Edible East Bay is a wonderful local magazine that celebrates everything “food” in the East Bay Area (and it’s free, although they do take subscriptions). Last fall, I was fortunate to engage Cheryl Koehler, the editor, as a guest lecturer for my ‘Bay Area Food Culture’ class at Merritt College. My students were enthralled; the magazine has a bit of a cult following among foodies, and many of them had her sign back issues that they had kept for years.
A few months afterward, a local writer contacted me, saying that Cheryl thought our program at the college would make an interesting piece for the magazine. The writer, Rachel Trachten, interviewed me and several of my students for the article. A former student, Kerstin Firmin, who was also my first garden intern at the college, was hired to take the photographs. I wasn’t really sure anything would come of it, but the fall issue of the magazine has just been released, and sure enough, there’s an article about the Urban Agroecology program at Merritt. I’m absolutely thrilled; mostly to read what the students have said and are doing out in the world, but also because it might be a good advertisement for the program, which is still new and finding its footing. I am very proud of our program and of my students, and am looking forward to beginning a new semester this coming Monday. I hope to build some momentum and excitement about our program and the certificates that our students can earn, which will help them find new careers in farming or food systems.
If you’re interested, you can read the article here. Many thanks to Cheryl, Rachel, and Kerstin for this honor.
