What a whirlwind week! I just started at the central office here in Berea on Monday and since then I have learned an incredible amount. I´ve learned about blister beetles, grant writing, LinkedIn and its hidden wonders, solar powered irrigation systems, and managing the website/blog. I am constantly blown away by the new opportunities Grow Appalachia has to make a difference. The people here are constantly trying to find new ways in which the organization can create a new niche in the market in order for the partner sites to become self-sufficient. Just about every night I come home amazed by the participants and workers at GA.

Growing up in Cairo, Egypt for a good part of my life (6 years) I was never really exposed to gardening. I started getting interested in gardening during High School (Richmond KY), although since then I haven´t been able to actually grow my own food. Hopefully I will be able to “dig in” during this next year of college (which will also be my last one). Even though I am working at the office most of the time, usually our conversations revolve around gardening and I learn something new every day. This week has shown me just how much work goes into maintaining and updating the social media, something that most of us forget.  Thank you Candace Mullins for showing me the ropes! It’s going to be a wonderful summer.