Earthbound Farms
The site visit to Earthbound Farms in Carmel today brought me back to my “roots” in more ways than one. I have always been an advocate for organic eating and healthy living. I come from a family where KRAFT mac&cheese and soda were things that I didn’t hear about until I started primary school. We have always had a garden in our backyard and I have lived in multiple communities that are based around central gardening and emphasize supporting each other through healthy farming practices. As I grew up and became more and more focused on my studies, I have drifted away from a simple lifestyle. While I still try to maintain a healthy diet, it is often dependent on convenience. The moments where I stop to appreciate my meal and where it came from are increasingly few and far between. But visiting the farm today caused me to take a huge step back and think about my connection to the environment. Just stepping onto farmland sparked a warm feeling inside of me. I felt familiar with my surroundings and comfortable in a way that I hadn’t been in quite some time. I remembered that a healthy lifestyle, working outside, community support, and not sitting at a desk are all things that I want my future career to encompass. When I was younger I assumed that gardening would always be a part of my life, but as I get closer to making big career decisions, a farming lifestyle seems further away. I am now trying to brainstorm of ways that these can still be components of my future career despite my other strong interests in law and human rights. This visit made me feel that a blend of all of my career interests can easily come together since it demonstrated how effective small change (like starting an organic garden) can be. I feel as though these thoughts and reflections will stay with me as I continue to work towards completing my education and searching for the right career path for myself.
