Editor's Note: This is a piece written by fellow SNRE student Jill Carlson reflecting on her participation in the first SNRE Community Service Day.

So many of the principles and themes I have explored thus far in my coursework in the School of Natural Resources and Environment and “work-work” at the Ecology Center has been about place. When you know the landscape and people around you”¦.if you know the processes, inputs and outputs more intimately because you are physically next door or you’re undertaking them yourself, sustainability is that much more accessible, easy, and – most importantly – satisfying and fun. There ain’t no label for the “fair trade” that exists between the “buyer” and “seller” at the A² farmer’s market. And that exchange of goods and often words too – as I alluded to earlier – can be so satisfying and fun.

So I decided to walk the walk and devote some of my precious weekend hours to getting down and dirty at the University of Michigan campus farm, located at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. And as some of you are now familiar”¦. recent locale of the Harvest Festival!  I was motivated to join the volunteer effort because A) I wanted to be outside and do something physically with my hands (there are only so many journal articles I can read in a single sitting”¦) and B) I do truly want to get to know Ann Arbor more deeply. I’m trying to embrace the new Michigander in me”¦

Despite the rainy weather, some fellow SNREds (endearing term for fellow School of Natural Resources and Environment students) and I gathered off Dixboro Road to rip up some fence so the field could be plowed, clear away dead plants to compost, and harvest some of the final bounty before it froze. Long story short, it was a complete blast. It was indeed satisfying and fun to work hard outside with some like-minded souls around me. I quickly rose to the task of harvesting the cayenne peppers, green bell peppers, and tomatoes”¦

Throughout the time, stories were exchanged; I giggled away eating approximately every 5^th tomato that I picked. It was fantastic to learn more about the origins of the farm and future plans and contribute a small amount of my woman-power to the initiative, even in the small amount of 3 hours. I walked away knowing a little bit more about the people that I worked with, about the botanical gardens, the campus farm itself, and exactly how I want to contribute my “free” time as a graduate student! I love good food, I love being outside, and I love contributing to a larger effort through meaningful work – sounds like volunteering more at campus garden for me.

Oh and I cannot forget that I got to cart away some of that yummy produce too. Abandoned plans to return to homework and spent a rejuvenating evening making a homemade pasta sauce and vegetarian quinoa chili with the fresh goodies. Quite appropriately, froze some of the pasta sauce and vegetarian chili for future dead-of-winter meals, that will remind me of a great first trip to the campus farm.