My name is James Coffee and this summer I am interning in Pampa, Texas. I will be a senior at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, this year and I am majoring in Landscape Architecture and getting a minor in Geology. I have grown up in Pampa most of my life so it has been nice to come back to my hometown and work this summer. Along with working in Pampa, I will be splitting my time in White Deer, Texas, at the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District.This summer, I have been focusing on two major projects; one is the renovation of the Xeriscape garden in White Deer and the other is helping out the Chamber of Commerce with the planning of their main summer events. The Xeriscape garden was created to show people how you can create a nice looking garden that does not use a lot of water but over the years it has been neglected and overgrown. I have come up with a new design and we have started working on the garden and hope to complete it by the end of summer. In Pampa, I have been helping out the Chamber director with the Boomtown Block Party and the Summer Celebration. The Boomtown Block Party is a business expo for the businesses of Pampa. The Summer Celebration is where News Channel Ten does the evening news, live in Pampa. This year it will be near the new water park in town and a live band will be playing as well as having tons of booths for food and games. I have really enjoyed my time back home and I feel that these projects have made a positive impact on the communities.
Intern Profile: Greg Laudenslager
Hello, happy summer everyone!My name is Greg and I am thrilled to be working with the collective of farmers, ranchers, and consumer Foodies that make up the High Plains Food Co-op. We have a wide selection of amazing foods that are raised with TLC instead of chemicals and antibiotics. You can certainly taste the quality of the foods, and the prices are comparable to what you pay at King Soopers. (Shop online at HighPlainFoods.org)
A bit about myself: I am a native Coloradan with a strong pioneering spirit and insatiable curiosity. I am fascinated by the world around me and I like to surround myself with people that challenge me to wonder, imagine, explore, and discover. I am a brother, son, and CU Buffalo. I am an Earthling and have a high regard for Mother Earth & her creatures. Life is such a precious gift and I am thankful for everyday. I feel a spiritual connection to the land and believe passionately in using thoughtful ecological design, whether it be in agriculture or urban planning. Biodiversity allows for the amazing functions of nature to replace the use of chemical fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc. Permaculture (agro-ecology) is the practice of doing just that, stewarding the land to develop a thriving Edible Ecosystem. I just pulled the term Edible Ecosystem out of nowhere, but it is certainly a good way of thinking about Permaculture techniques. You probably get the picture that I enjoy being an advocated for thoughtful, functional ecological design. I also enjoy backpacking, mountain biking, climbing (trees included!), snow!, cooking, eating, gardening, traveling, relaxing in my hammock, and spending time with friends & family!
Peace & Love!
Greg
PS I am thankful that Bees and Worms do so much to sustain our existence!
An Intern’s Perspective on the 2011 Ogallala Commons Retreat
Megan England
Above: A few of the “Commoners” at the retreat toured “The Garden” at Hi-Plains Food Bank (Front Row L-R: Darryl Birkenfeld, Megan England, Nikki Johnson, Mary Libby Campbell. Back Row L-R: Tom Giessel, Bob Mailander)
I just returned from the 2011 Ogallala Commons Retreat in Amarillo, Texas. Having never been to such a thing previously, I had no idea what to expect. I’m not super-great friends with the unknown or unexpected. (Must be a Gold thing).
What I didn’t expect was the respect. Sure, I knew everyone would be nice, but really, who wants a seventeen-year-old girl hanging out at a board meeting for a non-profit organization? What I found was that I was taken seriously, even though they knew I was still in high school!
I decided quickly that God gave me two ears and one mouth for a reason, so I must have seemed pretty quiet. I was intrigued (and yes, slightly intimidated) by the conversation of the incredibly talented, motivated, and passionate people on the OC Board. Who needs to talk when there are so many interesting things to listen to?
While the meetings I attended were great, I must tell you they didn’t compose the entire event. On Monday evening, we attended the Ogallala Commons Funding Dinner, and it was exciting to hear from several other interns on their projects. I read the blogs, but hearing the stories in person is always amazing!
Above: Myself and fellow intern Kerra Wait, at the Ogallala Commons Funding Dinner
On Tuesday, we toured the West Texas A&M University Enterprise Center and learned about entrepreneurship. Then, after an afternoon Retreat session, we got to eat dinner at the house of an Ogallala Commons friend—with a gorgeous view of the canyon—and I was reminded that not only are the OC board members good at what they do, they are just plain fun! (By the way, if you haven’t been to the Palo Duro Canyon area—go!). We finished up the Retreat on Wednesday with a wonderful tour of the Hi-Plains Food Bank Community Garden, led by intern Cara Young, and later, the final Retreat session before we adjourned at noon.
Attending the OC Retreat was a great eye-opener for me, and to top it all off, I got to meet some amazing people who didn’t seem to mind taking time out of their day to hear from “kids” like me, really listen to our ideas, and give us great input. I was shown a side of Ogallala Commons I’d never seen before, and I would love to be able to bring something to the OC table—even after my internship—because I believe their purpose is absolutely priceless!
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