Aleece Methvin Community Service Blog #7

These are additional photos that I took while working on the CREZ Transmission Line panoramic photo project.

Being placed at the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech provided a wonderful volunteer opportunity for the Community Service portion of my summer internship with the Ogallala Commons. After spending the majority of my internship working on the Ogallala Commons archive, I had the privilege of participating in a photography project for the SWC. Working under the direction of Andy Wilkinson, I took a series of panoramic photographs documenting areas around Texas where the proposed CREZ Transmission line will be placed. The continuation of this project will include taking ‘after’ photographs of those same locations in order to provide a documentation of how the landscape was ‘before’ and ‘after’ the line’s placement.

The proposal of the placement of this line has produced a variety of responses ranging from full-on support to those who vehemently oppose it to the point of forming organizations and committees aimed at banning it. One of the more controversial locations proposed for the CREZ line is through Palo Duro Canyon. On one hand, this portion of the transmission line is unavoidable for the CREZ line project; on the other hand, placing the CREZ line through the canyon will drastically alter the natural landscape. And based on the conversations I have had concerning this project, that struggle is at the heart of most of the arguments for or against the CREZ line. The purpose of the CREZ Transmission line is to provide a current for the energy from the growing wind turbine fields to be transported to collection stations and then passed on to urban and rural areas; so no matter how you look at it, these lines are inevitable.

One point that Andy Wilkinson brought up concerning those that oppose the line because of the way it will change the landscape is that the landscape that we view as ‘pristine’ or ‘natural’ has in fact already been altered by man-made means. Whether it be pump jacks, farms, power lines, gins, water towers, homes, etc. – the West Texas landscape has been evolving by our hand since the moment we set foot on it. And I think that all of this falls into a very real and very relevant topic that intertwines with the Ogallala Commons: what kind of an impact are we making on the planet? Are we destroying it or are we preserving it for ourselves and for future generations? It is true that constructing 15 story-high transmission lines through Palo Duro Canyon will drastically change the landscape; but without the introduction of clean-energy producing technology our means of existence will quickly become impossible.

I believe that we have to find a way to strike a balance between harnessing clean-energy from the environment while preserving the natural landscape, and in doing so we can move closer to being good stewards of the earth. It seems rather pointless to exploit and destroy something that we don’t even own-since it’s formation, the earth has gone through countless cycles and changes, and in the grand scheme of things we’re only here to inhabit a small portion of time on it.

I really enjoyed working on this project because I got to be a part of documenting a very innovative and controversial movement that is happening right in our own backyard, and I hope that I will be able to be involved in it's completion once that comes.

Elisa Elizondo, Final Blog

My internship ended on August 5th, but I still don't feel done. Maybe I am done and it has long been time to hand over the garden to others. Not that this hasn't been done, but that I need to stop thinking of it like something I oversee. A local church met this past sunday to discuss their role in caring for the garden, and it has recevied care since the end of the first week of August. I have heard that the garden is doing well, but I wish I could see it. I will have to stop by after my school's backpacking trip either during the break I have right after that, or on fall break. And when I do, this blog will most certainly need to include an "epilogue" of sorts with pictures and updates on the volunteers. I learned so so so much this summer. Everything from how to survive the high plains bioregion (this includes myself along with the plants) to how to work with a group of youth volunteers.

A design of the garden was probably the biggest focus of my final week. The Wesley Community Center has my final handdrawn copy, and Phil Hawes, a Landscape Archtitect, has the "first draft." I felt like it took longer than expected to finish. It's something I could have done quickly with a program like Landcadd for garden design. I have never hand sketched something like that before. I started the design my first week, but set it aside to focus more on the garden. By the end of the summer I realized those who would come after me, might be able to use something to help them not only remember how to use what's already there, but to help them envision what could be.

