The End is Near

Becky Naab is a PRC AmeriCorps VISTA serving with the FoodCorps team in Livingston.

As I write this blog, the countdown to the end of FoodCorps is six weeks. Reminiscing, I can say I have had times in Montana that have been some of the happiest of my life and others that have been the most frustrating. Ultimately, my time here as taught me a lot. I have learned that I am independent and strong enough to move to a completely new part of the country all by myself. I’ve learned that Montanans are some of the nicest people you can find. Most importantly, I’ve learned that you CAN make a difference in a short period of time. 

This past week was the final week of the school year in Livingston. I had a great time enjoying my last days with the kids. My Farm to School lessons were cut short for field trips, field days, and classroom parties, which was quite alright with me since I was invited to them all. Who doesn’t want to go to Yellowstone with 60 second graders? The kids I’ve had the opportunity to work with this year have definitely left a lasting impression on me, and I hope I’ve done the same to them. If even just one student I taught reaches for carrots instead of potato chips at the grocery store, begs their parents to go to the farmer’s market, or can identify what kale is, I have done my job.

Becky with some of her students at the end of the school year

The other exciting news besides the last day of school is the Farm to School Fun Run I planned! While I was busy and stressed days before the run, it was well worth it because it turned out great. My goal was to get at least 20 runners, but ultimately we had 30, including teachers, students, and my FoodCorps comrade, Anina Estem. It was heartwarming to see all the support, and we raised $355 for our Farm to School program. However, the most important thing about the run was that we raised more awareness for Farm to School and brought community members together over a great cause!

Farm to School Fun Run runners

While I might be retiring from FoodCorps, I’m far from retiring from the Farm to School movement. The past month I have been applying for Farm to School related jobs around the country and have found multiple organizations with good job possibilities for me.  Honestly, I think my experience with Montana FoodCorps is what really makes me an interesting candidate. While I will be off to another part of the country come August, Livingston will always hold a place in my heart. 

P.S. A final highlight of the past couple weeks was that I got to hang out with singer/songwriter John Mayer….sort of. He lives nearby in Bozeman, and he sat next to me, and even asked me a question, at my favorite Livingston bar. I’m one lucky girl!

Decisions

Katie Wheeler is an MTCC AmeriCorps VISTA serving with the FoodCorps team in Kalispell.

 

I knew the time would come where I would have to make a choice.  To stay or go. 

Finish my term as an AmeriCorps VISTA and leave Montana to head back to Pittsburgh and begin a graduate program in Food Studies…

OR

…Stay in Kalispell and continue Farm 2 School and food security work.

I have my parents, extended family and friends back east, as well as acceptance into a great graduate school and my beloved city -- all of which carry a hefty weight.

But the list of reasons to stay has always been long.   What I have found here -- the new friends and family, the fulfilling work in a beautiful community, and the professional and personal connections that somehow manage to run so deep after such a short time -- words cannot do justice. 

And now, as the list of reasons to stay continues to grow, it is clear I have made the right choice to join National FoodCorps and go on with my work with Kalispell District 5. 

The above photo was taken at KMS and displayed on the 

Communities Take Root website during a 

6-week national voting period.

Some of the newest additions to the “Stay” list include the first-time implementation of a Summer Food Service Program in Kalispell run through District 5, and our triumph in the Communities Take Root national competition sponsored by Dreyer’s Fruit Bars.  

On June 18^th,  a 30-40 tree orchard named Grace Orchard: Nourishing Connections at Kalispell Middle School will be installed.  Once it is producing at full capacity, it will provide fresh (and VERY local) fruit to the district food service program and any excess will be donated to the Flathead Food Bank. My mind is already swimming with ideas for ways to integrate the orchard into F2S and nutrition lessons at KMS next year!  

In addition, Jenny Montague, District 5 food service staff, and I have been working diligently this last month to put all of our ducks in a row for the start of our new Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).  The program will provide free lunch and breakfast at three locations throughout the summer, and though an enormous task in a town the size of Kalispell, we could not be happier to make it happen.  In a district where the schools have Free/Reduced lunch rates that range from 36-72%, the need is clear. 

Aside from the obvious benefit (providing free food to local youth!), I am most excited about the timing of the program.  Because what happens in the summer?  Food GROWS!  And a lot of food at that.  As the evident local food enthusiast, this is a BIG (Flathead) cherry on top!

Wish us luck in our first try at hosting SFSP and help spread the word in the Flathead!  We’ll be looking for volunteers all summer long so please contact me if you or anyone you know would like to lend a hand.  You can find me at Katie.t.wheeler@gmail.com or (412) 952-6719.