Nicholas Olson

 

These are four out of 12 high tunnels that the Strength 2 Love 2 Farm have. You can see the row homes around the area, so it is a nice community resource to have. 

        This past week I got to visit a community garden and a home garden. Also, I got my first exposure to

our Baltimore City 4H program. The community garden that we visited was the Strength 2 Love 2 Farm

which is a really big and well-structured farm. Recently, they have had troubles with pests and a lack of help.

The home garden that we went to was only the second one that I have seen. The guy that we interviewed is

growing flowers for bouquets but has plans to get chickens and high tunnels with vegetables in it. He used

to have high tunnels and chickens, but a dispute with the neighbors was something that got in the way of that.

I never really thought about that as an obstacle for some people. We also had a 4H expo at our office where kids

were invited for a presentation on their accomplishments, awards, and activities. It was good to see what sorts

of things these kids get involved in and that it is open for anyone to join. It is an important program that molds

kids to lead healthy lives. 4H is one of the many ways that extension connects with the local community.

This is an image of the flower garden that our interviewee had at his home. You can see a monarch butterfly on one of the flowers showing that he can make money off of these flowers, and they're good for the environment. 

Cross-cultural competency is very important for qualitative research which is what I have been doing this

summer. We had a presentation on the importance of this skill and how it will be useful in both your career and

life. Understanding culture norms wherever you go helps you become a trusted member of the community even

if you are not from there. Personally, it has been an adjustment to learn about the city of Baltimore and certain

struggles that people face everyday. Specifically when we have to interview fishers, it is important to build

rapport between you and the fisher. Some people feel uncomfortable when someone walks around with a

clipboard because some people could be undocumented. Knowing what to say when you approach someone

takes some practice, otherwise they won’t be interested at all.