Howdy Everyone!
Charlotte here, the incoming Fresh Roots Farm Manager! I am elated to be joining the Fresh Roots team in growing Good Food and cultivating community! I’ll be working closely with Scott over the next few months as we begin the season (we’ve already started planting!)
I grew up in East Van. In fact, Van Tech was my high school. Even from the middle of the city, I always felt a connection to nature and had a curiosity about our role within it. I followed this curiosity to UBC, where I completed a BSc in Agroecology with a year as a visiting student at the University of Alberta in the Range and Pasture Management Program. I then studied agroecosystem evaluation and nutrient mapping for my MSc at the University of Nevada. While I’ve worked in research, for government, on ranches and farms, it quickly became clear that I enjoy teaching, sharing, and exploring sustainable agriculture and food systems most. I’ve found that learning with youth, sharing my enthusiasm and of course, celebrating Good Food is the most fulfilling part of what I do. As a result, my career has shifted to managing education and demonstration farms as dynamic tools for engaging and experiential learning. I am excited about the opportunity to work with Fresh Roots to create these spaces for an urban audience of youth.
Many thanks to the outgoing Farm Manager, Scott Bell, for his tireless work and dedication in establishing these amazingly productive and successful schoolyard farms. I am grateful for all the knowledge and expertise he is sharing with me.
I am looking forward to meeting all of you and getting to know the entire Fresh Roots community! Keep an eye out for me and Sidney the urban-farm dog, we’d love it if you stopped in to say hello!
Charlotte