Hi Everyone!

I feel like I finally have a minute to breathe, and obviously the first thing I want to do was write to you all. I've been meaning to for so long.

Life is so crazy out here, in the day-to-day and the big picture. But when I take a step-back moment I truly love what I am doing. Some days I'm building gardens with classes, sometimes we're harvesting and making meals, sometimes I'm planning community gatherings/meals, sometimes I'm at community health and policy meetings, sometimes I'm working with kitchen staff on breakfast and lunch menus, sometimes I'm farming, sometimes I'm meeting with local farmers, sometimes I'm working on writing grants, sometimes I'm buying turtles from Victor who sells them out of his van on the side of route 66. Oh, and sometimes I'm baking bread and selling it at the farmer's market (actually thats every week.) All in all, I feel like I've found the job that incorporates everything I want to be a part of: farming, community organizing, health initiatives, policy change, etc.

The only problem...and I mean elephant in the room bothers me out of mind problem, is that I'm working to better the food system in Gallup, NM and no one seems to address the fundamentally HUGE issue here. Gallup has a really horrible history (and present) of racial discrimination. So, the injustices in the food system are deeply rooted in all kinds of problems with racial/economic oppression.   The perception and treatment of the native people is pretty awful. (and not just between white and native, but also between native and native...people keep saying things like "a population that only knows oppression only knows to oppress") Having access to healthy food is a huge issue, as well having rights to water, obtaining electricity, and of course alcoholism, diabetes, and obesity. I know you guys would love to discuss some of the current and historical things going on here. (Jason never once mentioned Native Indians populations!)

Gallup is a traditional South Western, Route 66 type town. Lots of trading posts, strips, and fast food. It's the strangest juxtaposition of wild west and modern consumerism. And surrounding Gallup is the Navajo reservation which is a huge, vast, and seemingly barren land. It's spooky and invigorating to look out on. It's an interesting sensation, loving the land for it's immensity but hating it for everything it's lacking. Most of the people who live on the reservation don't have access to electricity or running water. (Another thing I would love to discuss with you guys.)

So that is what I am up to. I have some awesome, completely melt your heart photos of kids in gardens. I'll show you soon! Last night we had a build your own pizza night with the kids and families at one of the schools. The kids had been prepping all week, making dough, chopping veggies, etc. We made 77 pizzas! It was a madhouse. And today I built 8 raised beds at a charter school. Kids with power tools, incredible. I'm delirious now and need to sleeeeep.

The only thing I'm missing out here is FRIENDS! I wish you guys could transfer your lives to New Mexico. It's awesome here...just saying.

Okay, that's enough babble. Sorry. I hope most of you did not get this far in reading this.

I love you. I miss you. I can't wait to see you.

love,
melissa