Dear friends,
As a lifelong gardener, student of botany, and educator, I am thrilled to join the TNGS staff as the new Operations & Development Manager. I have worked my whole career in non-profit organizations spanning education, trade, and international development. Specifically, I worked in coffee, where I have personally facilitated trainings for coffee farmers around the world in places like China, Nepal and Rwanda. At the moment I have put aside my coffee life to study business, and my home is Boston and I am excited to put my energies into new endeavors and contribute to TNGS.
I have had the opportunity to visit and learn from our students at the Suffolk County House of Corrections twice since I started, and I have been so impressed. Not only by the passion and commitment demonstrated by TNGS staff and volunteers, but of the students who have worked all season to do something special inside prison walls. I had never been inside a prison before this experience, so I entered with my mind open with no expectations.
Entering the yard, I was surprised by the size and breadth of the garden. I had dropped into their ecosystem at the height of productivity – beds heavy with cherry tomatoes, greens, beans, strawberries, basil. The students that I met that day were a warm, welcoming and cohesive group. Their relationship had clearly developed throughout the season, and everyone was at ease, joking with each other and communicating effectively about the work to be done that day in the garden.
The students were radiating accomplishment as they transitioned from weeding and maintenance to harvesting for that day’s meal. Making pesto, heaping salad plates, and a fresh herb vinaigrette dressing were tasks that they delighted in. The students expressed great pleasure in the harvest and how delicious the nutritious meal was. Some reminisced about how they had eaten similar things on the outside. The shared experience of this rare bounty was truly special.
Unprompted, one student shared her personal story with me, explaining how she had wanted to participate in the horticulture program so that she could one day connect with her friends on the outside with the same hobby. It was clear that she was proud of the knowledge she has gained so far and was really looking forward to when she could share this with her community at home.
At this moment I felt profound privilege and gratitude. I was deeply moved that this student would share her story with me but also appreciative of the everyday gifts that we have on the outside – connection to our friends and neighbors. Access to socialization with a group of peers interested in the same things. Access to fresh air and fertile soil. Access to fresh, healthy food.
Believe me when I say that the work of TNGS goes so far beyond gardening education. It only took me one visit to a prison yard garden for that to ring loud and clear. Being able to see firsthand made me even more energized to support the work of TNGS. Just two hours with our students made it clear that the community, knowledge, shared experience, and joys of fresh air and fresh food are immeasurable ways that TNGS makes impact.
With gratitude,
Emma Sage