The first days of summer: people are getting their gardens ready and their kids signed up for camp, summer school or whatever else will keep them busy. So this week we have a great story about the generational love of gardening (it’s a good time to plant those tomatoes) and a story from a lovely, if not over-stimulated, summer school instructor.
Our first story comes from our Season 6 Secret Fabula event held at Sugar Bee Farms and Energy Exchange. Ryan Dale, Energy Exchange Board Member and micro-green farmer, was born in rural Wisconsin and lived on a dairy farm until the 3rd grade when his family moved to the city and he became a “city kid.” However, after his college studies and much travel, he found himself back in farming—this time in urban farming and much more. Listen to Ryan’s story of a family history spanning 400 years and filled with teaching and farming. Perhaps Ryan was destined to end up where he is today. You decide.
Next up is a story from our “Belonging” StorySlam from January 2016. Elena Olsen-Valdez has been working as a summer school assistant for three years. During her second year, she encountered two boys with “attitudes.” As the week progressed, Elena began to understand each student’s personality and finally found the perfect, non-traditional, way to communicate with one certain student:
And a big Thank You to everyone who came out to Sugar Maple on Wednesday night for our Community Conversation: Creating a Welcoming Community in Bay View. It was an evening of respectful dialogue and we are grateful to the Bay View Neighborhood Association for allowing us to be part of it.
Stay tuned for many more stories throughout the summer and even some surprise summer events. Though Ex Fabula StorySlams take the summer off, we never stop working!
