Role with the Student Farm: Treasurer
Major: Forest Ecosystem Management
Hometown: Kapolei, Hawaii
Favorite Veggie: Cauliflower
Least Favorite Veggie: Celery
What are some lessons you learned on the farm?
One of the most important lessons I learned on the farm is that food is a really big opportunity that connects people. While being out on the farm, I learned the importance of working smarter not harder.
Clear communication with others in a team is very important. Being direct and keeping things as simple as possible greatly helps to minimize miscommunication.
Tell us about your involvement with the Student Farm.
I joined the Student Farm Club as a freshman. I went to a few events and meetings that intrigued my interest, such as the Philadelphia urban farms trip. I thought the club and the environment of the club were cool and I was interested in the subject, as I was already interested in growing my own food before joining the club. When I joined the club I met Nick, one of the past executive members who asked if I was interested in becoming involved with a leadership position with the Student Farm Club. My previous experience with the marine corps had built a steady foundation for me to work with others and also become a dependable leader. It was an easy transition to become the treasurer and I have been treasurer for three years since!
What have you learned during your time as a leader with the Student Farm Club?
During my time with the Student Farm Club, I mainly learned to roll with the punches. There was a lot to get through as far as challenges and processes for the farm expansion, like finding possible locations while dealing with a lot of changes to work with, working with administration- all which required a lot of patience and collaborative teamwork. I also learned a lot about the steps for planning events in terms of what needs to be done and prioritizing tasks in order to make an event as successful as it can be. From the outside, a simple event can seem like it does not require a lot of work, but even the smallest of details in events are important to think about ahead of time and to plan for.
What was your favorite result through your time with the farm?
Some of my favorite results are not limited to events such as the Cooking Collab. It’s really cute when an elderly couple from the community comes to our events. I think that shows that the farm has been able to accomplish its goal of including community members in our events to educate people about the value of food. Through the vermiculture workshop, a lot of community members enjoy coming out and benefiting from the learning process. It’s always great to know that we are doing our part in helping people learn, whether that be staff, students or community members. Last but not least, funding for the farm expansion was of course one of my favorite results during my time, as it is a huge step in securing the future of the Student Farm Club to continue with our goals well into the future.
