Grant Recipient: Aviva Markowitz, Class of 2012
Major: Sociology and Environmental Studies
Organization: Boston Natural Areas Network and City Sprouts
Location: Boston, MA
Urban agriculture is different than the farmland I’m used to. Gardens form diverse communities within the city, yet each garden has a different vibe, different inter-garden drama, and different gardeners that have dedicated hours of their summer to their plants. For one of my internships, I have called all 150 Garden Coordinators in Boston, emailed them incessantly and biked throughout various neighborhoods to post flyers at gardens all over the city. I am running a food donation program to benefit recent Haitian immigrants, and the amount of logistics to figure out, even for such a simple program, is driving me crazy. Yet the fulfillment comes through meeting the women who will take home the 394 pounds of donated produce and seeing how many people are eager to volunteer to help. Being an intern has its ups and downs, but this summer has been full of lessons. Living on a budget makes you appreciate every vegetable you choose to afford. The connection between health and wealth in this country is understandable when trying to eat off of $40/week and realizing that a bag of junk food costs $.99 while fresh vegetables are four times that price. Every time I’m able to bring home vegetables from the gardens I am maintaining, mostly chard or kale, my housemates and I devour them at dinnertime. Weshop will feel luxurious in the fall.
ARTICLE: http://www.mysouthend.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=108508
