Though I was raised in the City, farming is deep within me. I have the spirit of my grandfather, who would walk fields of maturing grain row-by-row, methodically hoeing errant weeds in a hundred-acre planting over the course of months. I approach my work in the same way, seeing tasks through over months and years until they are complete. A farm is a life's work, and yet it is so easily undone by the blade of a bulldozer. While the labor inherent in farming gives me deep satisfaction, the real work is in people, in family, and the pursuit of happiness. That work is as much a struggle as tending the fields. But it gives me satisfaction to see my children understand nature and it's seasons, as well as people and their diverse lives. We are urban farmers. We see the beauty of nature, and we see it defiled. We see the smiling faces of people who face unspeakable injustice. Within these contradictions, I seek peace within daily actions, and from those whom I love.

I am a staunch environmentalist, an avid anti-consumer, a food activist, and a lover of the land. I am at my best hunched over in the dirt with hands immersed in the earth. For all my "do gooder" deeds, I am not part of a ministry, I am not guided spiritually, and I am not a tree-hugging hippie. I am a strong secular woman with a rebel streak. I enjoy hard physical work, exposure to the elements, and the unrelenting challenge of growing food in accordance with nature. I am passionate and full of opinions, yet I keep an open mind. I respect other people - their choices, their faith, their values. I celebrate differences, and learn from my diverse surroundings. I believe that people have the power to change the system, their communities, and the fabric of their lives. It takes sacrifice, pure intention, and guts. My family and I sacrifice everyday for our values and environmental ethics. We never take the easy way out. We keep fighting and pushing for positive change. It's a hard life, but a good one. My wild sense of humor and sheer love for farming keep me going season after season.