This month we’re celebrating Anne-Lise who has donated her time and energy with our Community Education program! Anne-Lise has been volunteering with us since the spring, helping to deliver programming to seniors and children on food systems.
Why do you volunteer with Farm Fresh RI?
I am new to the area and volunteering with Farm Fresh is a way for me to personally connect with the local food system for my own benefit, but more importantly, to connect with people and organizations to teach about local food systems, sustainability, and also how to cook and prepare food.
Do you have a favorite memory from volunteering with Farm Fresh RI?
I’ve enjoyed both working with seniors at the senior community center and with the children at different venues.
How has volunteering with Farm Fresh Rhode Island impacted you and/or your community?
I moved to the area from San Diego, California, last fall. Since we are new to the area I don’t have many connections in the food industry yet. Volunteering with Farm Fresh RI has helped me find a sense of purpose while we settle in New England. I’d like to do more and get more involved this autumn.
What have you learned about yourself, others, or the local food system through volunteering with Farm Fresh RI?
There is a big farm-to-table and food-sustainability movement in California. I am very glad to learn that this is just as important here and there are organizations like Farm Fresh RI to help bring the messages to the public.
When you’re not volunteering, what do you like to do in your spare time?
In San Diego, I was a personal chef, girl scout leader for my daughter’s troop, and school volunteer. Currently, I am unemployed because of the move. I also garden and cook and my new home in Rehoboth, MA, allows me to cultivate both of these hobbies.
What did you know about the local food system before volunteering with Farm Fresh Rhode Island and what do you know now?
Obviously food systems vary greatly between southern California and New England. There are different climates, varieties of food, seasons, and environmental concerns between the two areas. Learning about New England’s system will take time, but I have already learned so much.
What would you tell someone who was thinking about volunteering with Farm Fresh Rhode Island?
Farm Fresh RI is a very welcoming organization and needs help from volunteers whether intermittently like I have been or regularly. Come and help and share your food stories and passions or come to learn and then share that knowledge.
Why do you support Farm Fresh Rhode Island?
I support Farm Fresh RI because I believe that local food systems are important for our health and the health of our planet. If one person from the community outreach programs makes one conscious decision about food choices based on what they learned, then the world is already a better place.
What is your favorite local fruit or vegetable?
I’m really looking forward to blueberries from this area and also fresh New England summer corn.
Thank you, Anne-Lise, for your time volunteering!
