Spending Time With An Urban Farmer—Annette Cottrell

I’m a city boy through and through. That means that there are a lot of things I never experienced growin up. One of the things I have found most rewarding about being a curious person and wanting to learn what drives people to do what they do is the ability to get to know those people on a deeper level. Also, it’s intereting to find out who inspires them. A few weekends ago, I was asked to interview Annette Cottrell, co-author of The Urban Farm Handbook and creator of the blog Sustainable Eats.

I had no idea what to expect when I said yes, but I’m glad I did. Annette no longer lives in an urban setting, but her new country gardens/farm was beautiful. She has ducks, chickens, goats, rabbits, tons of vegetables, and other edibles on what almost seems like a retreat center. Before I knew it, this city boy was hanging out with goats, eating snap peas from the vine, being circled by turkeys, and recording an interesting conversation with Cottrell herself. Find out how Cottrell became interested in urban farming in the first place and what role you can play in food justice and your health in this interview.

BGI's 500th Graduate

I almost didn’t go to this year’s graduation. It’s not because I didn’t want to show my support to the great individuals I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know this year. It’s mostly because I don’t particularly like goodbyes. At the very last minute (and I do mean last minute) I decided I would continue saying “yes” and got my ticket.

It wouldn’t quite be BGI without a little quirkiness. There was plenty of that. Highlights for me, though, included watching some wonderful people be recognized as they crossed the stage, mingling with continuing students, and wishing these change agents well as they close this chapter of their lives and begin the next. In just 362 days, it’s going to be my turn to do the same. Here’s hoping that I’m ready when that day comes.

This year marked a monumental event for BGI—graduating their 500th alumni. Fittingly enough, #500 happened to be Eric Schalla, a person for whom I have a deep respect. Here he is…

What is a Juicy Workplace to You?

I tried rotating this image before and after uploading. Either way, my site is determined to show it sideways.

What makes a juicy workplace for you? A few weeks ago, I decided to take a trip to Portland, Oregon for an extended weekend. What was supposed to be a “vacation” turned into one of the most engaging and rewarding weekends I’ve had in a while. The new Bolt Bus route on the West coast allowed me to get a $3 roundtrip ticket between Seattle and Portland. As the weekend approached, I decided to schedule some meetings with some people I know in the Portland community. I’m glad I did. Those meetings didn’t feel like work. Instead, they served as a chance to more deeply connect with some people I respect.

Angela Hamilton is one of those people, and introduced me to the Portland State University’s Social Sustainability Colloquium. What was the topic for this Friday’s presentation? “How can Portland be a model city for fostering a vibrant, juicy workplace.” Yeah, I had to go. What was, for all intents and purposes, a two hour brainstorming session, exposed me to a wide range of thoughts and people regarding a sustainable workplace. For me, a juicy workplace is one where people are free to bring their authentic self. It would be a place where diversity in all its forms is not tolerated but regarded as essential to developing strength, a better product, a better service and better workplace environment.

Buying Local Is About More Than Building A Local Economy

 

Let’s forget, for a moment, that supporting local business is great for the local economy, healthy for a community, and especially with regard to food, can aid in health-related issues such as allergies. It’s just plain fun. I’ve recently helped host a couple of “cash mobs” here in Seattle and when I take time to reflect on what went well, what could be improved, and how I feel overall, I’m learning that supporting local businesses simply feels good.

I come home now to three indoor plants I bought at Village Green Perennial Nursery, where I’ve gotten to know the entire staff on a first name basis. In fact, we’ve gotten to be friends. We hang out, go to lunch from time to time, invite each other to different events, and share each other with people we find valuable. Today, we met up at Bedrock Industries. For about 5 months I passed over this place every single day to and from work and never realized it was a business that’s open to the public. Today, I had my chance to walk around. I felt like I was on an adult field trip.

Now on to the material things. While, I don’t place much stock in material possessions, when I look at the plants in my window and my recycled glass coasters, I know the story behind eace piece. When we buy local, we don’t live in disposable culture. We appreciate the time, effort, and skill that goes into what we adorn our lives with.

Let’s forget, for a moment, that supporting local business is great for the local economy, healthy for a community, and especially with regard to food, can aid in health-related issues such as allergies. It’s just plain fun. I’ve recently helped host a couple of “cash mobs” here in Seattle and when I take time to reflect on what went well, what could be improved, and how I feel overall, I’m learning that supporting local businesses simply feels good.

I come home now to three indoor plants I bought at Village Green Perennial Nursery, where I’ve gotten to know the entire staff on a first name basis. In fact, we’ve gotten to be friends. We hang out, go to lunch from time to time, invite each other to different events, and share each other with people we find valuable. Today, we met up at Bedrock Industries. For about 5 months I passed over this place every single day to and from work and never realized it was a business that’s open to the public. Today, I had my chance to walk around. I felt like I was on an adult field trip.

Now on to the material things. While, I don’t place much stock in material possessions, when I look at the plants in my window and my recycled glass coasters, I know the story behind eace piece. When we buy local, we don’t live in disposable culture. We appreciate the time, effort, and skill that goes into what we adorn our lives with.