My harvesting ceremony was probably one of the biggest suprises I've ever had! The kids I worked with drew cards and danced along everyone else I have met there. Before I left we were in the garden and they were amazed at all the little seedlings that had sprung up after being planted only a week before. I showed them what was what and why I added on to certain beds. They also gave me a huge picture that I wished I could bring with me to AZ. But when I hopped on the Greyhound to head west, all I could bring with me were a trunk full of clothes, suitcase for little things, and laptop bag. The first line of it says "I belive in the things that grow, and in the things that have grown and died magnificently." I want to study ecology and on the side get better at gardening while at Prescott, so for me this is very true. I could not have been given a better gift.

The only thing I have left to leave for anyone caring for the garden now is this: Turn the compost once a week and water it, though in the middle of the spring or summer turn it Monday, Wednesday, and Friday if possible. I did it this way to give it time to and heat up over the weekend. Thin the seedlings to a proper spacing when they start getting too big. Don't water in the middle of the day (between 10 and 6)! Unless something has been recently planted and it appears in shock, crying out for water. Watch how the water runs off the property. It drains to the right corner (when standing in front). There purslane grows of its own accord and it's entirely edible. Biodiversity is the key! Remember how the tomatoes and peppers were first planted before spidermites ravaged the tomatoes? Nature doesn't plant rows of tomato and corn (well actually it doesn't really plant them at all...most fruiting edible plants are a result of humans, but that's a different story). My point is nature does plant lots of one thing by it self. To thrive, plants need to work together to provide protection from insects, the elements and to exchange important nutrients. Some plants work very well together, like tomatoes with marigold. Others dont work well at all...like dill and, well, most everything planted in the garden right now. Not only does biodiversity protect the health of your edibles, but it also is simply a good use of space and more aethetically pleasing at times.

I can't wait to see Wesley Community Center again. I also can't wait to see friends I've made in Amarillo again. I'm also praying the drought doesn't last forever! Insects seem to find gardens a feast the most when water cannot be found elsewhere, and using to much citywater is not good for the plants or our pocketbooks. I can't wait to see what happens to the garden, but for now after moving, settleing in, and preparing all month, the first day of "class" (if you can call it one while being out in the wilderness) begins...

much love,

Elisa

As a side note...I all summer I seemed to mainly run into computers without a cardreader for my photos. Expect them when I can get a card reader adapter. Next time I'll be using my new camera phone to avoid this...

Aleece Methvin Blog #6 pt. 2

Seed-harvesting tractor, a Native American Seeds field with temporary irrigation, a metal sculpture built by Bill Neiman with scrap metal from out of proportion gas tanks, a seed processing machine.

Delissa Villa- Week 4 Final Blog

To start off my last week I worked at Soil Mender which is a “family-owned company with over fifteen years of experience in the composting business”. I worked with Lizzie Hurt who is in charge of marketing and advertisement. I learned how they photograph the Soil Mender Products and edit them in Photoshop. I even got down and dirty with the soil while I tried cleaning a bag for the photo shoot. I was there side by side with Lizzie as she edited the pictures and she said that they do not edit the photos to much that it looks unreal. She was very kind and willing to show me the different tools in Photoshop that as a marketing major I will need in the future. Apart from doing the marketing and advertising Lizzie wears other hats as well such as product orders and dealing with all product questions from customers.

Darryl Birkenfeld, OC Director, asked me to visit a vegetable market about a mile north of Olton to ask the owner a couple of questions about their business. The owner was very kind and allowed me into her home to get out of the heat while we spoke. The Fresh Vegetable Market as the business is called is a Texas Certified Farmers Market. To get this certification the market has to have at least 3 growers in which they have 4 including themselves. The owner and her family started the business about 4 years ago with one acre and have grown each year and now grow 4 acres. Something unique about this farmers market is that they except WIC but unfortunately this will be there last year to do so. The program has been cut because only 30% of the women cashed in there coupons. Another attribute is that this farmers market is open 6 days a week! Usually, farmers markets are open just on weekends. So, if you ever want fresh produce visit The Fresh Vegetable Market outside of Olton, Texas!

