Local is Logical: Athens Farmers Market

Emily Karol
Slug: Local is Logical
Headline: Local Fare for everyone

ATHENS, GA—From dark collard greens to ornamental gourds, Athens offers a wide array of local fare to decorate and serve on any dinner table.

The local food scene in Athens has grown exponentially with the advent of the Athens Farmers Market. Two years ago, Craig Page, the founder of Promoting Local Agriculture and Cultural Experiences (PLACE), brought together the small farmers in Athens to create the Athens Farmer’s Market.

“What we’re promoting isn’t just local food but sustainable food,” said Jay Payne, owner and farmer of Cedar Grove Farms in Crawford, Ga., and board member of the Athens Farmer’s Market.

The benefits of buying locally range from supporting the local community to eating healthier to helping the environment.

“It’s a win, win, win situation in every sense because it’s good for the environment, the local economy, building a community and personal and public health,” Page said.

Buying locally not only supports the small farmer but also helps the other local businesses in the community. Conventional farming focused on large-scale production puts most of its profits into banks in order to take out even larger loans for expansion. The money gets tied up in the corporate track instead of promoting a local, sustainable economy, explained Payne. Farmers such as Payne put their money back into the community, supporting other local businesses, who in turn usually show up at the Farmers’ Market on Saturdays.

The Athens Farmers’ Market located at Bishop Park off Sunset Drive hosts a wide variety of local vendors, including 19 farmers, 7 food vendors, 15 non-profits and 20 craftspeople.

“It’s more enjoyable than going to Kroger, and you know you’re supporting the local community,” said Martha Mowrer, a mom of two whose husband plays music at the market.

From its inception, The Athens Farmers’ Market board focused its efforts on creating a local, sustainable community. There are a few guidelines for the vendors that sell at the market, however. First, the vendor has to be local, which is defined by the board as living within a 26 county area surrounding Athens. Secondly, the vendors must grow or make everything they sell at the market. Finally, the production of the goods must be sustainable.

Local, sustainable food has health benefits as well. Local food is not grown to be shipped across the country. Instead, it is usually picked a day or two before the market to ensure freshness and quality.

“What makes me feel good is watching all the families with little kids come to the market on Saturday. I know that they’re getting the nutrition and high quality food that they need,” Payne said.

The average US farmer, according to Payne, uses more than one billion pounds of insecticide per year. That’s three pounds of insecticide per person. The local farmers at the Farmers’ Market use sustainable, organic practices, so that consumers can avoid the potential negative effects from chemicals. Knowing what is in your food and being able to interact directly with the farmer is key to sustaining a healthy diet, explains Payne.

“Some people enjoy the interaction,” said Chris Lutz, owner of Roots Farm in Lexington and a member of the Farmers Market board. “They ask about the food and how to prepare it. We give them recipes.”

This exchange of information and food also creates an educational and community-oriented atmosphere that is imperative to promoting local, sustainable agriculture.

“[The kids] know that the people here are farmers, and they enjoy picking the flowers. It’s definitely more educational than going to Kroger,” Mowrer said.

Stacy Gay, also a mother of two and resident of Athens, agrees.

“We walk around and talk about where the food comes from. It’s an important connection [our kids] to see,” she said.

Not only does the market provide an education usually not found always inside the walls of schools, but it also encourages stronger family and community connections.

“We’re starting to learn people’s names and figuring out who’s the cook in the family, who’s trying to eat healthier,” said Jackie and Alex Coburn, owners of Front Field Farm in Covington, Ga.

The Coburns also added, “Customers will be here for an hour, hour and a half talking and seeing their neighbors. There is definitely a community feel.”

“I look forward to the Farmers Market every Saturday,” said Erin Wilson, a psychology major at the University of Georgia. “I always see someone I know, and I love chatting with the farmers. They’re so helpful.”

Local, sustainable food also reaches beyond the boundaries of the community and encourages greater environmental stewardship and health.

“People have become really distant from the origins of their food,” Lutz said.

Strawberries that travel from California create a much larger and farther-reaching carbon footprint than ones that come from two counties over. According to Payne, 18 percent of fossil fuels in the United States are used for food production.

