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Bio

Hello! My name is Amy. I am originally from Southern California. Since graduating high school I have lived in the Northwest and the Midwest.

My academic background is in resource management and sustainable food systems. Following graduation from the University of British Columbia, I worked for an organization that supports student-run food cooperatives. I began farming that same year at an organic fruit and vegetable farm in the interior of British Columbia, and continued to farm in the years following.  I have worked on small, organic and biodynamic family farms that raise: vegetables, fruit, flowers, mushrooms, herbs, eggs, pastured-meat, poultry and wood-fired pizza. Most recently, I managed the garden at a spiritual ecology center which produced the vegetables to feed the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois.

I instantly fell for the herb garden, a sacred little space tucked away on every farm, sometimes hiding in plain sight beneath years of overgrowth. After years returning to the field after the day's work to gather herbs and reading herbals until I fell asleep, I decided it was time to prioritize my passion for accessible medicine. I have had profound healing experiences as a patient with Chinese medicine. I am very excited to be here at ACCHS to study this beautiful system. I feel privileged to embark on this journey to deepen my understanding of the human experience and serve my community.

I am happy to now live near friends and family in the bay area, and to be this much closer the redwoods! I enjoy cooking, hikes, gardening, soap-making, tea time, live music, art and hearing birth stories.

Comments

  1. Shooting Star Botanicals14 May 2017 at 12:06

    Hi Amy,

    Thank you for sharing your story with us! I really appreciate your description of the magikal herb garden you tended. I am so curious to learn more about your work at the Spiritual Ecology Center too, the concept of Spiritual Ecology is something I am not familiar with, but it sounds fascinating! I'd love to hear about how the idea shapes your relationships with the plants. I am really looking forward to hearing more about your experiences farming- what you've seen and what you've loved in the process.

    ReplyDelete
  2. katharine elyse14 May 2017 at 17:03

    Hi Amy,

    I am excited to be in class with you! You feel very peaceful and centered, which is nice to be around.

    I read your response to Alex's blog in regards to physics and time, so I'm going to respond to that post here. Although I've never lived extensively in a rural area, I feel very connected to your feelings of liberation when you forget about time completely - when I've backpacked or camped, the laws of nature govern and a clock is no longer relevant, only the sun and how much light and mosquitos and where to bed down and when to eat. This contrast between urban and rural strikes a big question: how do I stay whole and balanced and healthy in an urban environment when it feels like so many factors are disseminating my spirit, aura, strength at once? "Self-care" feels like a big keyword amongst the massage-therapists and community members I know - that to come back to center is another word for going out into nature and becoming more myself, who I am. This summer I have an ideal schedule of work over the weekends and then school on Monday, so I am planning on taking regular backpacking trips during the week to provide this kind of nourishment and turn-off, turn-on period. I think getting of a screen and getting back into my body feels very profound and very basic.

    I look forward to hearing more from you, and learning from you as we go through school together.

    ReplyDelete

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