Only two days after arriving back for Saint Louis from the
Clinton Global Initiative University at Washington University, I am waiting in
the Des Moines airport to go to North Carolina for the IAAS USA National Summit.
For the first time, my flights have been delayed due to bad weather. This
development is not surprising considering the rainy weather. I hope the rest of
the team doesn't have too many problems flying out tomorrow. I am particularly
in love with the rain today. It reminds me of the day on the ISU Horticulture
Farm this summer when it began to pour. Everyone rushed in from the fields in
the downpour. As we watched, we were quiet in celebration among the waves of
rain. I truly felt I was a part of the farm when I realized what joy the rain
brought me.
Plans are big for North Carolina! At the conference, my goal
is to unite IAAS United States socially and electronically. I am planning to
run for National Director so I can help unify IAAS USA throughout the year. Communication
and unification will bring us strength, and it is time for IAAS United States
to be a major IAAS chapter internationally, especially as the World Conference
of 2014 in the United States approaches. The only way we can do this is to
improve our connection and communication internally. With or without the
National Director position, I’d like to set up Facebook and Twitter pages for
our group. If I am National Director, I would like to be on the list serve for
every IAAS chapter in the United States. This way, we can provide status
updates on Facebook and Twitter about what each IAAS chapter is doing each week
and the developments for World Conference (WOCO) 2014.
In addition to improving internal communication, I would
like to improve the public face of IAAS USA. Creating a webpage for the United
States with subpages for each chapter will help us in several ways. First, we
will be able to garner sponsors with a professional website that informs
investors about our activities and accreditations, such as our partnership with
the FAO and status as a non-profit organization. Secondly, the website will
provide information for international IAAS members who wish to travel to an
IAAS USA chapter for a conference or exchange program (EXPRO). This fall, IAAS
ISU will have the first IAAS Expro with IAAS Hohenheim. The hosted student will
learn how to run a community sustained agriculture organic horticulture farm at
Table Top Farm, located about 20 minutes outside Iowa State University.
Additionally, he will have the opportunity to participate in IAAS ISU by helping
to plan World Conference 2014 in the United States.
My final goal for the conference is to get all IAAS USA
chapters involved in planning WOCO 2014. Our chapter would like to offer
placement as a part of the Organizing Committee for IAAS USA members who secure
sponsors for WOCO 2014. Input from every chapter is necessary for planning the
best WOCO possible.
Before the conference, I will spend one evening with my best
friend and her roommate at Duke University in Durham, NC. Unbelievably, the
only college campuses I’ve seen are Iowa State University, Washington
University, CATIE in Costa Rica, and the campus in Uppsala, Sweden. I expect Duke to be beautiful; besides, I cannot
wait to see my best friend where she currently spends all her time. She’s going
to have to be patient with all the photos I’ll want to take!
It is so strange to me to travel this much. I am beginning to
get very used to airports when only four months ago I had never set foot in one.
Things can change quickly… I still have a rush of adrenaline from traveling
today. It could be my lack of sleep and my strong cup of Costa Rican coffee.
Here I sign off until North Carolina!
No comments:
Post a Comment