“Small, sustainable, local farmers are a part of the solution,” Payne said.

Local farmers use considerably less fossil fuels because the shipping distances and packaging of the food are drastically decreased.

When the farmers’ market closes after Nov. 14, there are still very practical options for buying locally. Athens.locallygrown.net features most of the farmers that sell at the market, including Lutz and Payne, and each week you can select the produce that you want and pick it up from the drop-off site on Broad Street near the Alps Street intersection.

photos to accompany story

Professionals Jason Accurso and Tiffany Elliot advise students Angela Baddock and Alexandra Walker about resume construction on September 17, 2009, at the UGA Career Center sponsored Career Fair in the MLC.

The UGA Career Center sponsored a Career Fair on September 17, 2009 in the MLC for students interested in career advice, interview protocol, and resume construction advice from professionals.
UGA students Angela Baddock, Alexandra Walker and Chip Blackburn receive resume advice from professionals Jason Accurso, Tiffany Elliot and Sarah Mitchell at the Career Fair sponsored by the UGA Career Center on September 17, 2009 in the MLC.

Student Interest in News is Varied

Jenna Walker

A copy of the Red & Black lies crumpled in an East Campus trash can.

Students attending university are encouraged, even expected, to take responsibility in maintaining awareness of public affairs.

University of Georgia students have at their disposal many routes to such information. Though students have access to papers like The Red & Black and The New York Times, many still question their level of interest.

The numbers point to an optimistic answer. More than 90 percent of the student body reads The Red & Black, the University independent student newspaper, said Ed Morales, the editorial advisor for the publication.

In fact, readership has increased over the last few years, he said.

“We don’t have as many [left over] papers picked up at the end of the day.”

Among college newspapers, there’s never lack of readership, Morales said. College newspapers are free sources of information for students and are available practically anywhere on campus.

One reason for the appeal is that information in college newspapers is specific to the collegiate audience.

“Student journalists have learned how to focus on students.” said Conrad Fink, a professor of journalism in the Grady College at the University of Georgia.

“They write about things they know about,” Morales said.

While college students appear to be reading the news, what they read varies from student to student.

University junior Natalie Leff, 20, is a fan of more peculiar articles, preferring “whatever’s weird” to articles rooted in politics and business.

“Some people chose not to read,” Leff said. “It’s their prerogative not to be informed. I don’t like politics, though I understand that it’s important.”

Fink has noticed this increasing interest in entertainment and opinion writing.

“It’s all part of a wider societal development,” Fink said.

Americans today wish to avoid these hard issues, according to Fink. The American public is disorganized regarding conflicting social and political developments.

“It hurts too much,” he said.

This development has increased over the last 10 to 15 years, said Fink. This generation, especially, is very non-confrontational. They like the “warm, soft and fuzzy.”

Not all students follow this pattern, however.

Kevin Terry, 23, a graduate student studying international affairs, enjoys The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Terry prefers the expansive coverage in both national and international news, while avoiding journalism involving “things that I would have heard talking to people.”

Because The New York Times has a comprehensive scope and extensive access to sources, Terry is able to trust the newspaper.

“They’re well-established,” Terry said, “Balanced.”

Credibility in a journalistic news source is essential.

“Authority is credibility in the writing,” Fink said. “Journalists, in general, don’t know what they’re talking about.”

For journalists, the ability to find authoritative sources who know they are talking about is a most valuable asset, Fink said.

Leff is still wary of the potential for underlying biases, especially in political articles. She fears that most politicians talk just so people will like them.

“Politics just divide people,” Leff said.

There appears to be increasing charges of bias from viewers of the media, Fink said.

Many consumers of the media have the mindset, “If you don’t write what I believe, you’re biased,” he said.
Morales also noted this trend in attitude toward the media.

“We’re in a decisive world,” Morales said. “If you’re not with me you’re against me.”

Such attitudes originate especially with broadcast journalism and trickle down to print. Much of broadcast journalism is commentary with an attitude, Fink said.

“People gravitate toward that which they agree,” he says.

The process of finding a legitimate, credible, and unbiased news source is a process that takes time.
“Newspapers are one of those things that you grow into,” Morales said.

