Brattleboro, VT

I drove to Brattleboro, VT today. It’s just across the stateline from Keene. It’s again an adorable NE town. It has a rather large food co-op, good bookstores, nice restaurants and the list goes on. Some places to check out:
1. Ami’s Bakery Arts Café
2. Everyone’s Books
3. Dottie’s Discount Foods
4. Boomerang (Thrift Store)

Also, I’d like to comment on the incredibly friendly civil-worker, who is a walking cop. Unfortunately I forgot his name… but anyway, he looked friendly, so when he walked past me as I was getting out of my car in the parking lot I asked him if he knew of anywhere good to pick up lunch. He recommended a couple places on Main, then started chit-chatting, told me to be careful of my belongings, asked where I was from (turns out he had a great summer vacation at a friend’s house on a lake in Novi, MI a few years back) and then even got out his phone to check the day’s weather for me. Thanks for starting my Brattleboro tour off right Mr. CopMan!

Saturday 25th June

Market today was alright, a little slow, but the weather was warm.
I made some new market friends!
I love this area! I can’t help but wonder if there are this many friendly people in Kalamazoo, and I just need to be in this spending-time-with-people deprived state to start legit conversations or if there is actually something special about this community..?

Just another monday

Phoenix House (a local, adult addiction rehab) came out today, they come every Monday, and they are really a good group. Obviously they have their issues, or did at one point, but they are definitely taking steps to start over. And it’s such a range of people; formerly wealthy, raised in the slums, teachers, ex-military…etc.. I really like them.

At about 11 Wendy drove over to one of the garden fields to find me, Amanda told her to call if a calf was being delivered, because Lydia the cow was in labor! Since Phoenix House was there we all walked over to the Dairy Barn together. When we arrived there were two little feet poking out! To describe it best, calves are born in a superman position: front legs out first, and head/body to follow. Wendy waited until Lydia laid down (a sign that she’s really ready to get the show goin’) then she used ankle chains to help her deliver.

She jokingly (I thought) said, “Well maybe we ought ‘a name her Lily. Huh?” The best reply I could muster was a wide-eyed smile and nod.

Well I guess it wasn’t joking because two weeks old on the 4^th, here’s Lily Melayn.

Sunday: the day of rest

Well after I recovered from the cold of market yesterday, I decided to try some baking and went grocery shopping and made some delicious Carrot, Rainsin, Oatmeal cookies when I got home. I hope to make some granola/granola bars today!

Friday and Saturday,

Being the only intern at the farm this summer means I have this 3-bedroom apartment, the kitchen, living room, and large front porch to myself. This might sound large and empty, and well it is, but I’m so tired after work, that I hardly have time to notice the extra space.

The first market was today. And the weather was pretty awful to be honest.

It was raining when we woke up, it rained all during harvest, and then only rained harder all through market. It was pretty cold, and a terrible day for sales. So hopefully next week will be better.

Evening One

Sarah, one of the two garden managers, met me outside the farm house at about 6pm today.

The farm house is split into three apartments, one upstairs for Amanda (the head garden manager) and her husband Scott, the second apartment is Glenn’s (Stonewall Farm Manager), and the last is for summer interns.

I found out upon arrival that the other intern for the summer was cut loose because she just wasn’t farm material…anyway more apartment space for me?

Last night I stayed in Rochester, NY with a CouchSurfer named Kira. It was wicked fun; co-op dinner, bike rides, drum circle, and a beer at a bar in the bay! I hope I get to stop through here again someday, Rochester looks like a nice little NE town.

APPROVED!

This summer [June-August 2011] I will be interning at Stonewall Farm in Keene, NH as a Garden and Farmers Markets Intern. Along side this I will be researching and writing my Senior Individualized Project at Kalamazoo College (This is the equivalent of a senior thesis at other schools).

Today, my SIP proposal was approved by my SIP adviser!!!

I am studying Anthropology/Sociology and will be doing my SIP under that department, that in mind my current working title is Constructing Identity Through Consumer Choices: Farmers' Markets, CSAs, and Organics.

If you're interested in reading my SIP proposal or my current list of cited sources, just let me know and I'll post that here as well!

-Lily