I was greatly honored to accept the 2017 Leading Organic Gardener of the Year award from The Northeast Organic Farming Association of NH on January 28, 2017 in Concord NH.
It is especially meaningful to me to be recognized by NOFA because the New England organic community has been crucial to my development as a grower.
Garden, 2016
So many of the new agricultural endeavors I took on over the years, I was told were impossible to do without chemicals. The examples, connections and support I found in NOFA (along with a bit of stubborness I must have inherited!) helped me persevere.
There are many rewards inherent to gardening. Time outside, observing growth and beauty, eating such healthy food. Some days that is more than enough.
However, it’s also the case that, like the life of the soil, which is the basis of organic farming, the work of gardeners, caregivers, and organizers is not
My Garden Soil
always recognized and valued. Sometimes we can feel as invisible as the millions of organisms in each teaspoon of soil.
So, to have my work recognized is truly gratifying.
Of course, my work rests on the efforts of many others as well. As permaculture teaches us, it’s only through our relationships and working together that any of us thrive.
I hope that each of us can see more clearly the maybe small but absolutely necessary good work being done all around us. Someone creating a thriving
Home-Cooked Garden Veggies
landscape, working to protect pollinators, refusing to give up cooking for their family… doing the work that supports us all and develops healthy communities.
We are all so connected, we are in this together. Please give your thanks and encouragement to someone who deserves it but wasn’t as privileged as I was this year to receive public acknowledgment!
NOFA-NH Award Ceremony 2017