It appears to be the nature for students to be disengaged, Fink said. For this current generation, it takes more time to grow up and get used to the real world.

College students, especially, seem reluctant to leave the “bubble,” he said. “We lead a comfortable life compared to previous generations.”

For students to become involved in the news and in current affairs now is very important.

“[This generation] will inherit a world that is all messed up,” he said. “The world is smaller, more connected. We can’t ignore the rest of the world.”

Still, becoming more involved in the world is a developmental process.

“Up until recently, getting the newspaper was something we were supposed to do,” Terry said.

“People in there 20s don’t read the newspapers?” Morales said. “Well, they never have.”

You’re the One That I Want
Make eye contact. Give a firm handshake. Dress appropriately. This is common advice people receive before beginning a job search. Going to an interview is nerve-racking. Waiting on the phone call or e-mail delivering the result of the interview can be even worse. Fortunately, following these tips might make the waiting less difficult.
Many students and graduates stress out over internships, networking and field experience. Most employers agree that it is necessary to have experience, but there are conflicting views when it comes to specifics.

According to James Carter, director of Human Resources at CBS Atlanta, a specifically crafted resume is a must for prospective employees. “What I recommend individuals do is to create a resume that is a mirror match for what the employer is looking for. Someone may have a lot of skills or experience, but if it doesn’t match up with the job they are looking for it doesn’t matter,” Carter said. In other words, that internship with that fashion magazine will do no good when applying for a job at an accounting firm.
However, according to Holly Getchell at The University of Georgia Career Center, impressive experience can be applicable to just about any field. “Every employer tells me they are looking for the whole package,” Getchell said. “They don’t necessarily care where you worked and what you did, they care about whether or not you can give information about the experiences you gained and how those could apply to the position you are seeking.”

Employers may not be too picky about GPAs or specific field experience as long as a prospective employee has experience that is applicable in some way, whether it be experience specific to a job or general experience of personal growth.
Getchell recommends that if a job seeker doesn’t have experiences tailored to the position they are applying for, they should spin their experience to apply in some way.
According to Getchell, this is best accomplished by doing serious research of a company, Something which employers consistently report as a weakness in job applicants from UGA. During the job search, research is important in deciding what business to actually work for, as well as in preparing for that common question: “Why do you want to work for this company?”

Kim Johnson, a 2007 UGA speech communication graduate, advises job searchers to find out everything they can about their potential employers. “Do your research on the company, and always have good questions for the interviewer—something they would have to get back to you with later on,” Johnson said. “This will show them your interest in their company and the position, as well as an excuse to follow up with them and stay connected.”

But there are also more specific things that a job searcher can do before, during and after an interview to have a better chance at landing their desired position. Jenna Schuelke, a 2009 UGA advertising graduate, recommends setting aside a certain amount of time each day in order to job search. Once a job interview is scheduled, Schuelke, now an account executive at GA Communications, advises job applicants to bring five copies of their resume and a reference list with them to the interview.

Employers often ask behavioral interview question based on the assumption that a person’s past behavior will determine their future behavior. Behavioral questions might be something like, “Can you tell me about a time you missed a deadline?”
Getchell recommends avoiding negativity in these types of situations. The question itself puts a negative spin on the circumstances, so the individual being interviewed must place the experience in a positive light. According to Getchell, the best response is to emphasize the positive actions taken in the situation and the constructive lessons gained from the experience.
Getchell also recommends that applicants send a “thank-you” note to their perspective employer. “Often it’s those candidates that actually send ‘thank-you’ notes after an interview that get that next appointment,” Getchell said. This type of gesture will help interviewers see that their time is appreciated and will help certain individuals stand out.

Even if a job seeker does everything right and gets that positive feedback from a company, they still need to seriously think about whether or not to accept the job offer. According to Schuelke, job seekers shouldn’t immediately accept the first offer that comes along. This may extend the interview and unemployment stage, but it will pay off later when they get the job they really want.
Stephanie Caldwell, a 2008 UGA religion graduate, says that it is most important that job seekers don’t get discouraged. “I wasn’t able to find work that coincided with my major for a while, but I kept a positive attitude and continued to look for a job I would really love,” Caldwell said. “I think employers can sense when a person has a good attitude and is willing to work for what they want.”

