Better late than never! Especially when it comes to getting to know the Green String Interns. Here's some info on the second half of the group; again, we wrote these little biographies about one another, with a touch of humor and much appreciation for everyone's unique personalities. Come and visit us soon!
Tim- Though his devoted family drove him all the way here from Omaha, Nebraska, Tim looks and talks just like any California surfer. He makes muffins and milkshakes at midnight, hides garden snakes in the pocket of his poncho, and is our go-to man whenever we need to start a fire. We’re not exactly sure when he garnered all this information, but Tim seems to have all the answers; if we want to know where the mint is growing or where the owls nest, we ask him. He also made pizza out of pasta dough; what a magician.
Sierra- Born in the Sierras, if Sierra were a vegetable, she would be a chili pepper, not because she has a spicy personality- which she does- or because she’s small in stature but rather strong in personality- which she is- but because she loves spicy food so much, we’re actually worried she’s already turning into a pepper. She's rarely seen without her sunglasses and a bottle of Kombucha in one hand, but don't let her stylish exterior fool you. Having lived and taught in Vietnam for a few years before moving to the farm, Sierra is often undaunted by things- like chicken harvesting-that are difficult for other interns. Just don't ask her to parallel park. That, she's sorry to say, she can't do.
Brooks- Brooks is going to be an excellent father. He already is, in fact, to a patch of potatoes. He feeds them compost, minerals, and tea, dresses them with mulch, and watches over them daily, even comparing them with other patches just to make sure they’re on the right track. Before he adopted the potatoes, he worked as a legal assistant in Washington D.C., but doesn’t seem phased by his transition to farm life. He continually impresses us all with his ambitious, if lengthy, cooking events, and his perpetual thirst for the answers to our questions on the farm. Don’t know which plants are members of the nightshade family? Brooks will look it up.
Julie- A.k.a. "Googi," our Julie has already made herself famous for culinary creations such as apricot syrup and hands-down the most 'de-lish' beet burgers you have ever tasted! And let’s not even get into her skills as a sourdough samurai. Look for Julie with her sidekick, Courtney - undoubtedly the cutest pair of friends - giggling and planning the details of their aforementioned future taco-truck-inspired farm stand restaurant, Le Petit Cheesy Robin. If you can't tell which one is Julie, look for the signature blue, purple and green plaid shirt and the bandana bow atop her adorable head!
Jennifer- Jen is all about the four B’s: Berkeley, burning botany, biceps, and Bernards. UC Berkeley Master of fire ecology, turned farmer and mini ranch owner, Jen commutes all the way from Berkeley in her 1971, tomato-red, Indiana Jones jeep just to play (or in her case, work hard) on the farm with us. Though her most impressive attributes are a sparkling personality and smile, Jen is the true agricultural athlete among us all, having earned her biceps of steel and glistening tan pushing wheel barrows and herding cattle. She has a secret knowledge of botany- “oh that? That’s mimulus aurantiacus,”- is considered our resident animal expert, and often fills the silence while we hoe tomatoes by telling us engaging stories about her beloved baby St. Bernard.
Zuleika- We knew Zuleika was special when she raised her hand on her first day of class, after a heated discussion of cover cropping, to ask her very first question of farmer Bob Cannard: “what color is my aura?” Within the first few days of her, albeit late, arrival to the farm, she knew everyone’s astrological sign and, the animal that would best represent them. Youngest of the group in age, but not in spirit, Zuleika constantly surprises us with her astute, penetrating observations about ourselves. Tall and, dare we say it, a little majestic, this beautiful native of Venezuela dances as naturally as if she were walking, loves to go out in the city, and can sometimes be caught talking to the birds nesting around our house or in the trees.
Wafaa- Wafaa is French. And Moroccan. She dances Tango. She creates cakes without recipes and cracks eggs on top of pizza. She often says, “I surround myself with beauty—physical beauty, beauty of the heart and of the mind.” But she herself happens to look beautiful in rubber boots and fluorescent yellow gloves. She speaks in an accent that makes all things sound edible—people, plants, farm tools. She sweeps into the kitchen every morning, always with bright colors and curly hair, and sometimes with almond croissants. Yes, she is as delicious as she sounds. Yes, she is too modest to appreciate this description. And yes, we all kind of want to be her.
Melissa-"Melissa, can we please have mayonnaise with every meal?”. This question pretty much sums up how the interns feel about anything that Melissa creates in the kitchen--whether it is mayonnaise, hand-made tortillas, or mashed turnips with goats milk. We immediately want more and we immediately want it every day. Even if it’s just poached eggs. Though a professional cook in Boston, and a soon-to-be culinary student in Paris, Melissa will not be found only by the stove; she might be wandering the orchard at 6:00am eating unripe apples, wandering the fields searching for the perfect place to hoe, or simply laying on her back in the middle of a deserted vineyard and gazing up. Melissa is more than just one vegetable—she is an entire salad. This is partly due to the fact that, no matter the meal, Melissa an always be heard exclaiming, “I can’t wait for the salad!”
