Urban Farming!

Over the past couple of days, I have been reading Novella Carpenter's "Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer". I was initially drawn to the cover, which was featured on some design website; it looked awesome so I decided to do a little research and ended up buying the book.


It reads just like someone telling you about their experience in creating a farm, complete with chickens, turkeys, ducks and a beehive. As an urbanite who knows nothing about farming, animals (except cats!...which we don't eat!), and I'll admit, nature, this book is really an education to me. Novella sets up her own farm in an abandoned lot in Oakland, and seems to learn as she goes, keeping an open mind to whatever she sets out to do. I'm not even half-way through yet, but I think it's the best book I've read in a while. My favorite excerpt thus far:

"Back in Seattle, our first chicken was an Americauna named Agnes. She was a lesbian chicken who crowed like a rooster but also laid eggs with bluish shells."

I need to get more in tune with what's happening within my 5 boroughs. I know there are urban farms in Harlem and Red Hook. I should really figure out where they are and what they grow. Next semester, I am going to be doing an independent study focusing on food systems in New York City, and policy initiatives set to improve food security and access to nutritious, fresh foods for low-income New Yorkers. This book is making me think, which is unusual given I'm on winter break!

Brains. It's what runs through my brains.

+++

My eyeballs feel sad. They need a massage. Tomorrow is my first class in pursuit of a master's degree. Yay higherhigher educations! But, srsly, I'm excited. And very afraid. I'm always really afraid.

Work is the same, which it should stay that way so I can be good at school. Though I'm bored half the time, getting emails from my bosses always thanking me for my work (and the occasional "You rock!") makes up for the rest of the wasted time or crappy tasks I get stuck with.

Right now I'm being squinty because I need new glasses. I'm trying to watch the DNC, but it's boring. I wasn't really feeling Michelle Obama's speech last night. I thought it was really forced and trying too hard to be emotive, too Barack-y; she kept starting her sentences with "Y'see...". I like her a lot, just thought her speech was a bit of a letdown. The Obama kids screaming into the microphone was intended to be cute but it was just awkward. I'm being too judge-y I know. All these events are weird to me. If you break it down; how excited people are to follow someone who is made out to be a symbol of change. "Change we can believe in" plastered all over the screens, voices screeching into microphones bounding through the arena...It's all sort of 1984-ish. It's not so much a critique of the DNC, as much as it is about this whole process, the way people think and how they put their faith in politicians.

I will say, that I liked Ted Kennedy's short speech, and I always love seeing Jimmy Carter, I just want to give him a big but gentle hug, bloodshot eye and all.

Final Notice

This is getting ridiculous. I need to carry around my journal or something, especially since work is waning down in peak vacation season. I wish I were a little bit more motivated in making things, especially since I want to get better at drawing.

I've taken to writing down key phrases on post-its at work in hopes that this will get me to do things when I get home, but it never pans out that way. Mostly because I don't believe I can make something that I like, which is the dumbest excuse ever. I'm still reeling from drawing for two hours and my computer randomly shutting down, and then crying for ten minutes and then mourning for a day.

So I will draw later, after I make dinner...
I think.

***

I've also noticed that being in school, or rather the thought of going back to school gets me excited because, 1- I want to get a better job that is at least somewhat reflective of my capabilities and interests &, 2- The more immediate effect: I feel an urgency in having to know what's happening around me and the connection which stems from that to the entire world.

It took me a good ten minutes trying to phrase that correctly.