations we operate. Yes, eight. It seems I’m always running from one place to another. The truth is, I don’t get to see the sites as often as I’d like and I rarely make enough time to stop and get the produce we grow, which is absolutely ridiculous. So when Jesse, our Senior Farm Manager, asked me very simply, “Do you want to get some produce while you are here?” I was like, “YES. YES, I DO.”
When I first started Food Revival, it was all about documenting the CSA box I got each week from Jones Valley Teaching Farm (then Jones Valley Urban Farm). This was NINE years ago. I volunteered my time at the farm and I got a box of produce in exchange for my efforts. Little did I know that this blog would be a platform to highlight the vegetables I got each week. I called it the CSA Challenge. Nine years and two kids later, I’m the Executive Director of Jones Valley Teaching Farm and I’m barely finding the time to pick up the veggies much less cook them. Thanks to Jesse that changed this week.
Look at this broccolini. It is delicious and yes, you can eat the flowers. I followed THIS Barefoot Contessa recipe and even though the recipe worked perfectly, the broccolini was truly the star.
And look at this Romanesco. What is Romanesco? (I asked the same question.) It’s a member of the cruciferous family (think broccoli, cabbage, kale), but it is MOST like cauliflower. I simply cut its florets off and sprayed with a little olive oil, sprinkled some salt and pepper over it, and roasted on a sheet pan for 20 or so minutes. Then I seasoned it with some chili lime seasoning I got at Trader Joe’s.
Speaking of cauliflower, look at these beauties I got from the farm! I roasted them whole. I used olive oil and butter as the base and on one I sprinkled with cumin and the other with the chili lime seasoning I mentioned earlier. I think I’ll try a garlic Parmesan recipe next (like this one).
So, no I haven’t found the perfect balance. I have, however, found SOME balance and if you remember what I said when I first started this new year, that’s just fine. Some is better than none. As I close this post I want to say THANK YOU to Jesse for reminding me to get my favorite veggies on the planet. I want to say THANK YOU to the farmers I work with because they grow the best food. I also want to celebrate the fact that I’m still connected to Jones Valley Teaching Farm and that FoodRevival still exists. This journey has been wonderful and hard and all the things in between and beyond.
P.S. We also did a fun family taste test between store-bought carrots and the carrots I picked up from the farm. You’ll never guess the winner (unless you’ve had JVTF’s carrots because then you already know).
Categories: Community, Family, Jones Valley Teaching Farm, Prioritizing Me, Southern, Uncategorized, Work
What incredibly brilliant and successful things have you done in 2019? You’ve had FIVE days, so your answers better be good. bwahahaha. Kidding. Promise.
I can’t begin to tell you how much better I feel on day five of 2019 having re-started my goals realistically. I haven’t lost 5 lbs. I haven’t even started counting calories…yet. I’ve only walked twice and I didn’t time myself or track how far I went – I just straight up walked around the block a few times. I’m counting that as exercise because it is way more than I ever did last month (okay, months/year(s)). I just decided to start slow and that seems to give me a bit more confidence.
So let’s talk about some victories:
I carried my trusty notebook that isn’t online and that NOBODY else has access to around all week and I documented my successes, so let’s just count this as the first victory. In other words, I haven’t lost the notebook in week one and that’s kind of a miracle.
I’ve managed to do something for myself every day. Let’s start at Wednesday since I’ve already documented Monday and Tuesday.
Wednesday
Well, this was my first official day back at work after a long break. I managed to stick to my schedule and even spent some time with a friend later in the afternoon. I was super sick the month of December and really needed some time to heal, which the break gave me. This year (work-wise) promises to be incredibly busy, so I’m really trying to pace myself. (So all in all? I think it was a successful day).
Thursday
I walked this dog.
Friday
I bought tickets to Southern Voices this year and got second row tickets to see Bryan Stevenson (no, I don’t get any special treatment from the husband even though he works there). They sold out in less than a minute, so this is definitely a success. I surprised my friend, Val, at her office and spent some time catching up. I’ve been missing her lately, so I carved out some time to hug her neck and just be with her and that was a definite success. I sat by myself and ate my favorite sandwich from the Garage for lunch. I also finished the day with my colleagues at Carrigan’s. So, very successful day.
Saturday
I walked (for myself) and then I walked the dog.
I started Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and my goal is to make it through 2 chapters this weekend.
I ordered vitamins (something that’s been on my to do list). Seriously? Is this what 41-year-old working women with two kids document as successful? Gawd.
Ordered my groceries from Shipt to save time. (See question above about 41-year-old working women). Blargh.
I finished off Skinnytaste’s Fiesta Bean Salad I featured the other day on this blog. Y’all need to try this. It’s got some garlic in it, so prep everyone after you eat it, but it is super easy and I had it over fresh spinach every day this week (well, except for that delicious garage café sandwich).
