Louisville

Jessica Chen is a rising sophomore from Westchester, New York. She’s majoring in Environmental Economics, and working as a policy intern for the Local Food Association this summer. She’s looking forward to experiencing the music and restaurant scene in Louisvillle!

Sophie Vaughan hails from Oakland, CA, and just finished her first fabulous year at Middlebury College where she hopes to major in Environmental Studies and has become a passionate member of the Socially Responsible Investment Club. She is excited to explore Louisville and deepen her understanding of the food system and its relationship to other systems (socioeconomic, financial, governmental) of which it is inextricably tied. This summer Sophie is ecstatic to join the innovative organization New Roots in improving the accessibility of local foods to all neighborhoods in through a community CSA model.

Hi my name is Sage Taber and I come from Seattle, Washington. I’m a sophomore at Middlebury College and am majoring in Environmental Studies with a focus in environmental policy. I am so excited for FoodWorks this summer and can’t wait to work with chefs and farmers at Creation Gardens!

Rod is a Senior Sociology/Anthropology major from Bixby, Oklahoma. He realized he was interested in food as more than just a consumer on a service trip this February, where he learned about the importance of sustainable food while staying with an Ecovillage. He is particularly concerned about the social inequalities that arise when people are alienated from the source of their food, so he hopes to learn more about food systems and teach others through with his work as the garden manager at Bellarmine University. He expects to spend most of his free time cycling and hiking, although his grad school ambitions may dictate otherwise.

Meridith is a rising Senior from Rutland, Vermont studying English and American Literature and Film and Media Culture. This summer, she is alternating her time between working as an archivist intern at The Berry Center and helping at A Place on Earth CSA Farm in Louisville. Having grown up amidst the sustainable food practices of Vermont, she is excited to extend her knowledge of food systems and policy by participating in FoodWorks. “Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front” is one of her guiding lights and she hopes that archiving and studying the works of Wendell Berry and his family, while also getting her hands in the dirt, will bring her one step closer to understanding the practicality and necessity of sustainability/enlightenment.

Mandy is a rising senior from Seattle, Washington and is majoring in Spanish and minoring in Psychology. She chose to do FoodWorks this summer because she finds peoples’ relationships with food fascinating and believes it is a powerful way to understand a person and his/her culture. In addition, she wanted to try something new, learn more about sustainability, accessibility to food, and sustainability and accessibility in different communities. Mandy loves to eat and try new foods – in fact, she cannot think of a vegetable or fruit that she absolutely dislikes.

Maggie Danna (’16.5) is from the Adirondacks in upstate New York and is very excited to be in Louisville this summer. She’s interning at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens and is an environmental studies and anthropology/sociology major. Growing up with a small family vegetable garden, she’s always had a love for food and plants. Maggie’s interested in exploring a more natural approach to food production and is excited to work with volunteers at Yew Dell and explore Louisville.

Cathy (’16) comes from Shenzhen, China. She is an Economics major and is interested in environmental conservation and sustainable food and agriculture. She wants to join Brown-Forman Corporation because she is greatly impressed by its role as a leader in implementing sustainable business practices, such as the Brown-Forman environmental sustainability foundation and its Live Well corporate wellness brand. She looks forward to having an exciting, fun and rewarding experience this summer at Louisville!