Is this Good-Bye, Forsyth?

Over the last 8 months, I have learned an enormous amount about building food systems and community development, and the challenges that both face in eastern Montana. If I’d been placed at another FoodCorps site I might be a little busier, but I would have missed out on experiencing first-hand just how hard a time these communities have getting by, let alone finding nutritious food. I’ve watched people ignore health concerns because it’s easier than addressing them, and seen how hard it is to overcome tradition. I’ve learned to view food from a completely new perspective.

Despite the wonderful education I’m receiving, I have hit a wall. There is very little work for me to do here, and my supervisors and I have run out of ideas for filling my time. My creativity (and some of my enthusiasm, let’s face it) have waned as I try to engage this community and come up empty handed every time. My life in Forsyth revolves entirely around my work, but I no longer have enough to keep me even moderately occupied. Therefore, I have decided to try and find a new site in eastern Montana. I have taken a great deal of thought over this decision, and I have realized that continuing to spin my wheels here is not good for me. Although the thought of starting over at a new site is nerve-wracking, the possibility of finally getting my hands dirty is too tempting to pass up!

My potential sites include the Boys & Girls Club in Lame Deer, Saint Labré School in Ashland, Farm to Fork in Glendive, or the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Committee on Fort Peck. All but Glendive are located on or closely associated with a Native American Reservation and are communities significantly smaller than Forsyth. Moving to any one of these will be an enormous transition, but with only four months to go (15 weeks, 84 work days, but who’s counting?) I figure I can handle whatever Montana throws at me.

There is no guarantee that I can change sites, and with so little time left, I may have to face the fact that no site can provide me with enough work on such short notice. In that case, I will simply have to gear up for a marathon of creativity and positive thinking.

This situation has made me even more eager to get a spot with National FoodCorps in Oregon. I desperately want the position at the North Powder Charter School near Pendleton, which has a beautiful garden, a Farm to School Program and an obvious dedication to making healthy food and nutrition education a core part of their curriculum. Even though the town is only a quarter of the size of Forsyth, they have more than enough energy to offer a successful year for a FoodCorps member. And after my time living in isolation in Forsyth, I feel more than capable of handling North Powder’s size and location.

Although I have also applied for a four-month White House internship with Michelle Obama working on her Let’s Move! Initiative, I have decided that another round of FoodCorps is what I really want. By early June, I should know whether I got either one of these positions, both of which are horrendously competitive. Until then, the adventures continue in eastern Montana!