Johnson lost her job as a buyer at Macy’s but now works in Customer Relations and Inventory Management and Logistics at Ryan Michael, Inc. “I made the mistake of applying to every job on the internet,” Johnson said. “I never heard back from one of them, even though I applied to over 50 jobs online, and the only call-backs I received came from networking and through my contacts. Stay positive and something will come along.” Johnson said that she gained her present job by simply talking to people and presenting business cards that included the address of a career Web-site with her resume.
Job seekers should remember to look for those jobs for which they have experience and a genuine interest. “What I look for is someone that really has a passion for the job,” Carter said. “There is a difference between a person who just needs a job and someone who really wants to make a contribution and has a passion for the work.”

Career Assistant Sources:

• UGA Career Center 706-542-3375
• Internship Assistance at UGA Extern@uga.edu
• Career Builder www.careerbuilder.com
• LinkedIn www.linkedin.com
• Can’t Beat the Experience www.cantbeattheexperience.com
• Job related personality assessment websites
  http://careers.typefocus.com (UGA password: uga4400)
  www.focuscareer2.com/Portal/Register.cfm?SID=486
• Going Global Career Guides www.career.uga.edu
  
  
  
  
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Red & Black Goes Green

By: Savannah Weeks
September 21, 2009

The University of Georgia has made an effort to go green with administrative changes and the help of UGA students.

UGA’s physical plant directs most of the university’s sustainability efforts. Ken Crowe, director of energy services for physical plant, said UGA has been targeting an energy conservation program for about two years now.

The university recently received $5.9 million in federal stimulus funds to upgrade energy systems and make them more efficient. The money will be distributed amongst the main campus in Athens, the Griffin campus and the Marine Institute facility located on Sapelo Island.

A recycling bin in Tate Student Center is located for

students to dispose of cans and bottles.

Crowe said most of the funds will go toward energy-efficient lights in buildings on campus, upgrading insulation and more energy metering on campus. Last year most of the money went into water-saving initiatives. After Athens-Clarke County urged citizens to become more conservative with water during the drought in 2007, Crowe said water usage on campus has been reduced by about 20 percent.

In terms of future goals, Crowe said UGA is on track to meet the “20 by ‘20” objective set by the government. This initiative asks universities and corporations to reduce their energy consumption 20 percent by the year 2020. Crowe said UGA has met one fourth of the requirements and has already reduced energy consumption by five percent in the last five years by investing in large equipment.

Crowe said the physical plant plans on building larger, centralized air conditioning units in order to become more energy efficient. “We’ve got buildings that are too cold. We’re going to start addressing that and getting the temperature where it needs to be,” said Crowe.

Sheena Zhang, a third-year ecology and biology major from Athens and president of Students for Environmental Action (SEA), believes UGA and its students have come a long way in reducing the university’s environmental footprint, but also have a long way to go.

Zhang said that SEA is focusing its efforts on getting the coal-fired power plant on campus changed to a natural gas-fired power plant.. Zhang said the other three plants on campus are fired by natural gas.

Zhang said UGA officials put together a sustainability committee. Zhang said there is currently no student representation on the committee. “Physical plant has done a lot, but UGA culture is at the core,” said Zhang.

Zhang also said students can greatly reduce the university’s environmental footprint by recycling their Red & Blacks in the newspaper recycling bins located throughout campus. Zhang said this is a huge issue that can be easily addressed.

Of SEA’s participation in UGA’s Go Green Alliance, a group of environmentally-focused student organizations, Zhang said, “There is a lot of collaboration, so that’s really cool.”
Minutha Mahadevaiah, a pre-business junior from Alpharetta, said she was unaware that there was a committee on campus focusing on sustainability. Mahadevaiah said although she does not have the time to become involved with a sustainability committee right now, it is something she might be consider in the future. “I don’t have the time right now, but with some good marketing on their part, it’s something I could be interested in,” said Mahadevaiah.