To wrap up my internship I gave a presentation along with two other interns to the county commissioners. These presentations are very important to the program because it allows us to show others what we have learned and how these internships help our community. By seeing that these internships are necessary in our communities donors are encouraged to continue funding the program.

At the end of an internship I think it’s important for the intern to ask themselves how the internship benefited them and the community. I made myself that question and at the end of this one month marketing internship I was able to learn what it takes to run a business in a rural community through my interviews and lots of tips that any entrepreneur could use. I’ve gained new resources such as access to a curriculum for a healthy cooking program and connections with different businesses owners in Plainview. My community has gained more active citizens which would be the other 3 interns in Swisher County and myself. Also, I will be able to educate my generation about the opportunities in rural communities such as Tulia. Those opportunities sometimes have to be created but that opportunity still exists for us to take advantage of.

This summer was my third and last time to be an Ogallala Commons Intern and I thank God for allowing me to have these experiences. It has been great to meet such wonderful people throughout these summers and I have become a true advocate for rural community internships. I see the need and importance it has to all our home towns. Before the first summer I interned the possibility of me coming back to Tulia was about 0% and now it has grown to a 99% chance. That growth has been because of the knowledge that I have gained and the value that I now put on my community. If you know nothing about your community you cannot value it, as Darryl has mentioned “people can live their whole lives in one place but know nothing about it”. So it is our duty to educate our younger generations about the value that these small towns have. Just as the children learn about the history of the Alamo in San Antonio they should learn about the history of the Tulia monument at the intersection of Maxwell and Broadway (aka dip street).

Aleece Methvin Blog #6 pt. 1

Scarecrows in a row of chard (before realizing they were not people, I waved at the Scarecrows when we first drove up-they did not wave back), wooden seed machine built by Mennonites, Emily Neiman explaining one of the seed machines, Native American Seed sacks, 30,000 gallon [rainwater catcher] tank built by Weston Neiman (he built it in 4 hours!).

A few weeks back I made the annual journey to Junction, TX for a little vacation time with my mom’s side of the family. For about 20 years we’ve been headin’ south for a week or so; we stay in cabins and go kayaking and fishing and just try to soak up the surroundings that are drastically different from our own: rivers, trees, variations in elevation (I’ve heard they’re called ‘hills’ and ‘valleys’, but who can be sure). And now thanks to the Ogallala Commons we have been made aware of another treasure to be found in Junction; Native American Seed. This company supplies seeds and other products that are native to the Oklahoma-Texas-Louisiana region in an effort to better conserve our water resources and help customers incorporate plants that actually belong in our region in their landscapes. The Neiman family are the creators of this operation, and their son Weston was a recent intern with the Ogallala Commons; so as you may have concluded, this is how I came to be aware of Native American Seed.

I visited the Neiman Ranch while I was there and got a fantastic tour from Emily Neiman, whose title is listed as ‘Catalog, Web, Customer Care’. My grandpa, little sister, and little brother joined on the tour as we were shown the span of the Native American Seed operation; from the fields to the final packaging. Emily informed us that they use no irrigation for their fields since the plants are native, they thrive without any additional support. However, since this year's rain levels are no where near normal, some irrigation has been used to sustain the fields. After walking into the climate-controlled seed warehouse, Emily told us that each lot of seeds (each individual variety) is tracked and entered into a computer system, and samples are taken and sent to a lab to keep track of each seed's information.

The Neiman's also are the founders of Clearview Alliance, a group that opposes the proposed wind transmission line project that would pass through Junction. Through all of their endeavors, the Native American Seeds operation is strongly linked in many of the ideals that the Ogallala Commons is firmly based upon: community involvement, care of the earth and it's resources, sustainability, quality of life, etc., in the hope that we can all join together to fight for this world that we live in.