I know these aren’t like life milestones or anything, but I’m trying to stay accountable and get back to writing. I’m going to do a little more of that tomorrow as well. So, here’s to 2019. Scratch that. I don’t need that kind of pressure. Here’s to the FIFTH day of 2019. Now, that’s better. I hope you’ve had some wins this week – or even just one itty bitty win. Space and grace as we go.
Tagged: 2019
I am taking today off. A few folks have asked me my plans today and here’s what I’ve come up with so far:
- Not get out of bed until 10:00 am. (Working on it…)
- Post photos of my kids on Facebook and Instagram, which I happen to love (Complete)
- Write on my blog, which I never ever get to do these days (In progress…)
- Go on a walk, do some laundry, drop off something at the cleaners, make a healthy lunch, listen to a podcast, read a magazine, get a pedicure, and…okay, I know that ALL these things won’t happen, but I might as well put good energy toward the POSSIBILITY of these things happening.
It’s been busy in my world, but probably no busier than your worlds. Life moves fast when you have a 5-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a full-time job. I’m not complaining. I am, however, constantly reassessing priorities and this year has been a year of growth for me in so many ways.
This year, I’ve realized that I’ve given away too many of my minutes and hours. This isn’t a regret, but this realization did kind of knock me over the head earlier this year and that sparked a renewed commitment to my priorities. Reciprocity is something I’m holding close this year. I’m trying to be better at it and hoping others around me will do the same. Last year was all about space and grace and forgiveness, but this year has been more about accountability and drawing some lines in the sand. And just like avoiding potato chips, it is DAILY work. Sometimes it works and sometimes I eat the bag of chips.
On this journey, food hasn’t been on the sidelines. I’ve completed one round of Whole 30 (won’t be trying that again, but appreciated the adventure). I’ve started weight watchers twice. I’ve snacked my way through the last two years: a cheezit here, a goldfish there; a graham cracker here, some hummus there; an adult beverage here, an adult beverage there; and everywhere a chip, chip. You get what I’m saying.
This blog started 8 years ago when I first found Jones Valley Teaching Farm (it was Urban Farm back then). I had a work-trade where in exchange for my volunteer services, I received a box of food each week. My boyfriend and I would try new recipes every week featuring the veggies in that box and Food Revival was BORN! Now I’m working full-time at the farm, married to that boyfriend, and have two children. Eight years is NO joke.
I’m trying to figure out what the point is to this blog post. I also realize I just moved from one paragraph about reciprocity and eating chips to the historical context of my blog with absolutely no transition. Maybe I’m just checking the “I wrote on my blog today” box. Maybe I’m trying to get back to personal hobbies I miss. Not so sure, but I’m thankful for the opportunity to share and thank all of you who have stuck with me to this point.
In the spirit of the things I love and my re-commitment to focusing on those things I love, I offer some fun pieces of inspiration in my universe:
Mae Mae wearing an S on her chest (and back) because she IS a Super Girl in so many ways. She challenges me to be stronger every day. She makes me laugh. I’m proud of her strength, curiosity, and humor. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Martin Everitt continues to teach me more about life and its complicated lessons than I ever imagined. He’s a precious boy. I seem to be holding on a bit tighter these days and beginning to realize that there will be a time when I can’t carry him to bed anymore. He’s entering kindergarten in August and I’m pretending this is NOT happening. I’m fine with just living in this moment for now. I can’t fast forward just yet.
I love Jones Valley Teaching Farm and can’t believe I have the opportunity to work alongside such amazing colleagues, students, and partners. I’m proud of who we are and who we are becoming. It’s hard work. All of it is hard work, but I believe in it and that makes all the difference. Cool things happening now in that part of my world include:
Student-Run Farmers Markets are in FULL swing. We’d love to see you at any of the markets listed above. We will be back at Pepper Place Market on Saturday, May 20th!
JVTF’s on-site produce stand is open on the downtown farm Monday – Thursdays. You can bring a check or cash as it operates on an honor system. That means, you walk in the stand, get the veggies you want from the cooler, weigh it, check the price, drop the money in the box, and leave. We are located at 701 25th St. North Birmingham, AL 35203.
I’ve been busy planning (alongside some amazing folks) our Spring fundraiser. It’s called, “Gather” and we have 20 folks hosting dinners all over Birmingham on Saturday, May 13th to support our work. You can read more about it here: http://jvtfgather.swellgives.com/
Also really excited to share our Annual Report here: http://2016.jvtf.org/
That’s where I am today. Bottom line: I accomplished one of the things I intended to do today that was only for me (writing) and I did it while still in bed. It is officially 10:11 am, so that means I have just accomplished TWO of the things.
