Welcome to Eastside at Home

My name is Sara, and I'm the Community Engagement Coordination here at Eastside. I've been with the co-op since July of 2019. My job involves everything we do at the co-op that isn't selling groceries. I administer our donations and Seedlings programs, I coordinate our classes, and I'm the face you see at our community outreach events. With face-to-face events off the table for now, we're turning to digital ways to keep in touch. I'm hoping this space can serve as a way to gather with your co-op community, learn a skill or two and perhaps find a bit of inspiration to help you stay safe and sane. We'll be sharing family-friendly recipes and activities to keep everyone well-fed and entertained.

Before we get to all of that, I thought it might be nice for you to get to know me a little bit better.

I grew up in California, and moved to Minnesota after seven and a half years in Arkansas. I say y'all…a lot. I've worked in the natural foods industry for nearly a decade and have always had jobs in the food and agriculture industry. I love to cook, and grocery shopping is a soothing experience for me.

This spring, I am embarking on my first season of gardening in Minnesota, and after several years in the mid-south, I imagine I need to alter my expectations a bit. I plan to grow some herbs, cherry tomatoes, kale, spinach, green beans, carrots, and beets. Like many folks in Minneapolis, I like to ride bikes. I have an old road bike, a shiny bike packing gravel bike, and a mountain bike frame that I'll build up eventually. I'm also in an MBA program, so I'm finishing that up online this summer.

Some Things I Did Before I Worked at Eastside:

• taught childhood nutrition education and middle school science

• tamed a sourdough starter named Louise

• ran a school garden-to-cafeteria project

• learned how to weave

• went to culinary school

• worked on organic vegetable and flower farms

• made my own kombucha

• adopted 2 cats (Tilly and Niko)

Things I enjoy cooking for my family:

• sourdough bread

• chili

• curries

• taco bowls

• breakfast for dinner

I hope we'll have a lot to talk about together! If there is something you're excited to learn about, email your suggestions to info@eastsidefood.coop, and I'll see how we can make it work! I might try my hand at doing some short cooking videos and inviting some of our friends to join us. Most importantly, I want this space to be a source of information and community connection!

Cheers,

Sara

Niko and Tilly keeping an eye on the neighborhood.