Traveling Insights: An Inside Perspective

Best gluten-free pizza crust ever at Squash Blossom Farm So you know how at random times in your life things just come full circle? Well, that's happened quite a bit in my world over the past few weeks...some of the most notable: Applying for a job at UMN that would have me finding supply chain outlets for Kernza (links back to my roots in KS)--landed an interview but didn't get the job, in case you were wondering. :) Connecting with two Minnesota natives here in Minneapolis who I met in Lawrence last semester Seeing an article about what is happening with to the soybean market upon visiting the New Food Economy website for the first time (and having written about the topic here on my blog within the last couple of months) Having my fortune cookie's word turn out to be "fruit" and choosing to take a job with an apple farm in the same week Stumbling upon Cafe Racer, a restaurant my roommate recommended and then realizing it's catty-corner from ...

Amidst the chaos of moving weekend, I received a wonderful photo in my inbox today. My letter to the editor of the Beloit Call got published! I'll spare you the struggle of trying to make out what it says by just posting the text here for you to read. :) I think it does an excellent job of summarizing the impact that my internship had on me this summer. And to think I was freaking out about going over the supposed 250 word limit... Re: Reno to conduct 12 county food survey: Dear Editor, North Central Kansas is imperfect. It’s imperfect, but in the best kind of way. Ten weeks ago I could have told you a thousand reasons why living in rural Kansas is the worst idea anyone has ever had. I could not have come up with more than ten for why it is the best. Ten weeks later, and I feel obligated to write a letter of apology not only the community of Beloit, for not having given it enough credit at the start, but to the entire region of North Central Kansas. Time and time again I...

When you get plants as a parting gift you know you've done something right So...before I launch into a brief synopsis of my last day (and night) in Beloit, there are a couple of things that jump out to me during my first 24 hours back in Lawrence. 1. I love seeing so many cars around that look like mine! 2. The return of students has never felt so good. I didn't realize how much I enjoy the sight-seeing--i.e. young, attractive males. 3. I feel like I should give my parents a big hug for being so damn cool. 4. It's so weird being in Jayhawk country again! For the first time I actually get a small sense of pride for my association with KU. Up until now it has felt a little less embracing. But back to Friday. It started off pretty awesome, with our staff breakfast in the morning. I volunteered to bring batter to make pancakes (recipe below) using cornmeal I got from a local farmer, and decided to risk breaking into tears by reading my letter to the editor that I s...