Welcome Morgan, New Farm Education Manager

Morgan Maloney is Arcadia's new Farm Education Manager. While Morgan is no stranger to many at Arcadia (she was a farm education intern last Fall), here's your chance to learn a little more about why we're so excited to have her as part of the team.  

What experiences have prepared you for this position?
A combination of experience in both out-of-the-classroom education and volunteer coordination has helped to prepare me for this position. During my three-year tenure with the Appalachia Service Project I guided hundreds of volunteers through home repairs for low-income families. I also designed and led evening programs aimed at educating youth and adults about Appalachian poverty. Teaching people of all ages how to use a circular saw for the first time is quite a thrilling experience! Most recently, I was a Farm Education Intern at Arcadia. In this role I taught elementary students during our 2012 fall field trip season and honed my farm-based education skills under the tutelage of Liz Whitehurst, a truly inspiring educator. My contagious passion for food justice has been the common thread throughout all of these experiences, and continues to serve me in this new position.

What is most exciting to you about your new job as Education Manager at Arcadia?
That is a rather difficult question because I’m ecstatic about every part of my new position. I hail from the DC metro area so I’m most looking forward to playing an active role in affecting the food landscape of an area I love through youth education!

I’m eager to have new groups out to the farm this spring and fall for Field Trips. We have expanded the program to three days a week which allows us to continue our existing partnerships with schools in D.C. and Virginia and to create additional opportunities for students to learn about healthy foods. For similar reasons, I’m looking forward to leading a successful second year of Farm Camp this summer. We have doubled in size since our pilot year which means twice as many young minds to inspire!

I’m also excited to work with a passionate and diverse team of interns. The impact that this group of aspiring farmers and educators can have on our education programs is truly amazing. Together we’ll experience creative collaborations, share delicious foods, and assist one another in active learning.

What are some of your goals for the 2013 season?
During the 2013 season I aim to strengthen our education programs across the board. This means bringing more children out to the farm, connecting with more schools through educational Mobile Market visits, and continuing to provide innovative, farm-based curriculum. I want to be intentional about having the greatest impact on the lives of children in the areas we serve. This will involve in-classroom follow up lessons and learning evaluations that will guide our program improvements. In order to accomplish these goals we have excellent new, as well as seasoned, farm educators who are ready to play a significant role in this growth.

I would also like to build our Get Growing! Workshops into a model for adult education on sustainable food and agriculture practices within the region. Our expert workshop instructors have knowledge to help affect changes that will sustain our food system and the environment for future generations.

If you were a vegetable, what would you be?

My go-to answer for this question, which I get asked more often than is probably normal, is a Carrot. I’m a red-head so I feel a natural connection to this delicious vegetable. Plus, carrots can surprise you and grow in such interesting ways when hidden under the soil. Pulling up a carrot that has twisted together with its neighbor is one of the most delightful harvest discoveries. 

The Arcadia team would like to wish Liz Whitehurst the best of luck in her new job as the On-Farm Initiative Program Director at the Angelic Organics Learning Center in Caledonia, IL. Thank you, Liz, for all of your hard work, and good luck!