Scott Weinberg, a professor of sustainable urban design at the College of Environment & Design, said the university is progressive in terms of environmentally sound buildings. Weinberg said all new buildings on campus have been built to LEED’s (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. LEED is a green buildings rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Despite meeting these criteria, no UGA buildings are LEED-certified because of the high costs associated with attaining a certification. Weinberg estimated the LEED certification cost to be about $15,000.

Weinberg said the main objective the College of Environment & Design is localizing the supplies needed for construction. Weinberg used the example of buying carpets from Dalton instead of another country and buying carpets made from cotton instead of synthetic materials. “A building that’s made out of things that can be recycled creates a constant loop of growing, using and recycling,” Weinberg said.

Weinberg said there are no federal or state mandated standards for environmentally sound design. “Nothing is mandated yet, [we are] just trying to do the best we can,” said Weinberg.

Zhang said SEA frequently consults the physical plant for advice. “UGA has done a lot, but there’s still a lot more progress that can be made,” said Zhang.

What Now?

By: Jillian Radetsky

You’ve taken all the classes; you’ve put in the hours studying; you’ve earned your chance to walk through the mythical Arch. You have just graduated from the University of Georgia. Now what?

Many recent graduates must decide which path to explore after college. In these trying economic times, they can choose to move to a big city, get an internship as opposed to a job, or make the dreadful but economical move back home with your parents. But how does one make these decisions? Many factors should be considered when making the next move.

Ashley Kalick, 23, chose to move back home to Marietta, Ga., after she finished her undergraduate degree. “When I graduated college, I moved back home to save money to buy a house in a few years,” Kalick said.

Kalick had what she considered an easy job search in the beginning. “I was hired at an advertising firm, which was incidentally the first job I interviewed for.” However, due to the recent economy woes, Kalick was laid off in February of this year.

“Once I got laid off, I worked with a recruiter to help me find another job.” Kalick said. “I wasn’t discouraged because I was lucky enough to have my parents to support me financially and I knew that a lot of people were in the same position that I was in.”

Kalick was able to find a job with an office supply company in just four months with the help of a job recruiter.

Others chose to move back in with the folks for several different reasons. Many graduates want to be close to home to be close to their families or to receive free perks from their parents. Some also may have jobs lined up in their family business. In times of economic instability, some feel that it makes the most sense to live off of your parents for as long as possible.

On the other hand, living with your parents may not be the easiest route to take. With some financial help comes the responsibility and rules of living at home again. Parents may ask their children to contribute to the bills or to take on more household chores than they used to have. For some, this may be enough incentive to take a different route.

Others may choose to take a different route: traveling to an unknown destination. Erica Schwartz, for example, graduated from UGA in December 2008. “I always knew I wanted to get out of Georgia since I lived there my entire life. I thought about working or volunteering somewhere abroad because of the economy,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz landed an internship with a public relations firm in New York, which she found on craigslist. She moved to the city in one weekend, a transition that she said was “shocking… It didn’t really give me the opportunity to say goodbye to college and move on to the real world.”

Schwartz is currently at the same job, attempting to network and climb New York’s social ladder. Even though she is living off a small salary, she says that she is maintaining a life in New York, with parental assistance. “I will still need help from my family financially, for now at least, but I'm certainly contributing and covering most of my expenses,” Schwartz said. “I just feel so fortunate that I was able to find a job at this time.”

Money is often the deciding-factor in determining which route to take after graduation. Is it better to take an unpaid internship or make the sometimes pitiful wages of a starter job? This is a decision each graduate will have to make.

Another pressing factor is whether or not a graduate will actually find a job in their respective major. Kalick graduated with a degree in English while Schwartz was a magazine major. Kalick has strayed from her degree while Schwartz is in the same field, but not the same, specialized areas. Many graduates must wrestle with the idea of switching their intended career dreams because of dwindling demands availability of positions.

UGA offers many tools to aid students in their quest for jobs. The Career Center can be visited online via http://www.career.uga.edu/ or by appointment. The Career Center offers tips on how to create a resume and how to research jobs. This Web site also allows visitors to get information about upcoming career fairs and other events that will help current students with networking for when they take the plunge and walk through the Arch. Even students that have already graduated can still access the Career Center for help in their job search.

