Letter to my Peace Corps Recuiter

Well, it looked good on paper. A lot of what I had planned for the CSA Co-op, fell through because the Co-op almost didn't happen. Finally, the CSA Co-op did work it out and a lot of the below work was split up between the core group of which I was part of.

Re: The French Class at the high school was canceled because only one person signed up for it (moi). I took 3 classes this Spring at a local community college: French 101, Francophone Culture and Conversational French.

October 28, 2009


Peace Corps Regional Office
201 Varick Street, Suite 1025
New York, NY 10014

Dear Maya,

Since my interview with you on October 8, I have been considering how I could make my application more competitive for the Agriculture Program.

I talked with Walter Griest, Mill River Valley Farms, North Haven, CT, 06473, the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm that I belong to and been working at for the past two years. Walter and I have worked out an agreement where I volunteer extra time at the farm in a non-paid work status, approximately 10-20 hours a week. This will give me additional hands-on experience and will allow the acquirement of further knowledge of a working CSA.

I’ll be working at the farm in two categories:

1. Hands-on: Assisting with planting fall crops, post-season clean-up, repair and other general work. Early Spring/Spring will consist of pre-planting fieldwork and the many tasks that need to be done for spring planting and the first harvest, which is usually at the end of June.

2. As I mentioned in the agriculture addendum, I’m in the core group of the newly forming board of Eagle Ridge, Inc., which is now the governing entity of Mill River Valley Farms. While I’m not accepting a board position with Eagle Ridge because of my Peace Corps application, I’ll be attending the core meetings and doing any start-up tasks and limited term projects that needs to be done.

In general, the two main areas where I’ll be providing assistance to Eagle Ridge, Inc:

a. Is compiling and setting up a framework for an informational and a ‘living’ how-to manual for the farm. I will be interviewing Walter throughout the winter not only about the farm history, but collecting statistical data about each field (size, condition, past crop rotations, concerns, idiosyncrasies, etc), and an inventory/status of farm equipment. Also, detailed information on how the share system is setup, operated and the other CSA background operations. Walter will also suggest reference books on small farms/CSAs and organic farming methods that I can be studying on my own.

b. Setting up and updating a basic financial and general record systems for the CSA.

I have also taken into consideration that while I’m living and working in an agriculture position that I could be around farm animals. I would want to give a willing hand with the care of those animals, as needed. With that possibility in mind, I have made arrangements to work in non-paid status 1-2 days a week with at Pisgahview Acres, 181 Madison Road, Durham, CT 06422. Pisgahview Acres has several horses, chickens and rabbits that I’ll be helping to care for. Also, I’ll be assisting Wanda with any farm maintenance, building improvements and repairs as needed.

I just signed up to take ‘French Conversation for Beginners’ through an Adult Education Program at Hamden High School, Hamden CT. Also, I will be making arrangements to take French Level I at Southern Connecticut State University in the Spring Semester, 2010.

Please let me know if further details of these arrangements are required.

Respectfully yours,