Month: July 2013

Getting Down and Dirty at Berggren Farm

Posted on by Julia Havens
Katy Giombolini ruling the roost at Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation and Development. Katy is a year 19 RARE member and works on an array of projects including the “Incubator Farm” at Berggren Demonstration Farm.

 

I was a vegan for about four years and still rarely eat meat, and it’s strange to now find myself raising chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats, and turkeys.  At the beginning, I struggled with raising animals for meat; it just seemed weird to me.  But as time goes on, I realize how animals are an integral part of many farm operations especially in terms of fertilizer.  Many vegetable farms rely on manure and other animal byproducts to boost their soil fertility.

There are many lessons learned from my RARE AmeriCorps service year working at the farm.  A big one is, “even if you think the animals couldn’t possibly do it, it probably means they can and will.”  I’ve been amazed at how animals can get out of their pens.  Goats could seriously best many escape artists.  I swear our bunnies teleport to the other pens (I have yet to actually see them hop over their barriers).  Our new baby goats figured out how to unlatch the door to their pen to get out.  Another lesson learned is “we can fix it later” means that whatever dinky thing we did to make something work will be there until it breaks.  It also means that doing the best job we can do the first time is better than having to fix something later.

This experience has also changed my perspective on life and death.  Life and death are common occurrences on a farm—from wilting plants in the greenhouse to the arrival of baby chicks.  I not only remember having a new born bunny die in my hand (not a good day), but also remember the joy in watching a seed sprout.  It still blows my mind that something so tiny becomes something so big.

This farm is only in its second year of production, its sprouting stage, but we are already doing educational programs with K-12 students, working with our neighbors to collectively buy and sell products, and, as we continue to grow, acting as a resource to others interested in small livestock production, habitat enhancement projects, and small scale vegetable and feed production.

About the Author: Current RARE member, Katy Giombolini, is placed with Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation and Development where she works on an array of projects including: development of a needs assessment for McKenzie River Valley Farmers, helping coordinate the Local Food Connection, and further developing the ‘Incubator Farm’ program at the Berggren Demonstration Farm, wherein beginning farmers lease a small parcel of land for a fixed period of time, share tools with other farmers, and have access to on-site mentorship opportunities. Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation and Development is a nonprofit organization established in 1989 to support positive environmental, social and economic change in local communities.

Risk and Reward: A Game Show for City Leadership

Posted on by Julia Havens

Back in May 2013, my Community Planning Workshop (CPW) team, aka the Diversity and Equity Strategic Plan Evaluation team (DESP), had to make a difficult decision. Earlier that month, we had been presenting the findings from our survey of Eugene city staff on equity and human rights issues to groups within the organization. We did our best to present the data, but our survey results were dense and difficult to take in all at once. On May 23rd we were scheduled to present the findings one last time to the committee of department heads and division managers in the City Council chambers (City of Eugene). We knew the agenda item before ours was a tough budget session and we didn’t know how well the committee members would be able to concentrate on our dense data.

Committee members held up colored cards that matched the squares on the screen.

To engage this high profile, potentially distracted audience, we decided to take a bit of a calculated risk. Instead of the same slides we’d been using, we decided to change our presentation to include quiz questions on the survey data. Committee members would be given colored cards to hold up indicating their guess from three options. Then the results would be shown and members could see if they guessed the results correctly. Prizes would be given to the best guessers. The risk with this strategy was clear – the committee members may not be in any mood for games and this might fall flat.

On the morning of the meeting, our team arrived as the committee discussed the budget. Our client, Jason Dedrick of the City Manager’s Office, told us that the committee seemed more subdued than normal. This did not bode well for our game show. When it was our turn to present, we tried to inspire the committee with our positive energy. And when the first quiz question was asked, committee members all participate just as we hoped. After that first question, it was like the room woke up. Everyone seemed to be having a good time guessing the answers. After our presentation, members of the committee thanked us for such an engaging slideshow.

This, to me, was my CPWs team’s finest hour. We presented all of our hard work to the top management of the organization, and did so by stepping out of our comfort zone and trying something new.

 

About the Author: Dave Amos was a concurrent M.Arch/MCRP student who graduated in the spring of 2013. His interests include transportation, land use, and urban design.