Taking a break from packing my bags in preparation for Ghana, I head to an old wooden dock overlooking a pond on a West Texas ranch. I journey there alone to be alone in nature, alone with my thoughts, and to contemplate what will happen over the next few months. I feel a warm Texas […]
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Although all 8 of us have the same title, we have all had our own unique experiences as AgriCorps Fellows. In the past year we have laughed, cried, been angry, happy, and every other emotion you could ever imagine. We have gone through loss with each other and experienced new life. We have grown, both […]
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I walked up to the farm that I had been working on for several months, just like I did every other Monday. I had just come back from Christmas break and was going around to check on some farmers that I had been working with. This day, however, the young man who works the farm […]
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My AgriCorps service didn’t end quite like I had planned. At the beginning of May, I was sent back to the states due to noncontagious medical issues that could not be solved in Liberia. Due to health risk, I was forced to leave my site without saying goodbye to my community. I basically went from […]
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“I believe in the future of agriculture…” The words were so familiar, but rang out so differently that day. “With a faith born not of words, but of deeds…” The sound from the speakers was scratchy and slightly delayed. “Achievements won by the past and present generations of agriculturalists…” But I didn’t care. “In the […]
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I grew up on a farm in southern New Mexico and later, in Arizona. My father has been a vegetable farmer for almost 40 years. He too grew up on a farm, as well as his father before him. When I began to take on my first real responsibilities of irrigating fields, I was around […]
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I didn’t always love Mama Liberia. And if you asked me now I would probably deny it. But there are moments I catch myself, appreciating the life I’ve curated here, and it has made the growing pains of this journey all worthwhile. Before I board the plan in exactly two months I thought it be […]
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I awoke to nothing. No clucking chickens or bleating goats. No creaking cars on the rough roads. No 5am voice yelling “PROMOTION, PROMOTION!” Finally, for the first time in such a long time, there was complete peace and quiet. A gentle breeze welcomed me as the glaze over my eyes became clear. I opened my […]
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Earlier this month, The Akatakyiwa and Mt. Zion 4-H Clubs participated in an excursion to the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and Cape Coast Castle, exposing students to a variety of agricultural practices and research as well as historic sites. The day started off bright and early for the 32 students and 5 teachers with […]
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The Fellows and I were sitting at our dining table and the new year had just begun. We were all brainstorming trying to create visions for what we wanted to do in the last 6 months in our communities. Then I spoke up and said, “I want to have a LEAD (Leadership, Education, Agriculture, and […]
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