Other students may have Peter-Pan syndrome, choosing to stay in school as a fifth-year undergraduate or continuing their education with graduate school. Of course, there are implications to these options, too, such as paying tuition for additional years and not having a steady income. However, some people require extra semesters for completing the necessary hours needed to graduate.

Fifth-year senior Andrew Shmerling believes that this is the best route for him. “Who would want to leave UGA?” Shmerling said. “I mean I do have another year of school work and exams, but isn’t that better than having a desk job? And I still get to live in Athens!”

Grad student Lize Pollack, 23, stated several reasons for not immediately beginning the job hunt after college and continuing her education. Pollack’s undergraduate degrees were in history and religious studies. “I decided to go to grad school because I knew that I couldn’t get a well-paying, good job with my undergraduate degrees alone,” Pollack said. “I also wasn’t ready to work full time yet, and I wanted some kind of cushion to help me figure out what I wanted to do.”

Others like Pollack may have chosen to go to grad school for similar reasons. Grad school can help to further your experiences, which, in the long run, can help you to get a better job in a timely manner. Also, many students go through their college careers with the perfect image of their working lives in mind. For many of these students, grad school is a major contributor in obtaining their goals. Grad school can also allow for more specialized education than undergrad degrees provide.

No matter which route they choose to take after completing an undergraduate degree, all students can agree on one thing: the hope for an improvement in the job market.


Caption for picture: Students walk through the Arch in search of the perfect career given their opportunities and availability of jobs presented to them.

Resumes Going Overseas

Meg Twomey

As unemployment across the nation reaches all time highs, some students are going to great lengths and greater distances to get hired. Skyrocketing unemployment rates nearing 10 percent in America have led some students to look for internships abroad.

“There’s been a rise in people asking about it,” said Mandi Work, a study abroad advisor at UGA’s Office of International Education (OIE). Actual numbers are hard to track, since students only have to register through OIE, if they are receiving course credit for the internship, but Work said that there has been an increase in the number of programs that offer internships. Two popular UGA programs with intern possibilities are a summer program to London and UGA en Buenos Aires.

Mary Evelyn Gray, a broadcast news major from Atlanta, is currently in the Buenos Aires program and is interning with Colmobo-Pashkus, a public relations firm. Gray and two other UGA students are working at the firm for six hours a week while also studying at Universidad de Palermo. Working with Argentinean students, they speak almost entirely in Spanish.

“I would love to work in a foreign country, and even for this company,” she said. “[My co-workers] are really nice people with a great work environment,” said Gray.

And it may be easier to get a job outside of the U.S. According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, that collects and compares data about countries across the world, the U.S. had an unemployment rate of 9.4 percent in July 2009, the second highest rate on record for the year.

U.S. unemployment rates have historically been below European rates; however, both the United Kingdom and Germany both had about 8 percent in the last sampling. Recent grads are also hoping that internship experience in another country will increase their chances of finding a job at home or abroad.

Sarah Knapp, a senior from Marietta majoring in German and Slavic studies, interned at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin this past summer.

“I enjoyed it greatly,” Knapp said. She said her internship was a great way for her to make sure she would enjoy a career in public service, especially abroad. Knapp found her internship through a state department Web site and worked with about seven other American students. Knapp mostly spoke English at her job and wouldn’t recommend the program to someone just trying to learn German, but would definitely recommend it for someone interested in a career in foreign service.

Laura Hagele, a peer advisor with the OIE, said that while studying abroad has always been popular, she has noticed an increase in students studying and working in non-English speaking countries.

“I didn’t want to go somewhere were they all spoke English,” said Hagele. She studied in Graz, Austria for a year, and is now involved in the International Student Exchange Program, a world wide network of schools and students that helps set up affordable study abroad in foreign countries that is becoming more popular according to Hagele.

Some students who study abroad for a semester decide to extend their stay for an additional semester or summer. These students make interning arrangements through their host university, so UGA has no record of their experiences. Private companies and non-profits such as CDS International, Transitions Abroad and the Peace Corps also allow students to work abroad without going through the university.

Work said these programs are recruiting on campus more frequently and they have been very popular. This rise in interest may be more than a short term alternative to looking for a job. “We’ll see what happens after I graduate, but I’d love to go abroad again," said Hagele.