Hello Friends! This is my fourth official week as a first year Fellow at the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs, and for the rest of the school year I’ll be blogging weekly about my experience as a Cornelian and as a resident of Ithaca. In my postings I’ll share my academic, professional and personal experiences as my journey through the CIPA program unfolds. I’ll also post photos and lots of links, and I’ll look forward from hearing from you in the comment section—please don’t hesitate to ask me questions about what I’m up to.
Here’s a little more in the way of background: I came to Ithaca via Vermont, but I’m a Mainer. I grew up on the coast, in a very small, rural town. My family has always had a large vegetable garden, occasional chickens and turkeys, and recreational lobster traps. My classmates milked cows before class and the Common Ground Country Fair was just down the road. Good food and community are at the center of my life and I carry with me a passion for feeding people—family and friends, new and old.
Although I call New England home, I was ready for a new landscape and so I completed a Bachelors of Arts in Poetry at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2005 (yes, poetry). In Colorado I learned how to study hard and play hard, and I spent as much time as I could in the incredible landscape of the Southwest. During college I became interested in the ways in which community food security is affected by public policy, and I designed my own minor titled Globalization and the Developing World, through which I studied the impacts of NAFTA on Mexico’s agrarian communities.
After college I felt the need to get my hands dirty, so I spent 8 months living and working on a hog and vegetable farm in southern Colorado. It was hard work and I struggled with the knowledge that the fourth-generation family farmer I worked for could not make a living by farming his land. I moved to San Francisco and then to Tucson Arizona, where I worked and volunteered in the food and farming world, and served the Center for Biological Diversity as the Grants and Publications Intern. After a year of transitory living I was ready to set down roots and build a community, so I found a job at in Vermont and moved back East.
For the past three years I worked as the Food Systems Coordinator at Shelburne Farms, which is a non-profit organization, a 1,400-acre working farm and an agricultural education center. As the Food Systems Coordinator I was responsible for communications, logistics, education and outreach for all things food—I worked with the Farms’ producers to grow food for our Restaurant, and I opened a mobile café to serve day visitors and guests farm-fresh food. I could write a novel about Shelburne Farms, but instead I encourage you to visit their website, and then visit the Farm, milk a cow, and try some of their award-winning farmstead cheddar cheese. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t miss being at Shelburne Farms. I also served on the Board of Directors for the Vermont Fresh Network. Through my work at the Farm and with VFN I met the most amazing farmers and eaters. E mail if you want more information about how wonderful Vermont is…
So here I am at Cornell. I am here because I want healthier communities and healthier agriculture. I want to help people eat better food and I want to make sure that small and mid-sized farmers can make a living growing good food. I want kids to know what it’s like to watch seedlings turn into a meal. I want our country to have a comprehensive food and farming policy that nourishes people and preserves social and natural resources. I recognize this is a lot to ask of a two-year program in Public Affairs. Keep reading this blog, and I’ll tell you how I’m going to make it happen.
Although this blog is being posted a little later than I would have liked (I'm not blaming anyone here but myself...), I want to make quick note of an amazing event that took place two weeks ago on Cornell's campus. Net Impact is "an international nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world." Each year, Net Impact has a conference that draws thousands of people for inspirational keynote speakers, panels, workshops, breakout sessions, networking opportunities and socializing.
This year, Cornell's b-school, the Johnson School, hosted the annual conference. This was good news for students: volunteers who worked more than 4 hours were able to attend sessions for free (cost of admission was around $350, I believe).
I volunteered on Friday, and was able to attend the Keyonte speaker (Driving Innovation & Economic Renewal In a Global Context with Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of GE in conversation with David Skorton, President of Cornell University), and attend a really interesting panel about becoming an Climate Corp.
All in all, Net Impact was a great opportunity to learn about new initiatives, meet new people and dream big...
One of the amazing things about attending school at Cornell is Ithaca's proximity to New York City. The Cornell Bus runs twice a day, public transportation will get you there cheaper, and there's almost always a friend or a friend of a friend who is happy to share gas costs. Getting there is not the problem: the trick is finding enough space in your schedule to disappear from the Cornell Bubble for a 48 hours...
I love the city, and given that I haven't left Ithaca since I started graduate school, I figured it was time to make a trip. My parents also love the city and have several friends with an extra bed, so this past weekend I gave myself a bit of a break and hitched a ride to meet up with the folks.
