Oddyssey Reflection

I feel that a vision is the most importat aspect of this kind of work. It allows you to select what kind of projects you want to take on, as well as decide how to best implement projects. Vision is important, but when building infastructure, technical skills are also important. You need the hard coding knowledge to get through sections, as well as the self-awareness to know when you need to find help elsewhere. Troubleshooting skills are key here. Finally, communication is essential when you are working in teams on a project with others, as working effectively is key to getting large projects done on time. Communication is the most important skill for me for covering up for poor other skills I have, espaicilly in coding. While I am new to coding, I can use my teammates’s knowledge as well as knowledge from experts. Troubleshooting also helps my weakness in coding knowledge.

My commmunity partner runs an organic farm that serves a local clientele of mainly individuals. I am a big believer in this type of food production, as it exists outside of a system of mills and industrialized food production, and allows individuals to directly get food from individuals. The more people exist in these kind of networks, the more food sovereignty Conway will have, buffering us against potential catastrophes in international food production.

I actually started working on my client’s farm as a part of this project! I had never done farm work before, and finding a way into this field without any expereicne would be difficult. I was able to start as an intern and work towarda a paid position. Working with plants, chickens, and pigs every Friday is an incredible way to end each work week, and also makes me feel refreshed going into the weekend. It also allows me to put ideas I have about sustainability into practice. I am going to try to use the expereince gained here to continue with sustainability efforts at Hendrix through my club, Hendrix Community Aid.