Introduction: Quinn Van Buren
I applied for this fellowship because I am interested in approaching sustainable food systems from a different perspective. I have previously worked on organic farms and researched the social and environmental aspects of sustainable and organic agriculture. This fellowship posed an exciting opportunity to learn about the issues facing our food system, and world, from a community perspective. I have always loved food and cooking, and growing up with an awareness of climate change led me to focus on the environmental impacts of our food system and consumption practices. A point of inquiry I think about a lot is in what ways can we continue to produce food under rapidly changing environmental conditions. Are there ways to do so that give back to the environment rather than damage it? This summer, I hope to focus most on being present with the community and the work being done at the farm. I want to be really focused and intentional this summer, and just put everything I can into this learning experience. I would like you to know that I absolutely love bodies water (particularly the ocean), I can have a bit of a sweet tooth, I’m looking forward to learning about native plants in the area, I’ve recently begun to accumulate a collection of CDs, and if I were a tree I would be a western red cedar.