Courtesy of Alex Sawatzky
The Basics
Title: Student farm manager and part-time instructor in agriculture and food systems
Unit: Rutgers Gardens, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
How Long Have You Worked at Rutgers: 4 years
What I do
I work with Rutgers students to grow and distribute nutrient-dense veggies to our local communities. I manage the summer internship program and also work with paid students, experiential learners and volunteers. More than half of the food we grow is donated to local food emergency organizations, including the Rutgers Student Food Pantry. Our aspiration is to showcase an example of small-scale farming that is simultaneously ecologically sound, socially just and economically viable – the three pillars of sustainability. I want to help change the way that food is produced and consumed in our world.
Favorite Memory
My favorite memories so far are when I have seen students become passionate about food and/or farming. I hope to inspire them to be changemakers and active citizens in their communities, so if they become engaged as stakeholders in our food system, I feel as though I have succeeded as a teacher.
Fun Fact
I played volleyball as an outside hitter competitively for 10 years, beginning in high school. I went on to play collegiate club volleyball at Eastern University and in men’s leagues. Both school teams I played on reached a top 5 ranking.
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