At GFJ we're all about being proactive, and Katie's just the type of good food job holder that we like to see! She emailed us in tandem with a recent job that Sweet Stem Farm posted, which led to a conversation, which led to us featuring her on the blog. It goes to show you that you never know who you will meet or what you will learn until you start initiating conversations. So in case you're scoping out New Year's Resolutions, you may just want to follow in Katie's footsteps and write that email. You never know what will come of it.
When did you know that you wanted to work in food?
It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but I used to eat ham and cheese sandwiches every day. Luckily, after I spent some time studying our food system in college, I knew I needed to make a change in my habits. It was becoming more and more clear to me what was happening to our food system, and in particular the challenges that small farmers and local businesses faced. These were things I just didn't know, and once I did I wanted to be different. That bit of food education sparked a change in me ever since.
My love for fresh, locally grown or raised, and home-cooked food grew as I learned more about what food really is. Not the watery ham and individually wrapped cheese slices I was used to, but the world of fresh vegetables and slow-roasted meats my dear friends in Lancaster County were introducing me to. We are lucky enough to live in an area with one of the nation's oldest farmer's markets, numerous restaurants that buy and support local food, and acres and acres of farmland that produce some of the best tasting foods I've ever known. All of these things brought so much joy into my life as I discovered them, and so finding a job that supported this local food movement became extremely important to me. I wanted to find a job where I knew I was working towards something that I believed in and could feel good about every day.
How did you get your current good food job?
If you can believe it, I was daydreaming about working for a farm one day when I spotted the job opening on Facebook. In my effort to support local farms, I was checking out which farms in the area had a Facebook page. That's when I came across Sweet Stem Farm's page, and they had just listed a job opening for a Marketing Coordinator. My jaw dropped. I knew I had to apply and immediately got to work on my resume. Two weeks later I had been offered the job, and I felt it was the perfect case of being "in the right place at the right time" on Facebook!
I had no idea how much I'd learn in the first few months on the job. There are so many details involved in directly marketing humanely raised meats to a local market. Now I've been taught so much - from meat cutting instructions for butchers to whole carcass utilization for chefs. There are struggles and successes, laughter and groans almost every day but it is the most rewarding job I've ever had. And now, among many other perks of my job, I get to update the Sweet Stem Farm Facebook page daily with photos and news about the farm, and I couldn't feel luckier to have my good food job.
How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for a good food job?
My prior experience in sales and marketing has helped tremendously while working for Sweet Stem Farm. At my previous jobs, I had gained experience in everything from public relations and customer service to printing and SEO, all which I've been able to apply to my new position. I enjoy finding a way to use these skills in a way that works for a small business directly marketing sustainable meats - which is very different than anything I've done before!
What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your Good Food Job?
I knew for quite some time that if I had the opportunity to pursue my dream of working for a farm, I would do what it takes to make it happen. When I found out about the position at Sweet Stem Farm, I was currently working part-time for a different employer and I decided to leave that position in order to take on my new role at the farm. It's always hard leaving a job for a new one, and not really knowing "if the grass is greener on the other side", but I had a pretty good instinct that it would be worth it. After being at Sweet Stem Farm for quite some time now, I can say that my instincts were definitely right!
What can you identify as the greatest opportunities in food right now?
One of the greatest parts of my experience in the last few months is finding out about all the amazing organizations that are working towards a more sustainable food system. I see these groups in many ways as the backbone of the local food movement, because they are helping to educate individuals about what we can each do to make a change. The more ways we can spread knowledge and excitement about changing our food system the better!
One way Sweet Stem Farm is hoping to help educate is by launching our "Eat Cheek to Cheek" campaign. The campaign encourages local meat eaters to think about eating pork, or any animal protein for that matter, in proportion to the way it is arranged on the animal. Our advice for eating sustainably is to eat less meat, but to eat it more thoughtfully. Eat a wide variety of cuts that come from animals raised on socially-responsible farms. We suggest that meat shouldn't be consumed absentmindedly but with awareness and gratitude, savoring the full flavor of sustainability-from Cheek to Cheek.
If you'd like to be a part of this campaign to support sustainable meat, let us know!
Also, we are currently seeking a Farm Foreman at Sweet Stem Farm. We have nine passionate and hard-working employees here at the farm, and we believe Good Food Jobs can help us find the tenth!
If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?
Time and sausage. I can always use more of both!
Is there someone that you've been meaning to write for ages? If so, what's stopping you?