Although the trip put a bit of a kink in my study schedule, it was worth every minute of the sleep I'll have to forgoe this week to catch up. Here are some highlights:
Samurai Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
I adore the Met, and this exhibit was remarkable. It's the most comprensive collection of Samurai tools, weapons and art to ever be shown. The process of taschi (really big sword) making is incredible, but my favorite part were the over-the-top battle helmets.
Kandinksy Retrospective at the Guggenheim:
I hadn't been to the Guggenheim since it was rennovated several years ago, so it was a real treat to see the building in full-use. Kandinksy is one of my favorite artists, but I wasn't familiar with much of his later works. This exhibit spanned his entire life. The man was a genius with color, shapes and emotions. The exhibit was a rare treat.
This Farmers Market has made farmers markets famous...and for good reason. The Hudson Valley is one of NY's breadbaskets, and farmers drive in from near and far to hawk beautiful artisinal cheeses, organic vegetables, fresh juices and homemade treats. Here are two shots from the market: 1) handspun and hand dyed sheep yarn; and 2) fresh produce!
Of course I can't go to NYC without eating every five and a half minutes...highlights include amazing squid, octopus and bay scallps at Esca, excellent squid and kimchee dumplings at a Korean slip of a place in Tribeca, fantastic dahl, saag paneer, chicken curry, naan and roti at Haveli's in the East Village, choclate cookies at Milk Bar, some bangin' chocon in a blanket at DBGB Kitchen and Bar for brunch, and the best hot chocolate I've had in quite some time at Cafe Gitane in Nolita.
Back for 8am class this morning, preparing for CPAS elections on Thursday, the Net Impact conference this Friday and Saturday, and end-of-semester chaos...more soon.
At Colorado College, where I studied poetry and played in the great Southwest mountains and canyons, we were on the Block Plan, which means that instead of taking multiple courses at a time we took one class for three and a half weeks, for three hours in the morning with labs or reading periods in the afternoon. At the end of three and a half weeks we would be tested or required to submit a paper, enjoy a four-day "block break" and then return to engage in the next class. For me, as a humanities major, the Block Plan was perfect: it allowed students to dig deep into material and enjoy the immersion that comes from studying one subject intensively with a small group of people. The Block Plan did not, however, prepare me for midterms, or, as they are called at Cornell, Prelims.
Prelims fall during the middle of the Fall and Spring semester and are a way for both students and professors to gauge the level of knowledge accumulated over the first half of the semester, and to prepare for the all-dreaded Finals. They are also, of course, a time of immense stress and trepidation for students. Prelims also seem to have snuck up on many of us CIPA students; as one of my international peers mentioned "I'm not used to this constant evaluation." With problem sets, papers and presentations due each week, Prelims simply add another layer of work to an already hectic schedule.
That said, we all survived. Prelims are now officially over (I think), and many of our instructors are talking about "wrapping up" the semester: courses really do end on the 4th of December (which also happens to be my birthday!), so we have exactly one month left...with Thanksgiving break in between. A two-week reading period follows the last day of classes, and finals are scheduled for the second week in December.
I still can't believe that the semester is moving so quickly. It's a great reminder of how quickly the entire two years will move, and the importance of taking advantage of all of the amazing opportunities available at Cornell.
Here's a parting shot of the quad today: Fall is officially here, and winter is close on it's heels.
Although it’s already been a week and a half since Fall Break (time flies fast at Cornell—see Hadi’s recent post), I wanted to post some pictures and make mention of the fact that we did indeed get a small break in the middle of the semester to take a deep breath, see some of the leaves change and…in my case, go to Iowa. That’s right, Iowa. The National Farm to School Network was having a strategic planning meeting, and I went on behalf of Cornell Farm to School (see previous post for more information) to take part in the strategic planning process for the National Network. I have never been to the Midwest, so the trip in itself was exciting, although I didn’t actually leave the hotel where the meeting was being held (although my cab driver’s father was a garlic farmer). But here’s what Iowa looks like from afar:
Really beautiful farming country, which was fitting,
given that our task in Des Moines was to shape the long-term strategic plan for
the National Farm to School Network. The meeting went well and it was exciting
to be there on two levels: first, it was wonderful to be able to meet many of
my colleagues that I have only e-communicated with over the past four years;
and second, I really like the strategic planning process, and from a Public Administration
perspective it was valuable to participate in the development of a fairly
recent non-profit organization. I’ve participated in a number of other
strategic planning processes for other non profits, and I enjoy learning new
methods of facilitation and processes that help lead groups of people to clarity
and collective action.
