Spring AdAPT Crew
Welcome to this Spring’s Adaptive Agriculture Practicum Training Program! AdAPT students are taking on the challenge of producing food as a way of feeding communities and regenerating natural processes. These courageous, creative, and driven people will be working their way towards a better future. Here they are:
Sarah “I currently work on a small farm that uses as many sustainable methods as possible, and with further training I will be able to help them expand and adopt more adaptive practices. Even without the promise of employment opportunity, I believe that such knowledge and experience is invaluable to human survival, the preservation of civilization, and an essential connection to our planet.”
Kayla “I work hard and learn quick where ever I am. If there is a skill I don’t already have that need in order to do well in my current position, I make sure that I work hard to learn it and own it. I stay focused on my task but am able to be flexible enough to roll with whatever gets thrown my way. I want to work to make my life as simple as possible as best to work along side nature, instead of against it.”
Dimitri “Although I may not know how to grow a vegetable yet, I definitely know what to do with them once they are in my kitchen. I enjoy cooking and love to create new plates with the local fruits and vegetables I collect through out my area. As well, I am a quick learner. Once dedicated towards a task or goal, I will not stop working until I have reached it. My mind set is to never give in and never stop trying. I have always and will always work hard on myself, my education, my health, and my future.”
Jonathan “I envision myself starting a farming enterprise that is both regenerative and educational in nature, with the capacity to provide a modest income to support a family. As a returned Peace Corps volunteer, I will be taking advantage of my graduate school benefits and will be pursuing a Masters degree in Environmental Management at the end of July, which has many practical fellowship opportunities at farms in the surrounding area. I am always seeking to gain more practical experience from skilled mentors in the field of sustainable agriculture and business development.”
Andrew “I believe its very important to be able to bend like a reed in the wind, so to speak, to not allow some unforeseeable circumstance to break you. My plan for the future is to find a community and grow food for them, I know that at some point something will go wrong its unavoidable I want to have a strong foundation or a large pool of knowledge to be able to pull from so that I may find a way to fix the issue or work around it.”
Kevin “I want to do this program because this the current agricultural scene in the US is extremely unsustainable and that to be is a huge issue. I hope to acquire skills that would assist in sustainable farming techniques.”
Courtney “Vocationally a nurse in the allopathic medical system for 3 years led me back to what really matters. Life, in all its forms, plants, bacteria, animals and our integrative ecology. I’ve observed how our lack of connection to the earth is leading to our collective physical and mental demise. Starting with a clinical herbalist bridge, I realized that I am far from self sufficient or able to provide food and medicine for the local community. I feel true adaptability is anticipating and acting toward what the needs will be when current paradigm shifts.”
Eliot “My future plans are to grow and produce food in and for Mendocino County. My hope is that GSAA will help me build upon my current knowledge base, facilitate my integration as a local food producer and to help me establish a deeper education that I can share with others…. I would say that I’ve been adapting to survive in our world ever since I left the family farm. I have been finding ways to reconnect to the land and with my heritage for many years.”
Melissa “After receiving my Associates, I went back to school for two years of Nursing prerequisites. Last Fall, I attended Trinity College of Nursing for one semester until I decided to change my career. I would love to learn all the skills I would need to operate a small, sustainable farm and homestead.”
And we will be joined by Capstone students, James, Lyndsey, and Joshua. These three graduated from the program last year and the year before, and they are working on their own enterprises on campus. Stay tuned for more information on the whole bunch once school starts!
