Thursday, April 28, 2011

Meet your new Sustainability Specialist!

(L-R) Sydney with plot owners Sarah Kocienski and Ben Carson





Hi all! This is Sydney, St. Francis’ newly hired Sustainability Specialist. I will be working in the garden, leading workshops, organizing garden related events, and, hopefully, posting regularly on this blog! I am so excited to be part of the good work everyone involved in the St. Francis Community Garden is doing and cannot wait to meet all of our plot members and supporters.

Before I fill you in on upcoming garden news, I would like to share a bit about myself. My life sometimes feels like it revolves around food.


Cajun roots ensure I love good eating, music, and times. I have a relentless itch to travel. When stationary too long, I become a voracious reader and cook and let my mind and palate wander. My bachelor’s degree focused on sustainable food systems, anthropology, and women and gender studies. I am certified in Permaculture Design, a system for designing sustainable cultural and agricultural systems that mimic patterns in nature, which has greatly influenced my personal direction and philosophy. I have experience working domestically and abroad on gardens, urban farms, and various food projects. My career focus, and passion, lies in increasing access to fresh produce in underserved communities, which makes St. Francis’ Community Garden a great fit!

Natalie and I thought it would be nice to have an event where we could all meet. I hope you can attend our Garden Meet & Greet tomorrow (Friday, April 29th) from 11:30am-1:00 pm and start the season off right! If friendly faces and good conversation is not enough to get you out, we will also have lemonade!

Our Sprouting Saturdays schedule has been sent out. The first will be May 7th from 9-12. I hope we can cover a special gardening topic each Sprouting Saturday and would love your feedback. What has been ailing you in the garden? What green buzz has you itching for more information?


Please do not hesitate to contact me with garden questions or concerns (or even just to chat). My office number is (864) 255-1800 ext. 2233 and my email is Sydney_Daigle@bshsi.org.