“Become native to your place.
 Choose a path of stewardship and a lifetime of wonder and enjoyment.” (from the Native American Seed website, SeedSource.com)

Elisa Elizondo, Community Service Blog

In high school I was required to complete 30 hours a year for my last two years. At that time requirements like that seemed like a lot of work. Since then I have found that the secret to it is to find a task or organization that pulls on your heartstrings so much, you want to be involved. I started out at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens helping a Master Gardener tend the Children's Organic Vegetable Garden and the Four Seasons Garden. I moved on to working in our native prairie and with plants from all over the world that would be cataloged and later used for botanic research. I have loved working with plants ever since.


In Amarillo I wanted to follow along these same lines for my volunteer hours. I hoped to volunteer at the High Plains Food Bank, where community gardens began in Amarillo. Instead of being in a garden, I happened upon something similarly related to food production, but with possibly more shade. My supervisor's husband, Jaime, has devoted countless hours to restoring the Carver Elementary School Greenhouses. He has been working hard for many months as a volunteer full time since mid May. Jaime and Arzella envision the greenhouses as a classroom for environmental science studies (like it has always been in the past) and for local hydroponic food production. When he first arrived, tilapia were dying from poor conditions. Algae had built up on almost every surface where water once was or was still standing. Lightfixtures were full of dust and old sunfaded posters hung from wornout yarn. The cooling vents were crusted over and weeds overflowed beds in the back greenhouse. His hard work and skill at hydroponics has already transformed the greenhouses immensely. Over the summer many people have taken notice and have come to volunteer their time to help clean and organize the greenhouses, and hopefully (though Jaime is sure of it) get them in working order for the upcoming school year. While Jaime worked on the more technical work, and Arzella organized things that were strewn around, we potted seeds, scrubbed every surface we could reach, and pulled weeds to make room for watermelons and corn, and pumpkin etc. Arzella and Jaime have hung nasturtiums and have started tomatoes and peppers that have out performed any I have ever seen! Like the Wesley Community Garden, aphids and spidermites almost overtook everything. Ladybugs were brought in to control the aphids and a garlic/habanero pepper/orange oil mix was blended to control spidermites. With every visit the greenhouses look a little shinier and, more excitingly, a little greener. Seeing someone else so commited to a cause like this is easily contagious for me. Their dedication to this project is very obvious and they have accomplished so much. Other volunteers and I have done little things- anything - everything from scrubbing hydroponic systems to pulling weeds to dusting lights. We don't mind the little things because it all adds up, bringing to life a grand vision for year-round food production.

much love,

Elisa

Delissa Villa- Week 3 Blog

Rockin R Steak House

This week I had the privilege of interviewing AC Montelongo, owner of AC’s Delights and an agent for Sureway Transportation Company and Ricky Powell, owner of Rockin R Steak House. Also, I helped Eric Turner with the KCBD Channel 11 news broadcasting from Plainview.

I truly enjoyed my interview with Mr. Montelongo he mentioned a lot of things that will help me as a future business owner. Instead of the interview being about his success he turned it around and made it a learning environment for me. He did so by giving me advice about what it takes to be a successful business owner. Some of the comments that really stuck with me were: The key to being a good negotiator is to ask, be aggressive and to not be afraid of rejection, and even if you’re the owner of a business you still work for somebody…your customers.

Mr. Powell has a long history of being in the restaurant industry. He’s been part owner of a Wendy’s franchise, worked with Dairy Queen for 15 years, and at a BBQ restaurant. He seems very passionate about his Steak House and that can be seen through his employee retention. He has 14 to 15 employees and mentioned that a business should have systems and tools in place that would encourage employee honesty. What most fulfills Mr. Powell about his business is satisfying others and wanting others to feel good about their experience at Rockin R Steak House.

This link is to pictures taken at the KCBD Channel 11 news broadcasting in Plainview. Enjoy! http://www.kcbd.com/slideshow?widgetid=33637