After a very quick two days in Iowa, I returned to Ithaca to begin my break in earnest (the reality is that I had a lot of work to do, so I gave myself two full days for fun, but committed Monday and Tuesday to work). Highlights of the break include a solo hike at Treeman, which is a beautiful park just outside of Ithaca:
Some wiffleball in the local park, and a homemade ravioli dinner. Monday and Tuesday were back to the library, but it’s amazing what two days without your nose in a book will (and the first snow!) do for your disposition.
Settling In
It’s been about six weeks since classes have started, and I just feel like I’ve started to settle into a routine. In the “real world” (also known as the place where *lucky* people hold jobs), I enjoyed a very comfortable schedule of 8:30 to 6pm, Monday through Friday, with personal time, exercise and dinner parties tossed in for healthy balance.
After Day One on campus I realized that routine and balance would not be as easy to come by in graduate school. In fact, to illuminate this point, one of the Orientation Panels was on the importance maintain some semblance while in graduate school. Like my peers seated next to me in Orientation, I laughed at the idea that I would give up luxury items like cooking, exercising, cooking and playing music in exchange for long library hours and books. After all, if we can’t do the things that make us feel whole, why bother? What I didn’t realize was that at Cornell, no one forces you to sacrifice anything; rather, the excitement of learning and the opportunities for professional and personal development are so stimulating that there isn’t possibly enough time in each day to do everything.
Here’s a brief update about what’s been keeping me so happily occupied:
Classes
Being a rather Type A personality, I spent a good deal of time over the summer perusing the Cornell Course Catalog, reading through the CIPA requirements and trying to envision what kind of classes I would take, and in what sequence, to maximize my time at Cornell. When I arrived at CIPA orientation I had an excel spreadsheet (did I mention I like organization?) detailing my four semesters at school.
Although CIPA does a great job at outlining courses and suggested schedules in the Blue Book, I find that nothing is as helpful as talking to students and staff about what courses are not to be missed. I wanted classes that were going to challenge me to think beyond my current opinions incorporate my previous experiences and teach me new skills for critical problem solving and decision-making. After surveying a number of students and “shopping” around for different courses, I finally settled into Modeling Public Systems, Intermediate Microeconomics for Policy Makers, Food Policy for the Developing World and Globalization, Food Security and Nutrition. For me, this course load provides a great balance of applied quantitative skills, development theory and practical application. More on my classes to come in future posts…
Work
For financial reasons I need to work while I’m a student at Cornell—and I’m not alone—quite a few of my peers also hold part time jobs (it is possible!). One of the many reasons I was excited to come to Cornell is Cornell’s status as a Land Grant institution, and the excellent reputation of the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE). Extension services are incredibly important for rural communities, and specifically for agricultural development and assistance. I had the good fortune to partner with University of Vermont’s Cooperative Extension when I was working for Shelburne Farms and I had heard excellent things about CCE.
In partnership with CCE, Cornell Farm to School is a program that supports Farm to School initiatives within the state of New York, and provides resources and services through the well-established Extension network. I was fortunate enough to meet Jennifer Wilkins, the director of Cornell Farm to School, at the Northeast Farm to School Conference in Burlington, Vermont, last spring. It turned out she was looking for an assistant, and given my experience and skill set, the fit was right. I spend between 10 and 15 hours a week working for Farm to School, and am heading to Iowa on Thursday for a nation-wide Farm to School planning meeting.
Professional Development
The Professional Development staff at CIPA is unparalleled, and they work very hard to make sure that CIPA students have the opportunity to improve our overall professionalism, learn from others in the field of Public Affairs and stay abreast of Cornell-wide career-oriented activities. The Colloquium Series is an important part of our curriculum at CIPA and it’s been inspiring to hear from professionals about on-the-ground work. During any given week there are also chances to workshop your resume, practice interview skills, or attend informational sessions with potential employers.
Extra Curriculars
The Cornell Society for Public Affairs (CPAS) is a nominated group of CIPA students who provide resources, information and social activities for CIPA. Two Sundays ago I attended the Cultural Potluck (I baked an apple pie!), and ate some incredible food from India, Pakistan, South America and…Minnesota. CPAS sponsors a number of fun events—attending these events are a great way to get to know others in the program. A great way to meet people who aren’t in CIPA is to hit up the Big Red Barn on Friday afternoons for Tell Grads Its Friday (TGIF) Happy Hour. Beers are cheap and talk is cheaper….
Enjoying Ithaca
And then, there’s this…
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