“Farmer Katie” as so many kids know and love her, is moving on from Sierra Harvest to go out and share her warmth and knowledge with even more local children, as “Teacher Katie,” a classroom teacher. We caught up with her to ask about her experience with Sierra Harvest.
SH: How long were you with Sierra Harvest and what was your role?
Katie: I was part of Living Lands and then joined the team at Sierra Harvest in Nov. 2013. I was a farm manager and educator — I managed all the farming sites and helped with our educational programming. I got to do field trips, help with camp, and go into the schools — all kinds of fun educational stuff. I also managed our market booth at the Nevada City Farmer’s Market.
SH: How did your work at Sierra Harvest prepare you for this next phase in your life?
Katie: It helped me realize that I really enjoy teaching kids about all sorts of things, not just farming, and now I’m planning to get my teaching credential so that I can teach in a classroom in Nevada County!
SH: What was something you learned from this work that you did not expect?
Katie: Management. I never would have guessed that I would learn so much about management– how to manage my time, employees, the farm, large groups of children. It was a huge growing experience, and overall a very enjoyable one.
SH: What was one of your favorite experiences with the kids?
Katie: One that I often think about was during camp. We had so much fun with those children and got to know them so well by the end of the week. One of the activities we do every year is building scarecrows and putting them up at the farm. The campers get incredibly creative with their scarecrow’s appearance and identity. It’s always a blast. But that’s just one of thousands of great experiences!
SH: Any parting thoughts?
Katie: I feel so lucky to have been a part of Sierra Harvest — it’s such an amazing group of people doing so much amazing work in our community. I hope to volunteer and continue being a part of it in the future!