Mary

"When I was in high school, I found out about a school in Kansas that gave students the option of living with a local farm family for a year, so I decided to do it. After that experience, I told my parents, 'I don't need to go to college. I know I want to be a farmer', but they said, 'No, you need to go to college. You need a back-up plan in case this doesn't work out.' They thought I was just going through a phase and I'd forget all about it. I went to small college in North Carolina and  considered getting an elementary education degree there---I like teaching---but then I hated the education courses. I took some sustainable agriculture classes, but I knew I'd have the rest of my life to learn farming, so I ended up studying Renaissance Era Devotional Poetry, which really fascinated me. That's what I got my degree in: English Literature and Poetry. Then, after all that, I became a farmer anyway. Sorry, Mom!

"I love working with Roots Memphis, and I actually do a lot of teaching about farming. We lease several acres that used to be part of the old penal farm and use it as an Academy for aspiring farmers. Memphis is the most food-insecure city in America, and our farmers are helping to change that by providing fresh, chemical-free food to people who otherwise don't have access to it. You can find out more about what we do and how to buy from us on the Roots Memphis page and our FB page. It's a great privilege to help change the story of this land and to make a real difference in people's lives."

Mary Elizabeth Phillips Riddle is with Roots Memphis Farm Academy. For more information---
Website: http://www.rootsmemphis.org
FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Roots-Memphis-Farm-Academy/127948690724719

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