Next Two Categories

Sorry for the weekend delay in explaining those next two categories.  My weekend was busy doing volunteering for ORE and assisting with the Recycling Program.  The Next Two Categories I would like to discuss are the Water Projects category and the UGRWCD Organizational Documents category. 
The First of these is the category that contains all the information that the UGRWCD had pertaining to water projects.  This does not just mean projects in Gunnison, but any projects that came through the office.  While the majority of the information in this category does relate to water projects in the Valley, this does well to give better detail than I have seen from other resources describing the same water projects.  It also provides perspectives on these water projects from different conservancy districts around the state.  One example of the intense amount of information available for water projects is all the data on water in the Colorado River.  Since so many projects were done on this river, a lot of different projects have the same base information so at times this category gets a little repetitive.  However, don't be discouraged, there is plenty to discover here. 
The Next category I would like to discuss is the category titled "UGRWCD Organizational Documents.  For student purposes, this category probably contributes the least amount of useful information because a lot of it can only be comprehended by a professional in a water conservancy district.  Many of the files through me for a loop when trying to summarize them in one sentence because I really didn't know the purpose of the document.  Never the less, there are important documents still located within these files.  There are a lot of meeting minutes included here, as well as detailed information on Board Members and Board Committee that Date as far back as the Conservancy District itself.  Perhaps a valuable resource for anyone looking for a historical perspective on the Conservancy District as a subject. 

Below is the link to access the Water Projects Category:
http://www.uppergunnisonwaterdocs.com/?page_id=3718

This next link will direct you to the UGRWCD Organizational Documents Category:
http://www.uppergunnisonwaterdocs.com/?page_id=3720  

As always check them out and leave me feedback.   

End Of My Internship

I have learned so much with this internship its unbelievable. I have learned how to create events, make valuable contacts, cook new recipes, run an entire website, communication skills, and a whole lot more. This internship has been so valuable to me. I have gained so much and could not thank the great folks at ORE for this opportunity. There has been some transitions going on in the office and they offered me a part time job as Market Manager of Local Farms First. I have been running the market now for a few weeks and it is going great. I have learned so much and I am so proud to be the person to turn to when there is a problem with an order, or if a farmer has a question. I am so grateful for this internship because it got my foot in the door and now I am working for this amazing organization. There are also big plans to expand the market to Telluride and Aspen in the coming months. So this internship has been a wonderful experience for me and I could not be happier with where I am going in my future!

Omnivores Dilemma

I read this book for my internship reading. It was a good read that I learned a lot from. I also got some interesting new views and questions from it. The first section is about corn and how it is a mono-crop that is in everything from our cars to in our hamburgers! It seriously made me think twice about getting fast food every again!! The second part discussed organic food and the benefits of small farms vs. large scale organic farms. This section related to me because I work with a lot of small farms with LFF and I have made a lot of friends who are small farmers. It was interesting to see how the large scale organic farms  operate compared to the small scale. The third section left me with the biggest question. It was about how we have lost touch with food. It makes me wonder how we have come to this point of not even knowing where our food comes from or even caring! This book was great and really taught me a lot about food and how I view it.

The Future Of Food: Local, National and Global

The future of local food on a global level looks challenging, because it is. With the human population so high food insecurity is a problem. On a national level, there are still issues with how our food is raised and grown using harmful hormones and chemicals. This is bad for our future also. On a local level, I can see the great effects of local food through LFF. So I have concluded that although the future of food is a global and national problem for the future, that changing on the local level is the answer. I have seen the good effects on having a local food system. Maybe if we all try to work on the small scale, it could benefit the larger ones. Of course this will  take a lot of time and change. But I have taken the steps to change personally, and I have seriously benefitted from it. I believe this can be done to help our food insecurity as a planet. Start small, but dream big!

Non Profit Businesses

Non-Profits are great organizations. It is wonderful to learn about how they work. The idea of not having anyone wanting to gain anything but a better future is wonderful to see. One thing I have learned about working for a non profit is how important grants are and funding. They are they only way that non profits run smoothly. It is a different concept but it is one that will make your heart happy because only humanity is gaining from these types of businesses. One way ORE gets funding is through grants. They are also putting on a fundraiser in august that will be a big way to get money for new programs for ORE. This type of job allows you to be creative when it comes to getting money to help your programs. It is neat to see these processes happen and learn about different way that business can work.

Local Food Movement: Community Effects

I have gained a strong sense of community while working with LFF. Seeing community members who care about the importance of local food has inspired me to really take action and change my own eating habits. I love eating local food off the market each week and enjoy trying out new recipes. Seeing other people and customers on the market ordering new things from the market each week has made me try new stuff too! I have tried Garlic Scapes, Duck Eggs, Thai Basil and a lot of other things that I would have to chance to buy in the regular grocery store. I love how this internship has sparked a new passion in me for local food. It has really affected my life in a positive way and I am so grateful to have this wonderful opportunity! I love seeing this local food movement grow in our community! Each week on the market there are new customers and new items available, it like Christmas each Wednesday when it is pick up day! Seeing the community respond to the availability of local food is inspiring and makes it clear that with small changes, a more sustainable future is possible.

Farm Tour Bad News

Unfortunately the farm tour was canceled! After all of the planning that went in to it, there wasn’t enough people who wanted to go. The folks at the office have also been swamped with planning the annual fundraiser Sustainaball in August that the farm tour just wasn’t able to happen. It is unfortunate because it would have been a great time. We had set up to visit The Living Farm and Abundant Life Farm to get tours, then go to Delicious Orchards for lunch and to end the day at a winery. Even though this would have been a fabulous day of local food, I still learned a lot about event planning and how involved this process could be. There may be another farm tour in September, so keep your eyes open for advertisements!!