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| Taste test at an event |
I originally wrote this under the 'a little about me' section of my blog...after three paragraphs I realised that wasn't strictly speaking true. The background as to how I
got into this is line of work is a rather long and elaborate story so before you read the rest
I suggest getting yourself a cup of tea and making sure you are
sitting comfortably.
My
background is in science, I studied Biology at Edinburgh University and then
decided I liked it so much (Edinburgh, followed closely by Biology) I'd stay on
to study for a PhD. In an attempt to keep cash flow in the black I got
involved in demonstrating and tutoring undergraduates. It wasn't long before I realised that I
enjoyed this much more than the research and enrolled on the Science Communication in Action course run by the Scottish Initiative for Biotechnology Education (SIBE).
As part
of this course we took a science workshop to various schools, a sort of CSI style practical where the children had to figure out who had committed a murder. Not only
was it rewarding on a daily basis (I experienced 2 minor breakthroughs during
my 3 year PhD) but I revelled in making the science more accessible and
interactive for the children and young adults I worked with. From then on I got
involved in as many public events as my research allowed, promoting science to
the general public.
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| Graduation day, accompanied by my Dad |
After I
graduated I returned to Suffolk and worked as a seasonal assistant Education
Officer with Suffolk Wildlife Trust.
Although this was moving away from Science, I realised I enjoyed the
freedom of working outside the classroom. I have always been interested in
wildlife so this job combined more of the elements I enjoyed.
When
that contract ended I worked at a local pub for a bit, and whilst doing so helped
my mum with her allotment up the road. So I found myself, at age 28 getting thoroughly over-excited by digging up potatoes. It may sound trite, but it felt
like finding treasure. And tasty treasure at that. So bit by bit I got hooked
on growing veg and, despite having no horticultural qualifications, sought work
with a team of local gardeners.
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| The Shack |
Around
this time I had moved to a very rustic shack; glorious in spring and summer,
less so in the winter, especially when sharing with several rats...anyway, one
of the perks of living there was the scruffy patch of ground behind the shack
which me and a friend decided to convert into a veg plot. We had two years of
incredibly good growing mostly due a) to beginner's luck and, probably more
likely, b) the inordinate amount of well-rotted horse muck used to fill our
raised beds.
I hadn't
been gardening very long when my landlady of the shack asked if there was any
chance I could help her out with some work in a school - we'd be helping them make wind chimes with willow. That was my very
first day working with EastFeast. Whilst I continued gardening I was able
to do the odd bit of work for EastFeast and took part in their CPD course,
which helped me gain confidence that despite my lack of horticultural training
my enthusiasm was what really mattered. I still do the odd bit of work with them.
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| Photograph of the veg patch taken from the shack roof |
In
October 2011, a job as an Education Coordinator came up on a project called
Norfolk Food Discovery (NFD), managed by the Country Trust. This project would use growing, alongside farm visits and cooking sessions to help children understand where their food comes from. I felt that this would complement my work with EastFeast
perfectly and for several years enjoyed working with both groups.
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