Tim- Though his devoted family drove him all the way here from Omaha, Nebraska, Tim looks and talks just like any California surfer. He makes muffins and milkshakes at midnight, hides garden snakes in the pocket of his poncho, and is our go-to man whenever we need to start a fire. We’re not exactly sure when he garnered all this information, but Tim seems to have all the answers; if we want to know where the mint is growing or where the owls nest, we ask him. He also made pizza out of pasta dough; what a magician.
Sierra- Born in the Sierras, if Sierra were a vegetable, she would be a chili pepper, not because she has a spicy personality- which she does- or because she’s small in stature but rather strong in personality- which she is- but because she loves spicy food so much, we’re actually worried she’s already turning into a pepper. She's rarely seen without her sunglasses and a bottle of Kombucha in one hand, but don't let her stylish exterior fool you. Having lived and taught in Vietnam for a few years before moving to the farm, Sierra is often undaunted by things- like chicken harvesting-that are difficult for other interns. Just don't ask her to parallel park. That, she's sorry to say, she can't do.
Brooks- Brooks is going to be an excellent father. He already is, in fact, to a patch of potatoes. He feeds them compost, minerals, and tea, dresses them with mulch, and watches over them daily, even comparing them with other patches just to make sure they’re on the right track. Before he adopted the potatoes, he worked as a legal assistant in Washington D.C., but doesn’t seem phased by his transition to farm life. He continually impresses us all with his ambitious, if lengthy, cooking events, and his perpetual thirst for the answers to our questions on the farm. Don’t know which plants are members of the nightshade family? Brooks will look it up.
Julie- A.k.a. "Googi," our Julie has already made herself famous for culinary creations such as apricot syrup and hands-down the most 'de-lish' beet burgers you have ever tasted! And let’s not even get into her skills as a sourdough samurai. Look for Julie with her sidekick, Courtney - undoubtedly the cutest pair of friends - giggling and planning the details of their aforementioned future taco-truck-inspired farm stand restaurant, Le Petit Cheesy Robin. If you can't tell which one is Julie, look for the signature blue, purple and green plaid shirt and the bandana bow atop her adorable head!
Jennifer- Jen is all about the four B’s: Berkeley, burning botany, biceps, and Bernards. UC Berkeley Master of fire ecology, turned farmer and mini ranch owner, Jen commutes all the way from Berkeley in her 1971, tomato-red, Indiana Jones jeep just to play (or in her case, work hard) on the farm with us. Though her most impressive attributes are a sparkling personality and smile, Jen is the true agricultural athlete among us all, having earned her biceps of steel and glistening tan pushing wheel barrows and herding cattle. She has a secret knowledge of botany- “oh that? That’s mimulus aurantiacus,”- is considered our resident animal expert, and often fills the silence while we hoe tomatoes by telling us engaging stories about her beloved baby St. Bernard.
Zuleika- We knew Zuleika was special when she raised her hand on her first day of class, after a heated discussion of cover cropping, to ask her very first question of farmer Bob Cannard: “what color is my aura?” Within the first few days of her, albeit late, arrival to the farm, she knew everyone’s astrological sign and, the animal that would best represent them. Youngest of the group in age, but not in spirit, Zuleika constantly surprises us with her astute, penetrating observations about ourselves. Tall and, dare we say it, a little majestic, this beautiful native of Venezuela dances as naturally as if she were walking, loves to go out in the city, and can sometimes be caught talking to the birds nesting around our house or in the trees.
Wafaa- Wafaa is French. And Moroccan. She dances Tango. She creates cakes without recipes and cracks eggs on top of pizza. She often says, “I surround myself with beauty—physical beauty, beauty of the heart and of the mind.” But she herself happens to look beautiful in rubber boots and fluorescent yellow gloves. She speaks in an accent that makes all things sound edible—people, plants, farm tools. She sweeps into the kitchen every morning, always with bright colors and curly hair, and sometimes with almond croissants. Yes, she is as delicious as she sounds. Yes, she is too modest to appreciate this description. And yes, we all kind of want to be her.
Melissa-"Melissa, can we please have mayonnaise with every meal?”. This question pretty much sums up how the interns feel about anything that Melissa creates in the kitchen--whether it is mayonnaise, hand-made tortillas, or mashed turnips with goats milk. We immediately want more and we immediately want it every day. Even if it’s just poached eggs. Though a professional cook in Boston, and a soon-to-be culinary student in Paris, Melissa will not be found only by the stove; she might be wandering the orchard at 6:00am eating unripe apples, wandering the fields searching for the perfect place to hoe, or simply laying on her back in the middle of a deserted vineyard and gazing up. Melissa is more than just one vegetable—she is an entire salad. This is partly due to the fact that, no matter the meal, Melissa an always be heard exclaiming, “I can’t wait for the salad!”
You have a great group of people here. How refreshing to get amazing fresh fruits and veggies while teaching the practices to future generations to continue them.
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