Remember when I posted last week? I was all like, “I haven’t posted in forever,” “I don’t have hobbies,” “I need to commit and bring this stressed out season to an end.” Remember that?
Look at me! I’m on a roll. Well, kind of.
First, I would like to say that I managed to walk once this week, which is more than never. I’m celebrating more than never these days.
Oh, I also cooked last Sunday. A meatloaf. How about that? For snacks, I purchased the “Balanced Breaks” combo featured below. Thank you, Costco/Sargento for forcing me to eat this instead of chips. Small victories, people.
And here I am writing on the blog again. Oh, and I read a few articles in my Fast Company magazine. READING AND EVEN RETAINING WHAT I READ! This is big.
See? I’m trying. But, I still have some work to do. I accidentally had boiled peanuts, pizza, and chicken tenders (my husband’s fault) a few nights this week. And obviously that one walk celebrated above could not compete with THOSE dinner decisions. But, it’s a start.
Did I mention my kids started school? Well, the one-year-old started full days at school after being with the grandparents her entire first year and the 4-year-old moved to his big boy Pre-K class. There were some good days and one particularly bad day with the little one. Thankfully, the week ended like this:
And then there were two grants that were due and preparation for Jones Valley Teaching Farm’s annual fundraiser happening on September 23rd. There was also some weird cough I battled for two days straight, which was (and still is) annoying.
Then there were less stressful moments like seeing THIS beautiful sight:
All of these babies were taken care of by a dedicated team at Woodlawn High School Urban Farm. Five remarkable students and our incredible staff have been carefully tending to these beauties in the greenhouse at the high school. It’s the first official batch and I can tell that it is going to be an amazing year watching the WHS Urban Farm take off! I’ll talk more about this work later, but just know that work and life may be keeping me beyond busy, but then I see this photo and it all makes sense.
This is just me staying accountable by writing again and exposing my strengths and weaknesses (hello there, chicken tender. okay, fine. i also had fries). Here’s hoping for even more wins next week.
Oh, and for those of you who celebrate SEC football, congratulations on the start of the season. For those of us (me included) who enjoy the sheer joy of empty streets, restaurants and grocery stores during game times, congratulations to you too. Onward!
When you have to reset your WordPress password just so you can sign back in to your blog…well, you know you’ve been away for awhile. I guess the best way I can explain my absence is by posting this photo:
Annnnnnnd this one:
In other words, the 4-year-old and 9-month-old thing has had me running.
Oh, and this happened:
Kind of crazy to officially work at the place where Food Revival started. Many of you will remember my early posts featuring Jones Valley Teaching Farm (JVTF) produce and my CSA Challenges and all of my volunteer work. Now I get to do it full-time and it feels amazing and overwhelming and everything in between.
Obviously, it has been a big year. A busy year. I’ve chronicled almost everything on this site: My early food adventures, two rounds of gestational diabetes, different food-oriented jobs, Weight Watchers successes, and family/kid stuff and here I am in a new food phase. I mentioned on Facebook that I was embarking on a Whole30 adventure and have been asked to chronicle my experiences on my blog again. To be honest, I’ve missed writing on Food Revival and I think the encouragement I heard on Facebook was just the advice I needed to (at least) try to blog again. It has always been a creative outlet for me and consistently kept me accountable and engaged with whatever food phase I was experiencing at that particular time.
I’m not making any promises because I tend to break them more than I keep them these days. I’m learning not to apologize for that as much, but “sorry” seems to be one of the most prevalent words in my vocabulary. Working on it…
Bottom line is this Magazine Major sure has missed blogging. And I’ve missed connecting with all of you. I really hope I can stick with writing on here more often so that I can share the really exciting work I’m doing, my experiences with motherhood, and my food adventures again. Perhaps I’ll start tomorrow by celebrating my seventh day on the Whole30 plan. Trust me when I say seven days ain’t no joke.
Thanks to all of you for the encouragement, patience, love, and support you have always given me. I’m glad to be back.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote an incredibly long post about how fascinating it was to me to be starting my new job at Jones Valley Teaching Farm. It was the very first place I started doing local food work (as a volunteer) after getting laid off from my Cooking Light marketing job with over 8 years of editorial/marketing experience. Jones Valley Teaching Farm was where I held my Blessingway on the morning of my wedding. The Farm is where I met so many amazing friends and colleagues. I kind of feel like I never left Jones Valley Teaching Farm (JVTF), honestly. I’m two weeks in and I’m absolutely blown away. I’m not necessarily talking about my new job responsibilities (though I haven’t…
Tagged: Birmingham, Birmingham City Schools, Education, Food Access, Innovation, Instagram, Support
foodrevival 
