Do Not Adjust Your Monitors
Okay, I’ll cease with all the teasing and secrets keeping, although in my defense, I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark. I’ve just been absurdly busy. In any case, things will be looking a little different around SFTF from this point forward. There will be a brief period during which I will be begging your forgiveness for posting less frequently (but still a couple posts a week, I hope). But after these growing pains, I think you’ll be very delighted with what’s to come.
I am changing careers. And with this change of careers, I’m shifting the focus of this blog just ever so slightly, to include more grower’s information and fewer recipes. Don’t you fret! There will still be recipes and food photography. After all, we still need to eat, don’t we? I just anticipate having at least a post a week now dedicated to photos and discussions of some plant I’ll be growing, starting with discussions in the near future about designing a productive vegetable and ornamental plot.
Oh, you want to know more about the career change? Well, I’ve left my marketing position with an engineering firm to pursue my passions: urban greening/farming and sustainability efforts. I’m now working towards becoming a bona fide horticulture professional, while at the same time starting up my own consultancy to write about and promote local and national sustainability movements and organizations. Cool, huh? I thought so. But it does mean I’m busy between taking classes, going through an intensive apprenticeship at the world-renown Longwood Gardens (this and the previous post’s pictures are from there), and doing my freelance work, which includes writing for Green Options (check out this great sustainability blog).
Whew, I’m getting tuckered out just thinking about all of it. But! But, I do desperately want to share all of these wonderful experiences and the helpful knowledge I’ll be picking up with you. Urban farming, and Weavers Way Farm in particular, will still be a part of this blog, but I will now be growing my own plot as part of my apprenticeship and plan to use what I grow there almost exclusively in my recipes. I am excited to learn a lot more technical information about plant identification, culture and habits; horticulture/landscape design; and permaculture/sustainability practices in the field of horticulture.
So to summarize, in addition to local food and recipes, SFTF is now going to be a resource for growers and would-be-growers too who are looking for inspiration and information. What do you think? Sound good to you? I hope so! I’ve really grown to love writing this blog over the past year and getting such a great community going. If you want more recipes and less plant talk at any time, just say the word and we’ll get back to our previously scheduled programming. But for now, please don’t adjust your monitors! Instead, stay tuned for some cool plants and how to grow them!
Chuck Warnock said,
April 6, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
Congratulations! As first time gardeners ourselves, Debbie and I look forward to your posts, and will even more with the addition of your own veg garden experiences. -Chuck
bee said,
April 6, 2008 @ 3:40 pm
all the very best. look forward to your new posts. you have mail from us.
gintoino said,
April 6, 2008 @ 5:32 pm
I’m loving it already! Starting my first vegetable garden and being a beginner gardener anyway I will enjoy, and learn a lot with, your gardening posts.
Speaking of food just a a bit here, I followed your advice and did some bread and butter pudding. I used fresh strawberries instead of dry fruits and the result was really good. I didn’t like it too much while hot but once it got cold….delicious!
Sasha said,
April 6, 2008 @ 8:41 pm
How inspiring! I’m excited to hear more about plants… on the growing side that is. One of my passions, somewhat neglected now that I don’t have any proper dirt of my own…
VegeYum Ganga said,
April 7, 2008 @ 4:06 am
I am even more excited for you now. A marketing person? for an engineering company? I never would have guessed. Thought that you were ALWAYS a “hands in the dirt” gal. How brave of you to follow your dreams. Through this blog we will follow them with you.
Julia said,
April 7, 2008 @ 9:21 am
So funny, I haven’t been to Longwood Gardens in over five years (my parents love to visit it), but I somehow suspected that’s where your photos were from. It’s so cool that you’re moving out of the corporate world into where your real passions lie…if only I could figure out how to do that. And maybe your gardening posts will inspire my own beginner attempts at gardening.
veggielove said,
April 7, 2008 @ 11:23 am
Congratulations! Good timing, too, I finally got a community garden plot.
sophie c said,
April 7, 2008 @ 11:53 am
What a blessing it is to be able to capture such beauty in a photograph! I’ve been taking quite a few Texas flour pictures lately; my husband will be attending law school in Boston this coming fall, and I have this feeling I won’t be seeing many beautiful, blooming flowers in the middle of their cold, icy winters :). I plan on framing some of the pictures of these TX flowers I’ve taken, I need to remember what spring is like when I’m turning into an icicle!
Keep posting these pics, they’re like eye candy :D!
Judy said,
April 7, 2008 @ 1:32 pm
How wonderful to be able to make a living based on your passion.
I will be following this closely as I am very interested in sustainability, eating locally and gardening. Love the pictures!
Michelle Whitenack said,
April 7, 2008 @ 7:26 pm
Good for you!
Finding the courage to following your passion (or even just figure out what truly brings you joy) can feel dauting. Yet, you are well on your way through your career change.
Best of luck to you!
radish said,
April 8, 2008 @ 9:21 am
Oh congratulations — sounds like a wonderful and exciting opportunity!! I’m looking fwd to new posts!
gintoino said,
April 8, 2008 @ 11:51 am
Hi jennie! Just to let you know there is an award waiting for you on my blog
Jennie said,
April 8, 2008 @ 2:11 pm
Wow, you guys are so supportive!!! Thank you for all the encouragement and congratulatory comments.
I’m glad the new plant “theme” for the blog is an appealing one too. Can’t wait to have everyone sharing their food AND gardening experiences here. Any plant questions you have too, feel free to launch them my way as I have a horde of experts at my disposal that can answer anything i can’t.
Bring on the green stuff!!!
Jennie said,
April 8, 2008 @ 2:13 pm
Gintoino -
Oh, thank you!!! Abrigada! Such a wonderful award - I’m honored.
Thanks for prompting me to revisit your blog too (I’m embarassed to admit it’s been a month or so since I was last there) as I see all the great plants you’ve got growing already this season! Beautiful!
Sue (coffeepot) said,
April 9, 2008 @ 5:37 am
I am looking forward to the read. I love growing my own ingredients and reading any blog along those lines.
fallenangel65 said,
April 11, 2008 @ 6:25 pm
Just coming back around to get caught up with everyone and wanted to say Yea for you! I am watching NBC Nightly News and there was a segment on a dairy farm in Waterloo, WI that decided to become a cheese factory and for that decided to go green so they are using the dung to make methane that powers their farm and 120 others, what is left is odor free potting soil and the liquid is the fertilizer they use on their fields. That may not be exactly what you are intersted in - but in my mind it is in the same vain and I am always in awe of people who follow their passions and surrender to possibilities. I look forward to reading you, as always. k