Zoeters, A. 2023, SNAP work and snap peas: Anna Zoeters completes AmeriCorps service!, Desert Farming Initiative - University of Nevada, Reno

I can’t believe I have already completed my AmeriCorps service term with DFI! This time last year, I was deep in the Sierra Nevada mountains, halfway through completing my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike. It turns out, when you’re walking 10-12 hours a day, you have plenty of time to think and reflect, especially on how to pay forward all the generosity and kindness you’ve received from fellow hikers and random strangers along the trail. No matter where I was along the trail last year, I was always surprised by how many people were willing to pick up dirty, hitchhiking backpackers or provide coolers packed with cold drinks and food. Walking towards Canada, I kept all of this in mind as I considered what I’d like my next chapter to look like.

As a UNR graduate with an Environmental Science degree, I knew I wanted to be involved in something that contributed to sustainability or some kind of climate-conscious work. AmeriCorps was a great opportunity for me to be part of service work and participate in civic engagement and environmental stewardship. DFI was the perfect place for me to be involved in an operation focused on sustainability and climate-smart practices, while also learning about the local food system and small-scale farming in the high desert. Thanks to the wonderful people here at DFI, I have learned a lot- from the broad aspects of regenerative agriculture and the SNAP program, to the minute details of how to trellis snap peas or set up irrigation drip tape.

When I first started out at the farm, I had minimal experience growing food. The elementary school I went to had a small hydroponics greenhouse and a few garden beds, but because we were small, impatient children, we were only really involved in the occasional harvest. It has been really rewarding to now be involved in every step of production: cleaning woodchips and weeds away to make room for new beds, aerating and amending the soil with nutrients and organic matter, and finally planting, pruning, and harvesting the produce. I have gained so much respect for growers now that I understand how much work goes into creating food, especially when the time and effort is taken to use minimally invasive techniques that preserve the soil microbiome and promote plant diversity and healthy bug populations without the heavy use of pesticides.

In addition to my work on the farm crew, I worked alongside our Education Program Coordinator, Anna Miller, to promote SNAP at farmers markets. SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, helps implement nutrition education and reduce food insecurity in vulnerable populations. Although I knew about food stamps, this position exposed me to the newer SNAP program and to several other state programs (WIC, Double Up Food Bucks, etc.) that are attempting to make fresh, local produce more affordable and accessible.

A great introduction to my SNAP role was having the chance to attend a statewide SNAP-Ed training in Las Vegas. While I was there, I got to meet many members of Nevada’s SNAP team and learn more about the larger goals of SNAP-Ed as a whole. In Reno, my main role was to promote SNAP benefits that were provided at farmers markets and work with farmer’s market managers in Northern Nevada to provide support with any SNAP related issues. DFI had a particularly close relationship with the Fernley Poolside Farmers Market. During my term I created and hosted a vendor training to help vendors learn the process of accepting SNAP/EBT benefits. We provided merchandise and signage to increase the visibility and friendliness of the market, and had a working relationship with Sara, the farm manager, to increase the overall success of her market. I also played a role in organizing and distributing promotional flyers to many community resource centers, pantries, and schools around the Reno area.

Another one of my responsibilities was organizing meetings for our local Food Security Coalition. This coalition is an informal gathering focused connecting many small-scale growers, food pantries, and other organizations involved in our local food system. We met in-person at several sites, including Soulful Seeds and Flint St. Farm, which was very fun, as I got to see how other growers operated and the impactful work that was being done within our community.

I worked at DFI from January until the middle of August. While I was here, I was able to watch the farm transition from a few beds of cold weather crops, shivering under the snow, to a farm where almost every inch of dirt was exploding with veggies, sunflowers, and, also, extremely healthy-looking weeds! I really loved being able to work so closely with the land and spend my time in the fresh air and sunshine every time I came to work. I recently learned that there is a type of soil bacteria that has been found to stimulate serotonin production in the body, making you happier and more relaxed. Now that I think about it, this finding is pretty consistent with what I felt during my term at DFI.  Whether I was out delivering flyers or playing around in the dirt, the work I did here was extremely gratifying, and it was work that I looked forward to doing.

Thank you to everyone at DFI! I had a wonderful experience!

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