Blog 13: 10 Hour Mentorship Check-In

The bushel full of reward I carried to the car after a full two hours worth of work followed by Scott introducing us volunteers to those goodies that could be picked

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?

- I am currently at work at Pomona College’s Organic Farm.

2.   Who is your contact?  What makes this person an expert?

- Scott Fleeman is my mentor and contact, and the fact that he graduated UC Santa Cruz with a degree in agriculture is substantiated by his daily management of the farm, where his knowledge of crops in rotation is necessary for bountiful harvests.  These harvests support the dining halls on campus and educate the public on the definition of urban farming and what it means to the Claremont community, and so Scott is instrumental is making the idea behind my senior topic productive and beneficial.  To see a person like Scott making a living off urban farming is also a reassuring observation that paints my topic as a means for not only environmental and personal well being, but for economic sustenance as well.

3.   How many hours have you done during the school year? (Summer Mentorship Hours and Mentorship Hours should be reflected separately in your Senior Project Hours log located on the right hand side of your blog).

- As of now, my hours logged in are counted as 17 (see updated log)...

4.   Succinctly summarize what you did, how well you and your mentor worked together, and how you plan to complete the remaining hours.

- My mentor and I have accumulated many moments together and so have a good rapport with each other and each other’s schedules has been established.  I have not ever felt foreign or uncomfortable at the option of not showing up for mentorship one day - so long as I let Scott know about the absence beforehand via an email or text.  Scott especially shows his support of my ambitions in taking the time to share cherished farming tips or mentioning my project to new faces we come into contact with.  After talking about my essential question and the direction of my project with Scott, I have made it a point to shadow Scott in what activities he has scheduled for each volunteer day I show for, these activities being hands-on and partaking in the general upkeep of the farm and its abundance of fragile inhabitants.  In this way, my fellow volunteers and I can be seen being trusted with the handling of tools as we follow Scott in his schedule as farm manager, collecting fruits and vegetables as a reward for our efforts.  Recently, maintaining the compost beds and planting new crops has been a priority.  I plan to complete my hours in the same way, supplemented by in-depth research of how my labors are applied in the overall scope of urban farming.